Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 1 SC059755 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child 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

This children’s home is operated by a national private organisation. Care and accommodation are provided for up to five boys aged between 11 and 17 years. The manager has been registered since March 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 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

39: Complaints and representations Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 30/09/2018

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food, hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

In particular, review the use of storage in the downstairs toilet to negate the need to lock this room.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

In particular, review and update risk assessments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the consistent care of the dedicated staff team whose members take an active interest in their well-being. The staff team has a good depth of understanding of the children’s individual needs. Children receive warmth and affection. Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 4 The child-focused approach is reinforced with staff members repeatedly declaring, ‘We are here for the boys.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have had their education disrupted due to the closure of one of the provider’s schools. The manager and staff have worked well in partnership with school staff, the placing authorities, virtual school officers and tutors. This ensures that children continue their learning through a mixture of private tuition and educational activities while alternative educational places are identified. The manager and staff team are strong advocates for children. Through the collaboration with other professionals, each child has a new school to go to in September 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities of their choice. These include BMX, swimming, and going to skate parks and to leisure parks. Children are encouraged and supported to join youth groups such as army cadets. This provides opportunities to form friendships outside of the home and to pursue personal interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This large family home provides lots of space for children to have some privacy when they choose. Fairy lights, photographs and soft furnishings contribute to this welcoming and comfortable home. In contrast, many items are stored in a ground floor toilet causing it to be cluttered and locked. This detracts from the rest of the home and restricts the use of the toilet.

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

Children are confident in approaching staff for support when they are anxious or upset. Staff are mindful of children’s dignity, responding with respect and give them time and space to explore their feelings.

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

Children receive individual support to help make informed decisions that help to reduce known risks. For example, children engage well in meaningful key-work sessions with a focus on how to keep themselves safe. There has been only one incident of children going missing since the previous inspection.

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

Staff are intuitive to recognise when children begin to escalate their frustration through behaviour that may upset or physically harm others. Strategies are effective in supporting children and as a result, the need to physically intervene is rare. Overall, staff have a good understanding of risk management and adapt their practice to meet children’s changing needs. However, one risk assessment document has not been updated accurately with the changes to a child’s medication. In addition, the level of risk has been miscalculated as ‘high’ through the use of an assessment tool for sexual exploitation when this risk is actually lower. These errors have limited impact on children as the day-to-day practice in risk management is good.

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

The manager ensures that the home is maintained as a safe environment, with prompt action taken to replace, or repair, any damaged items or areas of the home. This ensures that the home retains a welcoming and homely appearance. The location assessment is up to date, particularly in light of some new risks reported in the local Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 5 area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is extremely child-focused and has the necessary skills, qualifications and experience to manage this home. The staff say that they are supported well by the manager. One member of staff said, ‘The manager is very good at looking after us, ensuring we have good work-life balance and that we are resilient to be able to do our job well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social care professionals and parents report that communication is very good and they recognise how the manager and staff team advocate strongly for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained and receive regular, reflective supervision. A presentation from a care-experienced adult supports staff to better understand autism spectrum disorder through hearing about his perspective of this condition.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children know how to complain and are supported to do so whether this is an internal complaint or outside of the home. The manager responds quickly to any areas of dissatisfaction, talking directly with children to ensure a resolution. The manager has failed to record one complaint and the actions taken. This oversight is an administrative error, because importantly the child has been listened to, and the matter dealt with to their satisfaction.

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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: SC059755 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Five Rivers Childcare, 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Inspector

Clare Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 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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