Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1256058 1 Registered provider: Homes2inspire 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 owned and run by a private organisation. It is registered to accommodate and care for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has two registered managers. They have been registered since 5 May 2017 and 22 November 2018, respectively.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 December 2018

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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 outstanding

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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: 6 September 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: 1256058 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1256058 3

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31−33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are making remarkable progress in all areas of their lives. They enjoy living in the home, knowing that staff care about them and keep them safe. One member of staff said, ‘We support our children to build positive relationships and to learn to trust others. This really builds up their confidence and gives them hope for their future.’ One social worker said, ‘Staff in this home have made a significantly positive difference to this child’s life. He is beginning to understand his feelings, to express himself more constructively, and this has positively impacted upon his relationship with those who are important to him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and managers have successfully created a warm and nurturing environment where children’s successes are reinforced and celebrated. The assessment and placement planning processes ensure that children’s needs are identified from the outset, and beneficial guidance is provided to staff in relation to how these needs can most effectively be met. Children’s progress is subject to ongoing and detailed scrutiny.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and managers listen carefully to children, demonstrating that their opinions really matter. Children’s views and ideas influence the decisions made by staff and managers, not only in relation to planned activities, the meals children eat, the decoration of the home and children’s rooms, but also in relation to the detailed planning for children’s care. Staff truly understand that children express their wishes and feelings in many ways, and proactively ensure that these are heard and acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and managers ensure that children participate in a wide range of activities and events, providing them with rich and memorable experiences. Children benefit greatly from a sense of being valued and of belonging. Those who previously experienced difficulties with communication and social interactions are now able to make positive friendships. One parent spoke in glowing terms about how staff had supported her son, who prior to living at the home had retreated from interactions with others. She explained that her son is now able to join in and enjoy the companionship of others, Inspection report children’s home: 1256058 4 including with his own family, and that he has built up meaningful relationships with staff and other children in his life. She said, ‘He now has friends, real friends who are a positive and important part of his life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals from other agencies provided a positive view of their relationships with staff and managers. A local police officer said, ‘Communication is excellent. We are able to share information effectively to the benefit of the children, and we work together to ensure that they are happy and safe. Children here do extremely well.’

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

Staff and managers provide exceptional support and consistent care. As a result, children have developed trusting relationships with staff who care about them. These relationships help to keep children safe, because children feel able to communicate their worries and fears to staff who respond carefully and appropriately.

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

Detailed and individualised assessments outline the risks associated with each child and provide clear guidance in relation to the measures to be used by staff to protect children from harm. Children know the strategies which staff use to support their behaviour. They understand why these strategies are needed, because they contribute to their own behaviour support plans. This inclusive approach helps children to think about their own behaviour and to begin to regulate this.

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

Supervision of children is diligent and non-invasive and ensures that children are safe both inside and outside of the home. Staff carefully support children to take appropriate risks, allowing them to participate in activities with friends and enjoy their company. Staff actively encourage children to keep in contact with them while they are out in the community. One child said, ‘I know that the staff are thinking about me when I am out with my friends, and that makes me feel good.’

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

Careful attention to matters of health and safety provides a safe environment for everyone. Fire alarm checks and drills are undertaken regularly, and safety equipment is appropriately maintained. One child proudly explained the fire procedures and the importance of these being carefully followed in order to keep everyone safe.

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

Staff recruitment processes are carefully managed. The necessary statutory checks are completed, and references are gathered, to help ensure that only those people who are considered suitable to work with children join the staff team. One shortfall in relation to the verification of references was rectified during the inspection process.

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

Training and supervision are of an excellent quality and underpin staff practices. There is a strong culture of continuous learning. Staff safeguarding training is up to date and includes training on child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and online safety. Excellent communication with local police ensures that staff are aware of the local risks in relation to county lines and gang activity. This enables staff to positively support children and keep them safe. Inspection report children’s home: 1256058 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management are of an exceptionally high standard. Knowledgeable and passionate managers successfully demonstrate their ambitions for children and have successfully created an open culture of encouragement and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have continued to improve the quality of the provision through their focus on staff performance and practice. Staff share the manager’s enthusiasm and commitment, and benefit from the managers’ strong emphasis on the importance of nurturing relationships between staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The meticulous monitoring of the service by managers is very effective. Shortfalls identified through this detailed scrutiny are acted on quickly so that children can continue to benefit from high standards of care. Monitoring reports that are compiled by managers are comprehensive and provide a clear evaluation of the service and an analysis of the outcomes achieved, in addition to providing an effective quality assurance process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers know the children extremely well, and their presence in the home is noticed and valued by staff and children. The staff team members mirror their managers’ calm and caring approach, creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere where children can flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular staff meetings are used well to ensure that communication across the team is effective and that information is shared and discussed. The focused discussions about children’s behaviour and emotions create a foundation for the staff team to devise strategies to ensure that children receive the best individual support possible to help them achieve positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s records are clear and well organised and demonstrate that staff and managers are mindful that children may wish to access their records. The staff ensure that information is recorded sensitively and that it provides a clear sense of children’s time in the home. This approach shows that managers and staff place children’s current and future experiences at the very centre of their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The statement of purpose is clear and informative and accurately reflects the high quality of care provided. The children’s guides are accessible, child friendly and informative. One young person said, ‘I understand what is written in our children’s guide and, even if I struggle little, I know that staff will always spend time with me to help me understand what things mean for me personally.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1256058 6

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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: 1256058 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes2inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Prospects House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Kim Murray & Natalie Grimes

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Inspector

Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256058 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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