Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report children's home: 1255746 1 Registered provider: Homes2inspire Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private organisation owns and operates this home.

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 10 February 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1255746 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The staff are committed to helping children with long-standing emotional needs; they recognise the trauma that the children experience.  Placing authorities are pleased with the care provided to their children.  The staff help the children to manage their own long-term health needs.  The staff spend quality time getting to know the children’s individual needs and personalities.  The staff help the children to engage with a good range of activities.  Children who have moved on from the home continue to visit to seek advice and support from the staff.  The staff help the children to maintain positive relationships with their families.  The manager completes comprehensive viability assessments prior to admission. Clear and careful planning ensures a smooth transition into the home.  All of the children have education plans. The staff actively help the children to make progress in their education.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The staff and managers communicate well with other agencies.  The staff are skilled at using de-escalation techniques. There are very few incidents in the home.  Behaviour management is effective, and the use of consequences reinforces positive behaviours.  The management team is dedicated to providing a high level of care to the children, and it provides substantial support and guidance to the staff team.  The staff work together to support each other. This provides a consistent level of care and helps the children to feel safe and to have a sense of belonging.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The majority of the home environment is homely and welcoming. However, some areas are in need of update and repair.  The staff complete comprehensive risk assessments identifying potential risks Inspection report children's home: 1255746 3 and hazards. However, in relation to one child, important information is not included in the risk assessment.

p.2

Recommendations

 For the children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report children's home: 1255746 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home has recently been re-registered due to a change in ownership. There have been no changes to the senior management team. Since the last inspection, the staff have successfully supported one child to move on to semi-independent living. Two new children have moved into the home. There are clear transition plans for children who are new to the home. The manager facilitates introductory visits when possible and he undertakes comprehensive viability assessments prior to admission. There are also discussions with the staff and the children who are already in placement prior to a new admission. This clear and careful planning ensures a smooth transition into the home. As a result, the children settle and begin to adapt to their new environment. All of the children have education plans. The manager is proactive when education plans do not meet the needs of the children. Three of the children attend education

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

locally, and one child is undertaking exams. Another child is waiting for a suitable provision nearby, and the manager is liaising with the virtual school headteacher to progress this. One child has significant mental health and emotional needs and is due to attend school when they are well enough to do so. The staff welcome professionals to the home, and a tutor visits the home on a regular basis. An education professional said, ‘The staff are very good. They are very supportive and it is always a pleasure to come to the home. They always let me know what is happening.’ The staff are committed to helping the children, who have long-standing emotional needs, and they recognise the trauma that the children experience. The staff want the best for them and will try everything to help the children to prevent a placement breakdown. Placing authorities are pleased with the care provided to their children. A social

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

worker said, ‘The home is excellent, they [staff] have not given up. They work hard to keep him [child] safe. We are very happy. They are very supportive and he gets on well with the staff.’ The staff help the children to manage their own long-term health needs. There is close partnership working with health professionals, and the staff encourage the children to attend their health appointments. There is a clear medication protocol. The children are encouraged to take their own medication with the supervision and support of the staff. This helps them to learn about their own health needs and how to take care of themselves. The staff spend quality time getting to know the children’s individual needs and Inspection report children's home: 1255746 5 personalities. Nurturing relationships support the children emotionally. Strong relationships are evident between the children and the staff. One child said, ‘It is

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

really amazing here. The staff are great and I have no complaints at all. They are so amazing and so welcoming. I have changed as a person and they have really helped me with this.’ Children feel safe and settled and the staff genuinely want the best outcomes for the children. Children know how to complain and will seek help and support from the staff when needed. Children are able to identify a trusted person with whom they are able to talk. The staff support the children at their meetings, reviews and appointments. This helps the children to have a voice and express how they feel about their care. There are clear care plans for all of the children. The staff help the children to achieve their goals and targets. They listen to children’s views and wishes and act on them accordingly. Regular residents’ meetings and individual meetings between the registered manager and the children mean that the staff and the manager are able to find out

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

how the children are feeling and make sure that they have the help that they need. The children feel valued and part of the home. The staff help the children to engage with a range of activities, alone or as part of a group. This improves the children’s confidence and self-esteem. The staff work hard to encourage the children to improve their independence skills. Children who have moved on from the home continue to visit to seek advice and support from the staff. One previous resident said, ‘This home is amazing. It is like a big family and they [staff] are always there for me.’ The staff support the children to maintain positive relationships with their families. The staff are aware of the children’s contact plans and they provide transport and supervision for contact sessions as needed. Parents are happy with the level of communication from the staff. One parent said, ‘I have no complaints. He [child] is very happy and gets on with the staff. They are

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

nice and pleasant. They drop off before and pick up after contact.’ The children maintain good relationships with their family members while living away from home. The majority of the home environment is homely and welcoming. However, some areas are in need of update and repair. The education room and games room require some attention. The window of the garden shed also needs to be made safe.

p.5

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

The children feel safe. When they leave the home without consent, the staff make Inspection report children's home: 1255746 6 every effort to follow them, and they continue to look for them and keep in contact with them. The staff and managers communicate well with other agencies. The police said, ‘They [staff] do everything possible to find that child to keep them safe. It is one of the best homes that I work with.’ The staff prioritise the children’s welfare and safety. The staff are skilled at using de-escalation techniques. Therefore, there are very few incidents in the home. The use of physical intervention is rare. It is only used if there is a significant risk of harm to the child or others. All of the records of physical restraint are comprehensive and benefit from clear oversight by the manager. The staff and the children have the opportunity for a debriefing after each incident. Talking though the issues enables the children and the staff to gain a good

p.5

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

understanding of what happened and why. One child said, ‘If I go missing I know they [staff] will find me. They keep me safe. They always try and ring me and they look out for me in here. They are great here.’ Staff know how to report safeguarding concerns and they are alert to the signs of child sexual exploitation. Staff act effectively to educate the children about substance misuse and sexual health. This helps the children to understand the risks, and they start to learn how to keep themselves safe when out in the community. The staff closely monitor the children’s peer relationships in the home. Staff use detailed interaction logs to record where the children are and what they are doing. This ensures that the children are safe in the home and that there is appropriate supervision. Behaviour management is effective and the use of consequences reinforces positive behaviours. The manager oversees the records of these consequences to ensure

p.6

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

that the action that staff take is proportionate and fair. Reparation works well as this helps the children to have the opportunity to make things right. Managers work well with the local authority designated officer to seek advice regarding concerns or allegations. The manager undertakes full investigations and the findings of these are shared as required. This ensures transparency and a thorough approach to investigations. The staff complete comprehensive risk assessments identifying potential risks and hazards. However, in relation to one child, important information is not included in the risk assessment, which does not sufficiently consider all of the available information. This means that written information does not fully inform the staff about reducing all known and perceived risks. Inspection report children's home: 1255746 7

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The suitably qualified registered manager has been in post since 2014. He has the support of a skilled deputy manager and they work well together as a team. They are dedicated to providing high quality care to the children, and they provide substantial support and guidance to the staff team. The staff benefit from regular and meaningful team meetings, group supervisions and individual sessions. The staff receive the guidance and support that they need. This helps them to care for the children effectively and to be part of the continuous drive for improvement. The staff provide stability. They know the children and the home well. The staff team is a diverse team, which is a strength of the home. The staff recognise and celebrate difference and they are well equipped to meet the children’s cultural needs. The staff work together to support each other; this helps them to provide consistent care and gives the children a sense of safety and belonging. A staff

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

member said, ‘We have a diverse staff team and the children feed from this. New staff have come in and have slotted in like a jigsaw puzzle. Everyone is always working to the best of their abilities.’ The staff describe the management team as supportive and ‘always there for them’. A staff member said, ‘They [managers] are responsive to everyone in the home. They are personable and they listen to everyone.’ The staff are happy in their roles and they enjoy working with the children. This means that the children feel cared for and valued by the staff. The manager monitors the quality of the care by undertaking audits and staff supervision, and by gaining feedback. External and internal reporting is comprehensive. This contributes to the progress and development of the home. Effective multi-agency working puts the children’s needs at the centre of practice. The manager requests strategy meetings and professionals’ meetings if there are

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

concerns. This enables the identification of effective strategies to ensure that the children get the support that they need. Supervision is regular and effective. The staff are suitably trained, and most hold a relevant level 3 qualification. The remaining staff are enrolled on this qualification.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspection report children's home: 1255746 8 Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.8

Information about this inspection

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 children's home: 1255746 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes2inspire Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Prospects House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

p.9

Inspector

Debbie Young, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1255746 1 inspects 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10