Children's Home run by YMCA Robin Hood Group in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 1 Registered provider: YMCA Robin Hood Group

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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 registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a charity.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2025. A manager is now in place and plans to make their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home, who was spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and they are yet to be assessed to ensure that they have the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2024 Full Good 06/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved in and one child has moved out. When a child moved in, leaders considered their needs alongside those of the child already living at the home. However, some known behaviours were not fully considered. As a result, leaders had to respond to an incident that might have been handled differently if clear plans had been in place. When a child moved out, there was a strong transition plan that involved the child and met their needs. A connected person said, ‘They would not be the person they are now without the support and guidance provided by the staff at the home.’

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improvement to be good

Staff are supported by therapists to discuss complex topics with children in a sensitive way. This helps staff to support children to understand risk-taking behaviour. Therapists undertake specialist assessments, which help staff to develop an understanding of children’s needs. As a result, children receive therapy in the home. Staff learn from children about their cultural backgrounds and develop their understanding through talking to children about their identity. One child said, ‘Everything the staff do, they do it because they care.’

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improvement to be good

At times, staff supervision of children’s use of the internet has not been sufficient to prevent incidents from occurring. This led to an incident that had an impact on a child. Staff did not talk to the child about the incident in a timely way, meaning that there was limited opportunity to explore the child’s understanding and provide support around safe online activity. Since this incident, procedures have been strengthened to improve staff supervision of children’s internet use.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to engage with education. Managers and staff work in partnership with schools and further education to help children achieve in education. Staff support children to take part in different activities, both in and outside the home, and focus on the development of independence skills for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to talk about their wishes and feelings. When children’s meetings happen, children express their views and staff and leaders respond to them. This has resulted in changes to the home environment in terms of décor and furnishings. The home is well presented and homely. The kitchen is tired in areas, which children talk about; however, there are plans to improve this. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to them and include items that support their identity.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of family to children and support them to spend time with loved ones. Positive family memories are spoken about regularly by children and staff, who take a keen interest in children’s lives, which helps children to maintain their identity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 4

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improvement to be good

Staff have good relationships with children. As a result, children rarely go missing from the home. There are protocols in place if children do go missing, which staff understand. There has been an improvement in how these instances have been recorded.

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improvement to be good

Staff are skilled at using behaviour management techniques, which means that children are rarely held. However, managers have not consistently recorded staff debriefs. On one occasion, a staff member’s training was out of date. While children are given the opportunity to discuss incidents, managers have not identified or provided further support to help children process these experiences fully.

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improvement to be good

When children have made complaints or allegations, these have not been addressed by managers. As a result, children have not received the support or response they should expect. External agencies have not been consulted with to provide oversight or to help identify the best ways to support children and address staff practice where needed. This means that children’s experiences have not been appropriately acknowledged or acted on.

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improvement to be good

Children receive both prescribed and non-prescribed medication. Previously, when medication errors have been identified, leaders have spoken to the staff in team meetings about expectations. However, staff who have not yet completed training in medication procedures have administered medication.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide consistent care to children who display self-injurious behaviours. Leaders have responded well to incidents and have sought support from therapists to ensure that children’s needs are met. Staff have received specific training to help them understand and manage these behaviours. Leaders have worked with specialist external agencies to provide additional support for children. Staff take a balanced approach to ensure that children are cared for in the least-restrictive way.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out room searches regularly and have worked with children to help them understand why these are necessary. However, there have been occasions where children have accessed items that could cause harm. This highlights the need for leaders to support staff, with clear expectations around supervision within the home. When fire-related concerns arise, staff manage fire safety procedures well and involve children in discussions to help them reflect on the risks. Fire drills take place regularly and children participate in them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been several changes in staffing and leadership within the home and organisation. There has been no registered manager in place since January 2025. When the last manager left in June 2025, the deputy manager took on oversight of the home and demonstrated a strong commitment to the children’s well- being. A new manager is now in post and intends to register with Ofsted. While the Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 5 manager has plans to make improvements in the home, these are still in the early stages and have yet to be embedded. Managers understand the importance of obtaining key documents related to children from external agencies and ensure they communicate regularly to receive these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings take place regularly and focus on the needs of children. Staff are encouraged to share ideas about how best to support children, and managers respond positively by implementing suggestions. Staff benefit from reflective sessions with therapists, which help them in sharing ideas about how to provide the most-effective care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff talk positively about working in the home. They feel supported and have regular supervision, although the deputy manager has not had consistent supervision. Staff and managers understand the whistle-blowing policy. Recruitment processes are in place; however, some elements could be more robust. On one occasion, there were shortfalls in completing the induction process for an agency staff member.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have identified relevant training for staff. However, there are gaps in training, and this has affected how some incidents have been managed. When training has expired, it is discussed in supervision and plans are made to address this. One member of staff has not completed their required qualification within the expected timeframe. There was a delay in managers identifying this. The associated action plan lacks clarity around how progress will be reviewed and what support is in place to ensure timely completion. Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must make an application to register without delay. 28 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 22 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are supported to complete relevant qualifications in a timely manner, and that training is provided in line with the specific needs of children. The new manager should establish robust oversight of the home and identify areas for improvement.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(d)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, promptly refer complaints and allegations to the local authority designated officer and children’s social worker and undertake investigations in the home as necessary. 22 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 22 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when children move into the home, their known behaviours are fully risk assessed. Staff must have clear guidance on how to meet children’s care needs and provide consistent supervision. Measures must be in place to prevent children from accessing items in the home that may pose a risk.

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. In particular, staff debriefs should occur. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 9

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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: 2670263 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malt Cross, 16 St. James’s Street, Nottingham NG1 6FG

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Inspector

Lorna Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2670263 11 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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