Children's Home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 1 SC486398 Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Limited comp number 07765916

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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 privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 2017

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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: 18 October 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make very positive progress in relation to their education. Their attendance and attainment improve.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people develop the skills necessary to make a successful transition to adulthood. Staff support them to learn how to manage their own finances, shop, cook, prepare their own meals and meet their own personal care needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people influence the care and support they receive from staff. They feel confident in being able to express their wishes, views and feelings. They know how to make a complaint and feel happy with the responses they receive. They also have access to advocacy and independent visitors.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Partner agencies speak very highly of the commitment, dedication and skill of the staff team and manager. There is close multi-agency working, which enables young people to make progress in all areas of their lives.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff feel valued and well supported by managers. They receive high quality supervision, as well as appropriate learning and development opportunities.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people say that they do not always know how to contact staff should they need support when they are away from the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/04/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/07/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that young people are supported to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9) In particular, this refers to the need to ensure that young people know how to contact staff when away from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive very good quality care and support. They learn the value of education and training. They engage well with their formal education and training provisions. Their attendance is very good, and they progress from school to college successfully. Education providers speak very highly of the support young people receive from the staff team. One provider stated: ‘I cannot praise the staff highly enough in how they support the young person and the college staff. I wish other similar providers worked as well with us.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop the necessary skills to assist them in making a successful transition to adulthood. Detailed and comprehensive independence work is completed in a timely manner with young people. Young people develop skills in shopping, budgeting, food preparation and personal care. Staff support them to learn how to use public transport. This has enabled one young person to travel to college alone. Becoming more independent increases young people’s self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family members feel welcome at the home. Young people get to spend quality time with them as a result. Staff understand the value of such relationships and actively support and promote them. Young people get to spend time with their friends in the local community, and engage in a wide range of activities with staff. Over time, young people form positive attachments to the local area, with one young person stating their desire to remain in the area when they leave the home. Young people form positive and meaningful attachments to staff, form peer friendships, and feel very much part of the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a strong focus on enabling young people to express their wishes and views. They consult with young people in relation to their plans and risk assessments. Young people know how to complain, but seldom do so. This reflects their belief that staff and managers will listen to them and respond to their views. Independent advocates and visitors also visit the home to support young people. The manager recently ensured that one young person had the support of an advocate for a specific issue. Young people have recently been involved in the recruitment of new staff to the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 4 Staff support young people well to consider and address their health needs. They encourage them to meet their own needs wherever possible. Staff show real tenacity in trying to engage young people, particularly in relation to anxieties about attending dental appointments. Young people therefore leave this home with a clear understanding

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

of how to maintain good health, and the importance of doing so. Specialist support is also provided via an independent psychologist.

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

Young people feel safe from harm. Staff demonstrate great commitment when working with young people who present risks to themselves or others. Staff work closely with other agencies, including the police and the youth offending service, to agree appropriate risk management strategies. They do all they can to reduce the potential for harmful behaviour.

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

When young people go missing from care, staff diligently follow relevant missing-from- care procedures and protocols. They understand their professional responsibilities and work closely and proactively with the police, placing authorities and relevant family members. They request that independent return interviews are carried out with young people, and chase placing authorities to ensure that this is done. The manager has devised positive systems for monitoring and tracking any patterns of concerning behaviour relating to young people.

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

When young people spend time outside of the home without staff, further improvements could be made to ensure their safety and well-being. This relates to the need for staff to ensure that young people have the ability to contact them at all times when out. Young people have mobile phones, but do not always ensure that they are charged or have credit on them when they leave the home for agreed free time. One young person used a public pay phone to call staff recently, but a clearer system of ensuring that they have the ability to contact staff would be of benefit.

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

Staff spend considerable time with young people discussing actual or potential risks they may face. They support young people to develop skills and strategies to reduce their vulnerability. Young people understand the risks associated with social media and internet use. Staff balance the need to protect young people with the need to enable them to have the same experiences as their peers. This is done sensitively.

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

Young people understand what action staff will take to reduce any concerning behaviours. They agree consequences or sanctions with staff. Over time, concerning or risky behaviours reduce significantly in most cases. Staff receive training on radicalisation and extremism. They demonstrate competence and confidence in supporting young people to understand the hazards that they may be exposed to.

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

Restraint is very seldom used. Young people have clear behaviour management plans in place. Staff demonstrate real skill in being able to de-escalate potentially risky situations Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 5 in the home. Staff have also recently invited the police to visit young people, to discuss the risks they face when missing from care. This reflects a staff team whose members understand how to support young people at times of crisis, and who offer them relevant support.

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

The recruitment and selection of staff is robust. It prevents unsuitable adults from being able to work with vulnerable young people. The manager has very good systems in place to ensure that all necessary checks are carried out for prospective new staff. He has involved one young person recently in the selection process. The young person was able to put a series of questions to a candidate and to consider their responses. This reflects a manager who places real value on young people’s views and opinions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides very strong and effective leadership. He has good systems in place to ensure that management oversight and scrutiny are robust. He has successfully completed his level 5 management qualification. Staff feel very well supported by him, and feel able to influence how the home is run. He understands the complex needs of young people and strives to ensure that those needs are met at all times.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good systems in place to record and track the progress made by young people. Management monitoring and oversight of the care provided are very good. An independent visitor provides reports each month, which the manager fully considers and uses to inform developments. His own management monitoring is robust. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and has clear plans in place to address them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose for the home clearly reflects the aims and objectives of the service. It is understood by staff, young people and involved agencies. There is a detailed development plan in place and a safer area risk assessment. The manager regularly reviews and updates all relevant plans, to ensure that they remain relevant.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a wide range of relevant learning and development opportunities. This increases their knowledge and supports them to provide very good levels of care and support to young people. They feel valued, and enjoy seeing the progress that young people make. Managers demonstrate a real insight into the emotional impact the caring role can have on staff. Staff and managers regularly meet with an independent psychologist. This provides them with an opportunity to not only discuss the impact of their caring roles, but to also consider how they meet the complex needs of young people. Staff really value this additional support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A key strength is in how well staff and managers work with involved agencies. They engage the support of the police, youth offending services, independent advocacy services and placing authorities. The manager diligently challenges placing authorities if he feels they are not meeting their obligations. Records provide evidence of staff being Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 6 proactive and imaginative in seeking support and services for young people in a timely manner.

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Information about this inspection

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.

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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: SC486398 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Rosemead Drive, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5SE

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Inspector(s)

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 8 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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