Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2834956 1 Registered provider: Derbyshire County 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 home is owned and operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have emotional and social needs.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager recently left the home, and it is being led by an acting manager who has applied to become registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children's home

The views of the child were obtained and considered during this 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2834956 2

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Summary of findings

There is a dedicated acting manager and stable staff team, who work together to ensure that the child experiences consistent and impactful care that is theoretically informed. The child has established strong, trusting relationships with staff, who guide the child through difficult feelings. The child has made good progress since living at the home and has memorable experiences. Staff are supported to develop in their roles and there is a clear focus on shared learning and continuous improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and welcoming, with suitable spaces for relaxation and play. The child's bedroom has been furnished and decorated to a high standard, with staff having sourced items to make the child's vision of a themed room come to life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child experiences warm, child-centred care from a core staff team with whom they have established strong, trusting relationships. Outings and fun activities take place daily, and staff embrace spending time with the child. The child's love for animals has been nurtured by the staff, who also bring in their own pets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made significant progress in education since living at the home. The manager has worked in close collaboration with the child's school. They have daily communication and share updates of incidents so that class support can be tailored to meet the child's needs. This coordinated approach is having a positive impact. The child has excellent school attendance and is increasingly motivated to spend longer days in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to engage in weekly participation meetings to share their wishes and feelings and contribute to day-to-day decision-making in the home. Feedback is consistently provided to the child, and their wishes are taken seriously, ensuring that the child feels listened to. The child has access to an advocate. However, the children's guide does not explain the complaints process clearly and it is unclear whether the child knows how to make a complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has worked hard to establish a good relationship with the child's family. This has led to improved consistency in family contact for the child and better family engagement with external professionals and staff to better support the child in this area. These connections will enhance the child's sense of identity and continue to help them feel settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child's understanding and appreciation of good health and wellbeing through direct work sessions. They ensure that the child is provided a varied diet, with regular home-cooked meals and fun food-based activities. Regular exercise occurs naturally through active play and walks in the countryside. Inspection report for children's home: 2834956 3

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

Staff understand the child's background and journey through care, and have a clear understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities for the child. The individual care plan for the child is comprehensive and considers the child's past experiences. This is complemented by a risk assessment that includes known strategies to help staff support the child in crisis.

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

Staff help the child to regulate strong emotions and feelings during more difficult times, with creative and child-centred practice. For example, when the child started to dismantle their bed during an incident, staff calmly supported them to do this carefully, recognising that this fed into a sensory need for the child and was a cathartic experience for them.

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

When incidents occur, staff are nurturing in their responses, demonstrate good decision- making under pressure and relationships are quickly repaired. This helps the child to build emotional resilience and reduces feelings of shame. Physical intervention is rarely used. When it is, it is proportionate and low level, to guide the child away. Staff and managers reflect on incidents thoroughly, and incidents in the home are steadily reducing.

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

There is strong communication with the wider team around the child to ensure the child receives consistent and coordinated support. Staff advocate for the child and raise concerns with professionals from the local authority when decisions are made that are not viewed to be in the child's best interests.

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

The manager has established clear expectations for staff, ensuring consistent routines and boundaries for the child. This promotes the child's sense of security and stability. There is a clear system in place to ensure that staff are all working to the same plans and have read and understood any updates, ensuring professional accountability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong, child-centred leadership and demonstrates a clear commitment to promoting positive outcomes for children. She knows the child well and shows genuine love and care for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager strives to improve practice and ensures, through thorough and evaluative oversight, that lessons are learned from significant events. Learning is reinforced through well-planned team meetings and reflective supervision sessions. The manager invests time in staff development, including protected time for training and qualifications, and staff report that they are well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager utilises external oversight, including therapeutic consultations for the team, as well as internal audits to monitor the quality of care provided and inform areas for Inspection report for children's home: 2834956 4 development. There are good systems in place for monitoring the progress made by the child. Any actions or recommendations for the child arising from professional meetings are completed by staff and the manager because they understand how important this is for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have individual and professional supervision sessions. These take place regularly and focus on children's needs and progress, and staff development. Where shortfalls are identified in staff practice, knowledge or confidence, the manager takes suitable action to ensure that this is addressed, and that development or support plans are recorded and reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is very stable and staff know each other well. The manager does not have to use agency staff. When cover for absences is required, the manager strives to use staff who are known to the child. This ensures that the child receives consistent care. Peer reflection is woven into team meetings. This promotes a culture of shared learning and continuous improvement.

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Recmmendations

The children's guide should help children to understand how to make a complaint in line with the home's complaints procedure and how to contact the Office of the Children's Commissioner ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 24, paragraph 4.22). Inspection report for children's home: 2834956 5

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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: 2834956 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Derbyshire County Council, County Offices, Matlock DE4 3AG

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Inspector

Jenna Allen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2834956 7 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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