Children's home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 1 SC397293

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for children with autism and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. One child had recently moved out of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since April 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review progress against four compliance notices set at the previous full inspection. Some progress had been made. However, this progress was insufficient to determine that the provider had met the steps in three of the notices. The provider has complied with the restriction notice in place.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have started to implement some changes in the home, but these are in their infancy and not yet embedded in practice. Management oversight and monitoring across care and related documentation is not consistently completed. While managers have begun to challenge staff practice when required, these conversations are not captured in recordings.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff have received supervision since the last inspection. Managers have not prioritised supervisions with staff where there are concerns about their practice. Supervision records lack required reflection and challenge about how standards at the home could be improved.

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This monitoring visit

There have been improvements in the daily recording of children’s experiences. However, recordings across documentation were inconsistent and meant that handover processes could not be utilised effectively. There was a serious incident where a child attacked their peer at the home causing an injury. Staff did not recognise the seriousness of this incident and so a regulation 40 notification was not submitted to Ofsted as required. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 2 There remains no system in place for recording or tracking children’s self-injurious behaviours or understanding triggers for this. Managers and staff cannot therefore understand how bruising or injuries to children are caused or adapt practice to support children to feel calm.

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This monitoring visit

Some progress has been made in ensuring that each child has a plan for their personal care and how these needs can be met with dignity. Staff are proactive to record who has assisted with personal care and to complete body maps to ensure any bruising or injuries can be identified. However, staff are not consistently adhering to agreed plans, particularly that two members of staff should be with children while personal care is undertaken.

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This monitoring visit

Children have been supported to choose how they would like their bedrooms painted and there are plans in place for the home to be redecorated. The large outside garden has been fully refurbished so children now have access to an outside swing and play area. The communal bath remains broken, but managers are planning for this to be replaced.

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This monitoring visit

Staff shared that they are benefiting from recent training and additional support from managers. They feel dynamics between children have improved and they are therefore more confident to support children in the community. There are lovely plans in place for the upcoming school holidays, and it is intended for children to engage in plentiful activities away from the home. It is not yet clear what activities are planned with children during term time.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a focus on developing staff skills and confidence to communicate effectively with children and ascertain their views. Specialist training is in the process of being sought to support this and managers recognise this as an ongoing area in need of improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements set in addition to compliance notices have not been met and so have been restated. An additional requirement under regulation 45 has also been set due to a delay in this report being received at Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/02/2025 Full Good 13/12/2023 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 19/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 7 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 5 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular that it is understood how children have sustained any bruising or injury. That there are clear records kept of any physical intervention used with children. That there is a system for recording and reviewing children’s self- injurious behaviours and accidents. That staff understand when a more serious incident has occurred and record these effectively. That managers have oversight to ensure staff compliance with safeguarding procedures in the home. *The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular that there are accountable management arrangements at the home. That managers develop processes to evaluate the quality of care at the home. That staff receive regular and good quality supervision. 7 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

*The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 7 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 6 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation (10)(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular that children have clear plans which detail their health and personal care needs. That clear recordings should be kept of which staff offer this care and how this is experienced by children. That records are kept of how staff monitor and treat children’s injuries. That the manager monitors and reviews triggers to children’s self injurious behaviours. The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 7 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 7 protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii)

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Requirement Due date

In particular steps should be taken to significantly improve the condition of both the home, bedrooms and garden spaces. That children are offered and encouraged to engage with a wide range of activities. That children’s preferred communication methods are understood and used to understand the views of children. Staff should have training in children’s preferred communication methods. The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 7 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 8 concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular that the manager identifies and notifies Ofsted when serious incidents occur at the home. The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

In particular that an independent visitor report is received by HMCI every month. 7 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 7 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 9 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b) and (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular that there is a suitable monitoring system in place and that reports are completed at least every 6 months and sent to HMCI within 28 days.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 10

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Inspector

Louise Copping, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC397293 11 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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