Children's Home run by White Orchid Care Limited in Milton Keynes

Inspection report children’s home: SC465588 1 SC465588 Registered provider: White Orchid Care 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

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children. It aims to provide a safe and nurturing home for children in which they can receive specialist care and therapy, allowing them the opportunity to reach their potential and thrive. The home is owned and operated by a small, private organisation which also has one other home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017.

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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 good

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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

Date of last inspection: 20 November 2017

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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: SC465588 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2017 Full Outstanding 18/01/2017 Full Outstanding 20/04/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC465588 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulation 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, ensure that there is oversight of physical interventions and the detail in reports is monitored.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments are recorded.

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20) In particular, ensure that discussions in relation to staff practice are recorded and risk assessments are completed as required to enable monitoring.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s horizons have grown as a result of living in this home. They now have their childhood to look forward to: the staff have given them hope, opportunities to dare to dream and above all be children. Children thrive as a result of the caring and nurturing approach that comes naturally to this staff team. Children enjoy being with the staff and they have a lot of fun. One professional commented, ‘The home feels like a family environment and she [child] is part of the family there.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide an outstanding level of individualised care and support. Children now have confidence and trust in their relationships with others. This has enabled children to start to work through their previous trauma and find strategies to deal with their difficult emotions. Children openly request a hug from staff and this is given in an appropriate and considerate way. Children state that they feel like they are cared about.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made exceptional progress given their starting points through the reduction in aggressive behaviours, being more independent and able to live in a group Inspection report children’s home: SC465588 4 environment. A child who has only recently moved in has already made significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are given a huge range of experiences through the activities available and by pursuing their individual interests. The charity work that children choose to do has a huge impact on developing their feelings of empathy for others. One child stated that it ‘makes other people happy’ and this is why she feels it’s important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Through the therapeutic support offered, children begin to work through previous experiences and understand what safe and caring relationships are. When children are ready, they start life story work. Key-work sessions are being used as an extremely effective tool to understand some of the children’s feelings and what support they may then require.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff take the time to understand children’s views and then look at how these are implemented in practice. For example, the ‘my plan’ document enables children to have a say in how they are cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are very well prepared for their futures, staff having high expectations of what children will achieve. The staff build on children’s confidence and children do subsequently succeed. The aim of the home is for all children to move into foster care and since the last inspection one child has done so successfully.

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

Risks are very well understood by staff, who recognise and respond well to any concerns. They take immediate action and work with all the necessary professionals when concerns arise. There is a consistent approach to ensuring that children are safe and feel safe and well cared for. Children now tell staff when they feel unsafe as they are confident in staff members’ abilities to help them to reduce any anxieties.

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

Children have been fully involved in finding individual strategies to de-escalate situations when they are angry and frustrated. This has been very effective, with the number of physical interventions being reduced significantly to only four since the last inspection. This is a huge improvement, with children now understanding when their behaviours aren’t safe and then self-regulating.

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

Staff are very clear on procedures they need to follow if they are concerned about a child’s well-being. They demonstrate excellent knowledge of safeguarding processes. The organisation keeps staff aware of all current safeguarding concerns, even those not directly affecting children currently living in the home. This demonstrates proactive practice.

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

Team meetings are used as an opportunity to reflect on any safeguarding matters and explore staff practice. The staff are open and creative in finding solutions which help to ensure that children feel safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC465588 5 The staff team fully considers all risks, both in the home and outside in the community. The staff team does not shy away from letting children take appropriate risks, but instead its members encourage children to explore and learn from situations in a controlled manner. This has made an exceptional difference to children and how they learn to manage risk for themselves.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one instance in which a child went out of sight of staff for a short period of time. The appropriate action was taken, and staff then reflected on this with the child. Children now speak to the staff if they are upset and need some time on their own. They have developed other strategies alongside staff; for example, one child wanted a den in her bedroom. This is now in place and used.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is able to recognise the strengths and weaknesses in the home. She is still learning and developing as a manager. Children are always the priority within the home and are involved in all decisions made. The manager and senior team are inspirational and ambitious in providing positive experiences for all the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good awareness and oversight of the progress that children are making in the home. Leaders and managers regularly review this to ensure that children are being well prepared for moving on to foster placements but only when the time is right for each child. There is evidence that the manager clearly advocates and acts in the best interests of each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been one new admission to the home and although the manager was able to state how this decision was made and what impact and risks were identified affecting the current group of children, this has not been recorded. This inhibits clear review of the decision-making process at admission.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is quick to identify weaknesses and act on any concerns through regular monitoring. However, some monitoring hasn’t had the full oversight by the manager to ensure that standards are met, such as reviewing physical interventions. This does not ensure a thorough review of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent staff team in place and no agency staff are used. The manager understands the importance of the relationships between staff and children and regularly looks at how to support the staff team and enable them to expand on their skills. This supports staff retention effectively. The manager provides a supportive environment to staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are clear training plans in operation for the staff team. These are specific and enable staff to meet children’s needs. Staff are complimentary about the range of training offered and how it develops their therapeutic skills. Inspection report children’s home: SC465588 6 There have been some areas of staff practice identified for improvement by the manager; however, the discussion of these with staff is not recorded. This inhibits follow-up and monitoring. In addition, there isn’t currently a risk assessment in place regarding issues arising for staff who are related to one another.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has developed strong links with other agencies. Its members liaise well with all partner agencies and parents to ensure effective communication and information sharing to keep children safe and happy.

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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: SC465588 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: White Orchid Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 77 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP1 1LF

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Inspector

Emeline Evans, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC465588 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 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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