Children's home run by The Senad Group Limited in Derby

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 1 SC020193 Registered provider: The SENAD Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to 25 children with severe learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder and who display associated challenging behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2023 Full Good 16/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/05/2022 Full Inadequate 24/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy exceptional experiences in the residential provision. The staff are dedicated and knowledgeable childcare practitioners. The staff nurture children. They are positive adult role models, who teach children a wide range of life skills. As a result of this nurturing approach, children thrive and enjoy positive outcomes. One staff member said a child is, ‘an absolute superstar’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made and continue to make exceptional progress. For one child this has meant they now sleep in their own bed, another child now allows staff to plait their hair, and for other children this has meant staying away overnight on a safari holiday. All progress is celebrated. Childrens communication improves. For several children they now use their voice to make their views, wishes and feelings known, whereas before had used pictorial methods of communication. This has meant that children’s voices are now better heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent relationships with parents and carers are central to ensure successful residential stays. Effective communication reassures parents and carers. One parent said, ‘this children’s home has exceeded expectations’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff enjoy taking children out into the community so that they can take part in lots of different activities. Staff are keen to provide children with as many opportunities to sample life outside of the home as possible. This is because they appreciate how it will enhance the children’s overall development and understanding of the community and world they live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

As a result of the home’s strong therapeutic ethos to care planning, children’s emotional well-being is always prioritised. This helps the children to better understand the emotions and feelings they experience when they are upset, angry, or sad. This leads to children regulating their feelings better and managing their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff team is diverse. They offer different perspectives and experiences that the children connect with. The staff have been proactive in exploring the children’s interests. They support the children’s interests and hobbies and help them to access places where they can express themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff work alongside a therapist in the company to deliver the best possible care to children. The therapy team is very proactive in its approach with the staff. The time that therapists spend with the children supports the children to make progress and assists them to develop their own emotional resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Great effort has been made to ensure that the children live in a house that is welcoming and feels like a family home. The children and their families have made decisions about Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 4 how their home has been decorated, including bedrooms, and staff take pride in keeping it presented to a very high standard.

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

When children are new to residential care, excellent pre-admission planning underpins the success of placements. Any risks are well understood. Staff support children to understand and manage their emotions and behaviours. This means that risks are reducing.

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

Staff continually build on their knowledge of the children and the most appropriate way to support them and keep them safe. All the children have detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans. They tell the story of the child, and direct staff in what to do to minimise risk. These are practical and effective. These documents provide staff with the necessary guidance on how to meet the children’s needs on a day-to-day basis and ensure they remain safe.

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

Children’s needs are such that they require close supervision. Therefore, they do not go missing or become involved in any form of exploitation. Staff work in partnership with families to ensure that online devices are safe for the children to use. Staff regularly monitor the content that the children are viewing.

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

When children struggle to control their emotions, this has led to incidents. When these occur, staff are responsive and ensure that children are safe. Children respond positively to the consistent, caring and nurturing approach used by staff. Investment from staff in relationships is the foundation to this progress. Staff understand and implement actions from children’s behaviour support plans.

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

The manager has clear processes for performance management issues. There is a robust response to this, and only staff who are suitable and committed to the shared ethos of the home are working here. Safe recruitment processes are well managed, and regulations followed. There are clear and effective processes in place to ensure that the staff working in the home are safe to do so.

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

The manager ensures that all relevant safeguarding agencies are notified when it is appropriate to do so. Notifications to other agencies reflect effective safeguarding practice. There is a detailed chronology of action that staff have taken. The manager ensures that this is evidenced and keeps the child at the centre of safeguarding practices in the home.

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

Complaints and allegations are escalated and investigated appropriately. Managers ensure that they promptly inform the local authority designated officer following any allegation. Safeguarding protocols are consistently followed. Complaints from children are overseen by a manager, investigated and a response is provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and their senior team are aspirational for the children. The manager is supported by a dedicated deputy manager. They work closely with the head teacher at the school. Their primary focus is on ensuring that the children are provided with a loving home where they have every opportunity to thrive. The manager is extremely proactive in his role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Meticulous internal and external quality assurance secures a detailed analysis of the operation of the home. Independent scrutiny is built into the quality assurance systems. This means that leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. There have been extensive developments since the last inspection to improve the lives of children. Firm plans are in place to drive continual improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have a detailed understanding of the holistic needs of the children. They have a commitment to make sure that each child reaches their individual potential. Leaders and managers provide clear evidence of the progress and plans for each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The residential team is well established and highly effective. The manager provides steadfast leadership of his team. The team is aspirational for all children. The team has an excellent team morale and a sense of shared ownership. This ensures a continued and dynamic improvement across the provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel supported by the managers and enjoy working in the home. There is a strong ethos of teamwork and supporting each other to meet the needs of the child. The staff are not yet receiving regular and effective supervision in line with the home’s policy. However, there are effective systems in place for communicating information. Staff read updates to care plans consistently and plan shifts well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is keen to continually promote staff development. Staff begin their training as part of a thorough induction programme. They then continue to enhance their skills and knowledge with additional and child specific training when required. Children therefore receive individualised care and support to meet their complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work in partnership with external agencies to ensure that the children receive the support they need. Professionals are of the view that the children are making progress and communication from the staff at the home is described as good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There has been an excellent response to the requirement and recommendations from the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC020193 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The SENAD Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The SENAD Group Limited, 1 St Georges House, Vernon Gate, Derby DE1 1UQ

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Inspectors

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020193 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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