Children's home run by Clover Childcare Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 1 Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services 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

A private organisation runs this home. The home offers accommodation and therapeutic care to one young person who experienced trauma in early life which has left them vulnerable. The manager has been in post since December 2018 but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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: 7 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 2

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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

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all fire doors meet fire safety regulations. 16/01/2019

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Recommendations

 Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months. The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) In particular, gain the views of children’s parents, placing authorities and staff from the home when reviewing the quality of care.  The review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home should include the identification of any risks presented by the home’s location and the strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that the location risk assessment considers the risks in the local area in greater detail.  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 3 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The overall experiences and progress of the young person who lives at the home are positive. The staff communicate with him in an open and honest way that is underpinned by a therapeutic model. There are strong relationships between the young person and the staff. The staff care about his well-being and meet his needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has forged strong relationships with the young person’s family and with other professionals. The staff work collaboratively to ensure that the young person’s needs are met. The young person’s social worker said, ‘The staff communicate well with everyone who is important to [the young person]. He is at the forefront of everything that they do, and this is very clear in the care that they provide.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff understand the importance of education and training and this is reflected in the young person’s achievements. The young person achieved well in his GCSEs and has secured full-time work experience, which he attends consistently. This is good preparation for adult life and independence, which is what the young person is striving for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person sees his family and friends regularly. He visits them, and his friends often come to the home for meals. The young person’s views and opinions are gained through conversations and meaningful key-working sessions. These sessions mirror the targets set out in his pathway plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person accesses local resources such as playing football and socialising at a local youth club. The young person knows that he can speak with the manager or any of the staff if he is unhappy or wishes to make a complaint.

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

The staff team is stable and provides a consistent and inclusive approach to the care of the young person. The staff are skilled at negotiating with him and incidents of unwanted behaviour are rare. The young person is settled at the home. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection and only one episode of the young person being missing from care. Positive reinforcement is used effectively, and this is reflected in the low use of consequences.

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

The staff are well trained in effective safeguarding practice. They are equipped for their Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 4 roles and understand their responsibilities towards the young person. This has a positive impact on the young person, who feels safe and valued.

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

The home coordinates a multi-agency approach to ensure the young person’s safety. Feedback is consistently positive. The young person’s mother said, ‘[The staff] are brilliant. There is nothing I would do to change anything. They really care about [the young person] and he really cares about them too.’

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

The young person’s home is modern, well decorated and feels like a family home. Photographs of the young person, his family, friends and staff adorn the walls. However, essential fire safety measures fall short. Four internal fire doors were found to not close securely. The manager took immediate action to rectify this and all fire doors were in good working order at the end of the first day of the inspection.

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

The young person is active and moves independently around the local area, visiting friends and riding his bicycle. Risks around the home are well assessed and mitigated accordingly. However, the home’s location risk assessment does not assess or mitigate risk in the local area in enough detail. Failure to risk assess the local river and youth club means that staff may not be aware of potential risks when the young person is enjoying free time away from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been with the organisation for some time but recently assumed the role of managing this home. He has the relevant qualifications, skills and experience to manage the home effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young person’s case file is concise, detailed and updated regularly. Risk assessments, care plans and key-working sessions are thorough and evidence participation by the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive monthly, practice-led supervisions and annual appraisals in line with organisational policy. The staff value the opportunity to discuss their practice in supervision meetings. They said that they feel well supported by the home’s management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly visits from an independent visitor take place. The reports have, at times, lacked detail and do not always make a clear summary that the young person is being safeguarded effectively and his well-being promoted. This compromises the protection this process is designed to afford. However, the provider has met with the independent visitor to discuss the visit format and the reporting requirements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The most recent internal review of care has detail and identified actions to improve the quality of care. However, systems for assessing the quality of care are limited and lack analysis. The young person and his mother were consulted but other family members and professionals were not. As a result, the opinions of people who are important to the young person did not feature in the review, which means that the assessment of the Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 5 quality of care is not as effective as it could be.

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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: 1263776 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clover Childcare Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Rectory, Old Rectory Road, Brumstead, Norwich NR12 9EU

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Inspector

Ricky D’Arcy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1263776 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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