Children's home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 1 SC427165 Registered provider: Nottingham City 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

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

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Their views were sought during 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: 17 December 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

17/12/2024 Full Good 12/02/2024 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good 01/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop enduring relationships with the staff and managers. They are very settled. Two children have lived at the home more than two years which means they have stability and a sense of permanence. One child has moved on to semi-independent accommodation which was their agreed care plan. They were well supported to achieve this and remain in contact with the staff and children at the home. This shows children value the relationships they make. One child has recently moved into the home. They are already enjoying spending time with their carers, and the other children. They are supported to do activities of their choice which has helped them to adjust to their new home. One child has started to prepare for semi-independence. They are being supported to do this by building on their strengths and also identifying the areas they need to work on. The manager and staff ensure the home has a positive atmosphere with lots of laughter

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and fun. There are regular parties to celebrate calendar events. Children have recently been on a holiday together which enabled them to have new experiences. The manager and staff value children’s talents, which are celebrated and encouraged. Staff support children to attend school and maintain a positive attitude to learning. One child passed their GCSEs and is now at college. This is a significant achievement because they experienced ongoing health issues prior to sitting the exams. The other children attend school every day and have good routines. Children are fit and healthy. They are supported to organise and attend appointments. Staff ensure that children have specialist support where needed. This has been particularly important for one child, and the support has helped them work through some difficult times. The manager ensures that children's views are sought regularly through meetings, questionnaires and direct discussions. One child has been part of some consultation

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

groups for the recruitment of staff which has been good for their self-esteem. Staff support children’s relationships with family and friends. They are supported to see people who are important to them. One child has recently reconnected with several members of their birth family after a considerable period. This is helping them to learn about their family history and strengthen their sense of identity.

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

The manager and staff work hard to keep children safe. They understand risks and vulnerabilities of children well. There are detailed risk management plans in place which are kept up to date and have proportionate measures in place to mitigate risks. Consequently, risks and vulnerabilities reduce for children over time. One child has received significant support with self-injurious behaviour which has helped them to Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 4 reduce the times when this occurs. The provider’s vigilance and consistent multi-agency working has ensured that the child was kept safe on several occasions. Staff are confident in setting boundaries for children in terms of their routines and daily activities. They help children to reflect on their behaviours so they can make changes where needed. Staff respond effectively when children are missing from home. They work with other agencies and family members to find children and return them home safely. Missing

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

incidents for one child have reduced in recent months and they now tell the manager where they are going so that staff can check in with them. This is good progress and has increased safety for the child. The manager and staff have been required to manage some serious incidents where children have become overwhelmed by their feelings. These are generally managed well through therapeutic approaches. There have been two incidents of physical intervention where the techniques used did not align with training provided. This did not cause harm to children however it is important that staff have the confidence and skills to implement approved behaviour support strategies. One child has made an allegation of harm against a member of staff. This was investigated by the manager, and the child was made aware of the outcome. Managers facilitated effective restorative work to rebuild the relationship. The allegation was not

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

reported to Ofsted which limits the opportunity for oversight from the regulator. Staff are recruited safely overall. However, one reference provided for a member of staff was not appropriate. The reference was not from their most recent employer, and it presented a conflict of interest. This has not impacted on children’s safety however has the potential to if not addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of manager since the last inspection. She has managed the transition well and worked constructively with the deputy to make the change positive for children. Children have confidence in the manager and enjoy her company. The manager has ideas for developing the home to ensure continuing improvements. The staff team is diverse, and each carer has a positive and confident approach to their work. They speak warmly about the children and enjoy spending time with them. The staff respect the manager and find her supportive and approachable. Managers provide regular supervision, appraisals and team meetings where staff can reflect on their practice and receive development opportunities. Training is frequent and dynamic so that children's changing needs can be met effectively. The manager has good oversight of children’s care. Shortfalls are addressed through supervision and other processes where required. This means that children are always

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

cared for by suitable adults who understand the importance of maintaining safe and nurturing care. Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 5 The manager and deputy manager are strong advocates for children. They challenge wider care plans where necessary to support the best interests of children. The manager ensures that children participate in reviews of their care, so their wishes and feelings are included. External professionals and family members have respect for the home and say the team are ‘fantastic’ and ‘amazing’ in terms of the impact they have on children’s lives. Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff consistently use physical interventions which they are trained to use with individual children. 3 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This includes ensuring that a reference from an applicant's most recent employer is obtained before appointing staff ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards, page 61, paragraph 13.1).

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Recommendations

 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 which 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). Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 7

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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 8

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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 9 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children's home: SC427165 10

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