Children's home run by Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC479596 1 SC479596 Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people who have complex learning needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC479596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2017 Full Outstanding 27/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/01/2017 Full Outstanding 02/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC479596 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people continue to make fantastic strides in their development. The careful matching that has taken place means that the children and young people live well with each other, and are cared for by a stable, permanent and skilled staff team which provides consistently high levels of care. It creates a warm, loving and nurturing environment in which the children and young people feel safe and happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Thorough and detailed care planning documents allow for any changes to be recorded immediately. The children and young people’s progress and plans are current and clear. Excellent monthly review systems demonstrate the children and young people’s progress, and the sharing of these with social workers ensures that they remain up to date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Progress for each child or young person is individual and this is recognised by the staff. The children and young people know that they are important and that the staff want the best for them. Conflict and difficulty in building strong relationships between staff members and children and young people are explored with empathy. The children and young people are supported to respectfully withdraw from any difficult situation if they wish to, helping them learn tolerance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The educational and learning achievements of each child and young person are enhanced as a result of the supportive and consistent care provided. Successful challenges are made when the children and young people are denied appropriate educational provision. One young person who has surpassed all educational expectations is now able to realistically plan an academic future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people engage in a range of activities that they enjoy and are good at. They are proud of their achievements and want to share with others what this means to them. The voice of the children and young people is very strong. All have independent advocates. Discussions take place, options are offered and choices are respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people have a lowered capacity to make safe decisions about family relationships. Staff work imaginatively with family members and other professionals to ensure that the children and young people enjoy their relationships with safe family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Proactive and ambitious planning with social and medical professionals means that all of the children and young people’s complex health needs are met effectively. A health professional commented that the qualities and skills of the staff team and the nurturing environment assist children and young people to ‘make massive change and start to recover from early trauma’. Inspection report children’s home: SC479596 4 Parents feel that their children are well looked after and that they wouldn’t want their child to live anywhere else. One family member who raised a complaint following the unplanned ending of a placement has since invited the manager to speak with her about how the young person is.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals who see the children and young people regularly recognise the progress made by the children and young people. The consistent care and boundaries are identified as helping the children and young people take those steps towards improved opportunity and outcomes.

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

The children and young people’s risk assessments are current. They comprehensively address all factors that present a risk to the children and young people’s safety and well- being. Decisions about how to safely progress independence activities are discussed by the whole staff team, and each staff member’s contribution to the assessment of risk is valuable.

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

Physical restraints are accurately recorded. Techniques used to prevent the escalation in behaviours are clear, and restraint has only been used when there has been no alternative on safety grounds. The children and young people are unconditionally supported and given the opportunity to discuss what has happened with staff and the manager. Sanctions have been used only once since the last inspection; this was at the request of the young person who wished to make amends.

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

Medication is safely stored and twice-daily checks by shift leaders/senior care officers ensure that any errors can be identified quickly. The process for administering medication is safe. All the members of staff have the necessary first aid training, and they all know how to respond to any medical emergencies that may arise.

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

The children and young people are fully supported at all times by staff members when in the community. This reduces their exposure to risk in this environment, but staff are very mindful that the children and young people need to learn to be safe and take small steps with them to promote safe growth and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered home’s manager combines her considerable knowledge, experience and qualifications to provide strong leadership. The staff team enjoys exceptional stability, and members are resilient, sensitive and highly motivated. Most have looked after the children and young people since they moved in, and are very invested in seeing them continue to make progress. Agency staff are not used. Children and young people know all of the staff, and this makes them feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Rotas are fully covered and staff do not work excessive hours. Training is comprehensive, up to date and relevant. The manager recognises that caring for the children and young people with extreme levels of need has an emotional impact on the Inspection report children’s home: SC479596 5 team. She does not hesitate to bring in professional services to support staff when this is needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager maintains an outcomes monitoring tracker for each child and young person for the duration of the time that they live at the home. This promotes qualitative reflection and planning. The manager and staff fully understand the importance of their knowledge about the children and young people. For those preparing to make a transition to elsewhere, staff record everything that they know so that the best ongoing support can be provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff maintain relationships with young people who no longer live at the home. They also ensure that the children and young people who still live in the home maintain their friendships with those who have moved on. The children and young people learn that moving out doesn’t mean that you are on your own.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff team are proactive in moving the children and young people through transition and take the lead role in identifying and visiting appropriate new homes. When authorities fail in their responsibilities for the children and young people, the manager secures an appropriate independent advocate and makes effective challenge at the highest level to ensure that services are provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s internal monitoring and use of independent visitor reports help to maintain the outstanding quality of service provided. Actions identified are completed promptly. The recommendation raised at the last inspection has been met. Consistent and responsive multi-agency working results in seamless care, improved experiences and outstanding outcomes for the children and young people.

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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 ~ 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: SC479596 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited, 107 Cleethorpes Road, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 3ER

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Inspector

Angela Norrie, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479596 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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