Children's home run by River Valley Care Limited in South Oxfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1214396 1 Registered provider: River Valley Care 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

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who have a range of complex needs. A private company operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is due to leave the company.

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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: 22 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2017 Full Good 05/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1214396 2

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care from a small, stable staff team. The home does not use any agency staff. This creates consistent care for children and supports positive relationships between the children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children quickly make progress when living in the home. Children are more settled here than they have been anywhere else. This is because the registered manager and staff know the children exceptionally well. Children can, and do, share their feelings and worries with the adults that care for them. Children are confident because of the support that they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager listens to children’s grumbles and complaints. The registered manager considers the actions that need to be taken following feedback from children. This helps drive improvements within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met, with all primary healthcare appointments taking place. Staff understand children’s additional health needs and are good at advocating and promoting more specialist health appointments. This ensures that children receive the help and support that they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend educational provisions. Staff consider different ways to encourage children to attend education when they do not want to go. Since living in the home, both children have made progress with educational achievements and attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a rage of different activities, for example quad biking, fishing, canoeing and swimming. One young person is working towards a level 1 qualification in kayaking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where appropriate, staff promote and encourage family relationships and support children in speaking to, and visiting, the adults that are an important part of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s records are well presented, with daily logs being written to the children rather than about them. This makes them inviting for children to read now and in the future. Inspection report children’s home: 1214396 3

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

Children have become increasingly safe living in this home. Children who previously felt the need to go missing have reduced this type of behaviour. Missing from care protocols are individualised to each young person. They are not overreactive but allow for swift action to take place when needed.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are appropriate, easy to read and identify the relevant risks for each child. As such, staff have clear guidance about how to keep children safe.

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

Children report feeling safe and supported by the staff team. Key-work sessions address children’s behaviour and offer an opportunity for children to reflect on what they should do in different situations. The sessions also demonstrate that the children are happy to talk to staff about any worries that they may have and seek advice.

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

Staff provide children with clear guidance and boundaries. This helps children to learn acceptable behaviours. Appropriate consequences are implemented where required. These are agreed and discussed with the children. One child told the inspector that he thought the consequences were fair and supported positive behaviour.

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

When physical interventions do take place, they are appropriate to the risks. Staff recognise that interventions can include removing dangerous objects from children and not just physically holding children. Because of this, there are clear records of when any intervention takes place. This provides an opportunity for interventions to be discussed with children and staff. The registered manager has a good oversight of interventions that take place.

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

Staff support children to take age-appropriate risks, for example having free time away from the home without staff and having the use of a mobile phone and internet. This supports children’s independence for the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked at the home since it opened in January 2016. He is skilled and experienced. He has developed the home to create a family-like environment for children to experience. He is due to leave the home imminently. Plans are already in place for an equally experienced manager to take over. Children are aware of the changes and have been supported appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has excellent relationships with other professionals. He is committed to partnership working and making joint decisions to ensure the best outcomes for children. All professionals that the inspectors spoke to could not speak highly enough of the manager, and the work within the home that has a positive impact on children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides staff with the opportunity to reflect on practice and Inspection report children’s home: 1214396 4 share if they are unhappy about his practice within supervision. This promotes open and transparent relationships between the staff team and the registered manager. While supervisions and appraisals do take place, the registered manager should ensure that these are documented, and records are kept up to date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He promotes the ethos of the home, creating a positive environment for children.

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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: 1214396 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: River Valley Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Stables, Chestnut Farm, Cuxham, Watlington, Oxfordshire OX49 5ND

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Inspectors

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1214396 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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