Children's home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 1 SC427165 Registered provider: Nottingham City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2024 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good 01/03/2022 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children continue to receive good care from a team of staff who know them well. Staff are sensitive, caring and compassionate, which helps children build trusted relationships. Children have fun with staff, and there is a lot of laughter in the home. The manager and staff work hard to ensure children develop a sense of belonging and get along with each other. For example, children like to play games and watch films together. This creates a family atmosphere and helps children to develop empathy for one another. Overall, children are in good physical health. They are encouraged and supported to attend health appointments. However, one child is struggling to access dental care and is yet to receive the required dental treatment. Two children are in good routines and attend school or work. Another child is currently experiencing a high level of emotional distress and is being supported well to recover. However, they are not in a healthy sleep

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

routine. Staff are working to rectify this, but attempts are not yet fully effective. The manager includes children in their care planning. Children see people who are important to them and have friends to visit. One child has recently reconnected with family members, which has been important for their emotional well-being. Children are encouraged to increase their independence. They learn to cook and travel independently. They are also learning skills such as shopping and planning their future careers. Children’s interests are encouraged and promoted. Staff attend important events with children, which makes them feel valued. One child has moved on since the last inspection and is now living in supported accommodation. Children move on in planned ways and remain in touch with staff, which shows that children have enduring relationships they can draw on as they grow up.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities well. They have developed effective risk management plans that reduce risk. There are good examples of the team protecting children from harm. A particular strength has been the work supporting a child who has been experiencing acute emotional distress. Extensive planning and risk management are keeping the child safe. This is being carried out in a sensitive way, which helps the child feel wanted and valued. Staff support children with self-injurious behaviour very well. Children are treated with great empathy, and they feel able to tell staff when they have hurt themselves. This means they receive the care they need in a timely way. The manager and staff are skilled at managing children’s behaviour. There are very few serious incidents because staff use their relationships with children and knowledge of Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

trauma to prevent situations from escalating. There have been no incidents of physical intervention, which helps to maintain a calm atmosphere in the home. Children seldom raise concerns about staff. When this happens, concerns are investigated and dealt with appropriately, and children are not left in potentially unsafe situations. Generally, concerns are notified to the relevant authorities. There has been one example where an allegation was not shared with Ofsted. This did not impact on the child’s safety on this occasion. Staff respond in a well-coordinated way when children are missing from home. When this has happened, it has been in the context of an older child who was becoming more independent. Staff made every effort to return the child home as soon as possible, working with the child’s family and other professionals to achieve this. The manager and staff are always alert to risks of exploitation when children are missing from home, and

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

the risks are assessed in a timely way. New staff have joined the team since the last inspection. They have been recruited safely through the required vetting procedures. This ensures that children are cared for by suitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an experienced and highly motivated manager. She has excellent relationships with the children and shows considerable commitment to them. They enjoy spending time with her and seek her out to share their news and tell her about their day. The manager leads the team competently and has recently managed some difficult situations with skill and confidence. The manager works creatively to repair relationships between children and staff when difficulties arise. This helps children realise they can resolve conflicts in healthy ways. The manager is actively involved in the wider decision-making about children’s lives, and she advocates for them effectively. Feedback from professionals and parents has been positive about the quality of care for children. The staff team has experienced some change. Some staff have moved on and been replaced, including the assistant manager. Team morale is good, and staff are working

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

together well. New staff are made welcome and receive a thorough induction. Staff changes are managed sensitively to minimise the impact on children. Staff have written letters to children to show they have valued their time caring for them. Where possible, staff stay in touch, and this helps children maintain important relationships. The manager ensures that staff receive regular reflective supervision. This focuses on the relationships with children and personal and professional development. When issues arise, staff are well supported, for example with their health needs or personal issues. The manager also facilitates development days that are additional opportunities for staff to reflect on practice and develop children’s care plans. This helps the staff maintain the skills and resilience to care for children safely. Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. This includes developing effective approaches to helping children attend dental appointments and establish healthy sleep routines. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in Regulation (40 (4)(a)-(d)) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home that the registered person considers to be serious (40 (4)(e)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottingham City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 3NG

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Inspector

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC427165 7 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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