Children's home run by Soteria House Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1270503 1 Registered provider: Soteria House Limited

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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 by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 17 children. This includes the provision of short breaks for up to three children. The home supports children who have a learning disability.

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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: this is the first inspection of this children’s home since registration.

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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 children’s home: 1270503 2

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff –

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Requirement Due date

if they consider a placing authority’s or relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority of the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to the need to ensure that education, health and care plans are in place for all relevant children. 29/06/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a member of staff is subject to an allegation from a child, that formal risk assessments are put in place when a decision is made to allow them to continue to work in the children’s home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make positive progress in all areas of their lives. Children form positive attachments to staff and they feel valued. Children are able to keep in touch with family and other significant people in their lives. One parent said: ‘We never thought we could plan to take our child on holiday or have him home for overnight stays. The staff have worked wonders with him and we cannot thank them enough.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff fully promote education. Several children previously did not engage well in education. They now have high attendance and sit formal examinations. They take part in work experience programmes and have aspirations for their futures. Professionals praise the staff team for achieving improved educational attendance and outcomes for children. Inspection report children’s home: 1270503 3 Children receive good and timely healthcare support. They have access to a counsellor, speech therapist and occupational therapist on site. Staff ensure that their general and specialist healthcare needs are assessed and reviewed regularly. Detailed healthcare plans reflect how their individual health needs are being met. A specialist nurse visits the home regularly to offer support. The nurse spoke very highly of the support provided to children by staff and about how well their health needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel able to share their views and any concerns with staff. They are involved in the recruitment of new staff, including the recent appointment of a new manager. They influence how the home is run. Parents and professionals report good communication and information sharing with them by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relevant young people are well prepared for their eventual move to adult services. They learn key skills and practise them with staff support. Detailed transition plans assist this process. One young person is moving into a semi-independent flat within the grounds of the home. This provides a very good opportunity for young people to gain confidence before they leave.

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

Staff understand the individual needs and risks for each child. Detailed risk assessments reflect their current and changing needs and actions to be taken by staff.

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

Missing from care incidents are minimal. This reflects the high staffing levels and adherence to risk assessments and relevant plans. Children feel safe and supported by staff. Parents report no concerns in relation to the safety of their children. Staff help children to manage any actual or potential concerning behaviours in a safe way. This has led to a noticeable reduction in missing from home incidents, offending and aggressive behaviours over time.

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

Children respond well to the incentive and reward systems. This assists them to consider the impact of their behaviours on themselves and others. On young person said: ‘Staff have helped me with my behaviours since moving here. I no longer get into trouble.’

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

Staff put in place clear boundaries and expectations for children. Children respond positively to this. The use of visual prompts and timetables provides them with structure and attainable goals.

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

Professionals and parents report noticeable and positive improvements in children’s behaviours. As one professional said about a child: ‘They have come on in leaps and bounds in a relatively short period of time. Staff stick with them and make them safer.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been no registered manager in post since 20 April 2018. A deputy manager has been promoted to the role of the home’s manager. He is in the process of submitting Inspection report children’s home: 1270503 4 an application for registration with Ofsted. He has many years’ experience and skills in working with children who have learning disabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff have ambition and set clear expectations for children. Evidence clearly reflects the positive progress being made. One child has been supported to improve significant personal hygiene issues and concerns. This reflects staff members’ commitment to improving the physical and emotional health and well-being of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by the manager and responsible individual. Work has been done to improve the frequency of formal supervision and annual appraisals. Staff receive a range of training and learning opportunities to support their skills. Staff feel that managers are approachable and that their views are welcomed and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work closely and positively with involved agencies. They report any allegations or concerns promptly to placing social workers and designated officers. When the decision is made for staff to be moved to work in another area of the home following an allegation being made, formal risk assessments should be put in place. This would better support and evidence the decision-making of managers. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Multi-agency working is positive. A placing social worker and nurse praised the staff team for their communication and information sharing. However, some children do not have a current or final education, health and care plan in place. Managers should make concerted efforts to ensure that relevant professionals and agencies meet their legal obligations.

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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: 1270503 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Soteria House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 7 The Quadrant, Upper Culham Farm, Upper Culham Road, Upper Culham, Reading, Berkshire RG10 8NR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Gregory

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1270503 6 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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