Children's Home run by Blackford Education (schools) Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC485427 1 SC485427 Registered provider: Blackford Education (schools) Ltd

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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 two children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The care packages usually include the provision of education at the company’s school.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2017. She is also registered to manage a second home within the organisation.

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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: 14 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC485427 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2017 Full Good 25/10/2016 Full Outstanding 09/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/01/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC485427 3

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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

Ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31(1)) 31/10/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with stability. They have lived at the home for two years and are thriving. Children are looked after by a manager and small team of staff who have high expectations and aspirations for them. Children are helped well to achieve their goals. Relationships between the children and staff are meaningful and loving, interactions are respectful and warm. As a result, the children’s self-esteem, confidence and social skills have improved significantly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One of the manager’s strengths is her ability to identify and develop children’s individual skills, interests and hobbies. One child has an interest in engineering; the manager helped him to secure a voluntary job at a local garage so he can pursue this interest. Both children spoke positively about a recent holiday to Florida.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from the company having its own school. Their attendance is good. The headteacher confirmed that both children have exceeded the predicted grades in their recent exams. These achievements are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain regular and meaningful relationships with family members. This is because the relationships developed between the staff and family members is good. Both children’s social workers said the manager and team are exceptionally good in making sure the children’s time with family members is positive and meaningful. One family has stayed at the home, enabling them to spend relaxed and supported time with their child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive feedback was received from both children’s social workers, who confirmed that Inspection report children’s home: SC485427 4 the children are happy, and that the quality of care is good. One social worker said, ‘Communication is frequent, working together is a pleasure. The manager’s ability to ensure the needs of the children are met is commendable.’

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

Children say that they feel safe and protected. The manager and team give the highest priority to their safety and well-being. Keeping children safe is integral to staff’s daily practice. All staff are trained in child protection and have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

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

Children are supported to understand and take appropriate risks. They use social media responsibly and have agreed to a safeguarding application on their electronic devices that helps them to manage and report any potential safeguarding concerns.

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

The registered manager maintains strong and effective links with other agencies. The team works successfully with a range of safeguarding, education and health professionals to ensure that young people’s needs, risks and behaviours are managed effectively.

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

Children’s behaviour is managed well. There have not been any reported missing from home incidents, restraints or complaints. Sanction are rare, the one imposed since the last inspection was restorative and enabled the child to learn from his behaviour. Children have targets and incentives to promote positive behaviour.

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

Children know how to evacuate the building in the event of a fire because they are regularly involved in fire drills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led and managed by a manager who is committed and determined to provide good-quality care. The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She proactively researches and obtains bespoke training opportunities to keep herself and the team up to date with good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The atmosphere in the home is akin to that seen in a good family home. Children are relaxed and at ease in their environment. Children are provided with genuine warmth and affection and they are thriving on the opportunities and experiences provided. Children’s achievements are recognised and celebrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Continuity of care is in the main good, children are always looked after by someone that they know well. However, in recent months a staff vacancy has resulted in gaps in the rota. This has led to an increase in the manager and bank staff completing shifts.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff’s professional development is prioritised well. Specialist training courses are secured for staff to attend. These training opportunities enhance staff’s knowledge, skills and practice, and help them to respond effectively to the children’s changing needs. Support for staff is good. Supervision is regular and team meetings are well attended. Inspection report children’s home: SC485427 5 The manager has recently reviewed the structure and duration of team meetings, enabling the team to meet for a full day. The structure of this day is set out well. Staff review risk assessments and care plans as well as discussing children’s engagement and achievements. These activities provide staff with a good opportunity to reflect on their practice and to review the children’s current and changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager accurately understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She consults with children and staff when reviewing the home’s development plan. As a result of this consultation, the manager has purchased new beds and developed the outdoor area to make a new patio that has a dedicated space for the children to play with their toy cars.

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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: SC485427 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blackford Education (schools) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackford House, Blackford, Minehead TA24 8SY

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC485427 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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