Children's Home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 1 SC486398 Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned and run home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people with complex needs who may have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since 2018.

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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: 26 September 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: SC486398 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2017 Full Good 18/10/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/04/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) This relates to the need to ensure that full and detailed information is sought and provided by recruitment agencies in relation to the use of agency staff in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make positive progress in all areas of their lives. Staff provide sensitive and individualised care and support. Young people report feeling happy, with one stating: ‘This is the best placement I have ever had. I want to stay living here until I am 18 years old.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have education or training in place. Staff place a strong emphasis on this and the importance of learning. Weekly education planners set out the expectations for young people. Education planners link with incentive charts. This provides young people with a clear sense of the expectations on them and of the value of education and learning. One young person has also secured paid part-time work, alongside attending college. This reflects the positive ethos in the home towards learning and employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are met well. The organisation employs an independent psychologist. They visit the home regularly, offering support and advice to both staff and young people. This complements the general and specialist health services offered. Young people increasingly have a sense of being valued and their self-esteem improves. One parent said: ‘My child has grown in confidence and self-belief. They feel valued as a human being and able to express their emotional needs much better now.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to maintain contact with people who matter to them. They form friendships locally and feel part of their community. Staff place a high value on making and sustaining such relationships. One placing social worker said: ‘The staff have been great at supporting contact and important meetings, often at long distances. They really care about the young person and meeting their needs.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn how to meet their own needs. Staff support them to learn new skills. These skills include cooking, managing their own money and meeting their own personal care needs. This means that young people feel very well prepared for their eventual move to adult life and independence. There have been several young people who have moved on to semi-independent or supported living arrangements since the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 4 Young people have a strong and positive voice in how this home is run. They feel able to discuss any concerns or issues they may have with staff. They have been involved in the recent recruitment of a new deputy manager. They work with staff to set their own targets and goals. This leads to positive progress being made in all areas of their lives. It increases their sense of belonging and of being valued.

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

Young people feel safe and well protected by staff and managers. Young people feel that staff really care about them and want them to be safe at all times. This view is supported by parents and placing social workers. Staff demonstrate a clear and detailed understanding of the actual and potential risk factors for young people. They regularly consider, review and update risk assessments and relevant plans. This keeps young people safe.

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

There has been an increase in the number of missing-from-care incidents since the last inspection, for some specific young people. Staff devise clear and detailed missing-from- care procedures for each young person. The procedures include specific information and actions to be taken. Staff follow these diligently and work closely with relevant agencies. Staff ensure that independent return home interviews are requested and take place. This helps to inform staff and managers of potential triggers and reasons for young people going missing.

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

Young people respond well to the clear boundaries and behaviour management strategies in place. They understand their own personal triggers for risky behaviours and work with staff to develop better and safer coping strategies. Over time, this leads to improved personal safety and to young people taking personal responsibility for their behaviours. Staff also support young people to take age-appropriate risks. Staff demonstrate confidence in the need to both protect young people, and enable young people to learn from their mistakes.

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

Managers and staff understand their responsibilities in relation to allegations. They follow procedures and protocols, working closely with the designated officers. Records reflect good management oversight and actions being taken to address and resolve any such matters.

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

Recruitment processes and procedures for new permanent staff are robust and effective. Where managers use agency staff, there is a need for more robust consideration of all checks undertaken by recruitment agencies. Managers should ensure that the same detailed consideration of agency staff is applied as for their own permanent staff. This relates to the need to ensure that agencies provide detailed references and details of any gaps in employment histories for agency staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very experienced and skilled. He runs the home efficiently and is well respected by the staff team and young people. He has good oversight of all aspects of the care and support provided to young people. He understands the need for staff to be regularly supervised, trained and supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a detailed understanding and awareness of the individual needs of young people. He and his deputy manager have positive management monitoring systems in place. They set high expectations for staff in relation to the quality and content of recording. Case files are very well maintained. Young people contribute fully to their care and this is reflected in the files.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have considered the reasons for more recent placements ending, and their matching processes for new admissions. Managers work proactively with placing authorities and other agencies to ensure that they have the ability to meet young people’s complex needs. If managers feel they can no longer safely meet those needs, they serve notice to end such placements. This is done sensitively and with careful consideration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report feeling well supported by managers. They receive regular and good-quality supervision. There is good management oversight and review of staff training. Staff feel the training provided is of good quality and relevant to their roles. They feel able to share any concerns or ideas they may have and that they can and do influence how the home is run.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently introduced lead roles for staff members. This will enable them to develop skills in specific areas and to work as a team to further ensure that young people’s individualised needs are met. Staff welcome such developments, as they enhance their skills and makes them feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a detailed development plan and statement of purpose in place. These documents are regularly reviewed and updated. The location risk assessment for the home is also sufficiently detailed and clear. The manager diligently consults with a wide range of agencies each year to inform the annual review of the location risk assessment. He considers feedback and uses it to inform the assessment.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 6 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: SC486398 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Rosemead Drive, Oadby, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 5SE

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Inspector:

Tracy Murty, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 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 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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