Children's home run by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 1 Registered provider: City of Doncaster Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a local authority and registered to provide care and support for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. Four children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2023 Full Outstanding 01/02/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All four children who live in the home were spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children trust the staff and managers. Staff are highly skilled at developing trusting and secure relationships with children and they feel safe to share and talk to staff about difficult feelings and experiences. Staff ensure the home is warm and welcoming and take great care in their planning. This helps to create a positive and happy environment where children are proud to live.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children take part in amazing activities in the home, the local community and further afield. They are supported to develop their talents and to follow their interests. Children are supported to build friendships locally and staff work with parents to plan safe trips out. One child had their first sleepover recently. The child said: ‘It was the best thing I ever did.’ The child told staff how independent it made them feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive in this safe and protected environment, where staff are empathetic to their mood and presentation. When changes are noticed, staff are quick to engage. They take time to unpick the child’s feelings and offer support and choice. Children have developed friendships in the home, and they enjoy activities together and individually.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s overall education attendance and engagement have improved. One child has expressed struggles with the education and staff drop off and pick them up from school to offer reassurance. They involve the virtual school and meet with school staff weekly, sharing knowledge and strategies to help the child succeed. The staff advocate on behalf of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support children to make a positive contribution to their community. Children enjoy rugby and recently held a fundraising event raising money for motor neurone disease research. Each child contributed items according to their interests and talents. Professionals, friends and neighbours came together and supported the day. Children have a sense of achievement and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff complete detailed, child-centred plans when children move to and from the home. One move was recently expedited for a child, but the manager still consulted and gathered the views of the professionals involved and supported the child to visit. Another child left and managers worked closely with the new home, considered specialist guidance around the move, and continued to be involved in meetings. Managers are in the process of establishing lifelong links with the child. They ensured an incredibly positive ending for the child, who expressed their appreciation in letters to staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 4 One of the greatest strengths of staff is the way they celebrate each child. Each child has personalised memory boxes to keep. There is a wealth of records celebrating new experiences, holidays, achievements, family time and fun.

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

Safeguarding is understood in the home and information is shared with professionals and family members, advice from specialist teams is sought where appropriate and referrals are made to other agencies. Staff challenge other professionals to ensure children are safe.

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

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and are not afraid to whistle-blow internally and externally. Staff who have done so report being supported and reassured by managers throughout the process. This gave them confidence and supported them to challenge unsafe practices. Staff were celebrated for speaking up for children.

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

Staff address issues where they feel there are risks to children. Staff challenge the behaviours of others and give clear guidance to keep children safe. Staff are tenacious and ensure children feel safe and protected. Information is shared with relevant professionals and safeguarding procedures are initiated without delay when concerns arise. Risk assessments and safety plans are reviewed and updated following incidents.

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

Research is shared with the team and specialist advice is sought to better understand the risks or needs associated with children who live at the home. Staff are highly skilled and recognise safeguarding and trauma. Children’s records are excellent and demonstrate responsiveness, one-to-one sessions with the child and adherence to policies and procedures by the member of staff.

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

When concerns have been noted for one child concerning potential exploitation, staff were quick to respond. Specialist advice was sought, individual sessions were held with the child and risk assessments were updated. This has reduced the child’s exposure to risks.

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

Children are happy and feel safe in the home. The manager supports children to take positive risks, which helps them to grow in confidence and skills and develop positive friendships. Boundaries and routines are clear, and children know they can seek help, advice and support from the team.

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

Team members are skilled at de-escalation and adapting their style depending on the individual child. Positive behaviour is continually encouraged and celebrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a persistent, tenacious advocate for the children in her home. This is recognised by professionals who describe her as pivotal in drawing together a holistic team around each child, making them feel safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 5 Professional relationships are exceptional, and they reflect the unswerving commitment of the manager to children. The manager supports others but consistently challenges them to fulfil their responsibilities to the children in her care. She also supports them in initiative-taking and shares strategies to help the children through consistent support in all settings. Professionals report that children’s views are clearly represented in all meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has focused specifically on developing the skills and knowledge of her team and the deputy managers. Each deputy has a plan to develop their skills. In supervision, scenarios are used to explore future roles and staff are given feedback. This helps staff to develop and progress. The manager has stepped back at times this year and allowed the deputies to lead. Professionals feedback about their skills, passion and enthusiasm, and the deputies have managed some demanding situations extremely well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel valued and describe being part of a strong team with strong managers. Team members are supportive and help others to learn. They use a trauma-informed approach to care. They reflect on experiential training, which has impressed upon them seeing things from the child’s individual experience. Managers check in on them regularly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have clear oversight of children’s records and complete reviews which support staff to keep information live. Staff understand the progress that children are making and encourage them to continually move forward. There is excellent cohesion and consistency in records. After incidents there is reflective learning, and this is discussed and explored thoughtfully in supervision sessions and meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Continuous professional development is enhanced by inviting a lead professional to support a reflective overview of the child’s placement so that learning can be explored and applied to other children in the future. Managers have also researched work around sibling rivalry as there has been some of this in the home as children have settled in. They have also researched funerals, grief and bereavement to support another child with their loss.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager interviewed children for the role of voice champion in the home. This helped a child to practise interview skills and highlighted the value of the role to managers. It helps children develop positive relationships and learn how to support others and problem-solve. Children made a welcome bear for a new child and reflected with staff about how it feels moving in. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 6

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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: 2701187 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Catherine Richardson

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Inspectors

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Lisa Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2701187 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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