Children's home run by Ivie Lodge Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 1 Registered provider: Ivie Lodge Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for up to five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 February 2019

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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 outstanding

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff–

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 26/04/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are benefiting from consistent care arrangements, involving structured routines and positive reinforcement. Children report that they have positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work effectively with each child‟s parents to progress care plans and to continuously assess children‟s needs. They share useful weekly summaries about each child‟s progress with case-responsible social workers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good education arrangements in place. This gives them the confidence to engage and achieve. Children who have previously had negative experiences in education settings are making exceptional progress. They are ambitious, and they are responding enthusiastically to a range of learning and recreational opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the staff and children recently went to see one of the children perform in a school drama production. One child has applied to join the school student council and supports new students coming into the school. Another child is learning to play the piano and is teaching herself a foreign language.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child did not have an up-to-date education, health and care plan in their records. The social worker provided a draft plan during the inspection. This plan did contain helpful information for staff to refer to and to inform the placement plan. Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 3 There is detailed information about children‟s health needs. Staff ensure that healthy diets and exercise are promoted. Children attend preventative health appointments. When there is a health concern, staff promptly seek advice. As a result, since living in the home some children have received important diagnoses that are being appropriately treated. All children have improving health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are developing independence skills, including cooking, budgeting and travelling independently. They are proud of the progress that they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to contribute to their planning meetings, the home‟s children‟s meetings and to individual direct work. They read their plans and discuss what they would like to change. There are numerous examples of children‟s views being listened to and influencing change in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with families to support children to maintain important relationships and enjoy safe, positive visits with family and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions to the home are well planned. Children moving on from the home are supported well to cope with the change.

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

Staff and managers undertake a range of daily and weekly health and safety checks to maintain a safe and comfortable environment.

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

A therapeutic counsellor carries out individual work with children. The counsellor also offers consultations with staff. This helps staff to understand children‟s needs and promote their emotional well-being. A therapeutic social worker said, „The staff “get” this child‟s needs. I am confident that she will do well in this home.‟

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

There are effective risk assessments and behaviour management plans for each child. They are regularly reviewed and updated following any significant event. Behaviour management plans include advice about reinforcing positive behaviours. As a result, risks to children are understood and reducing.

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

For one child, there has been a recent increase in unauthorised absences from the home. Staff have followed procedures appropriately and there have been return interviews by the placing local authority. The manager requested a multi-agency strategy meeting, which has taken place. Staff have assessed the child‟s needs with other professionals and considered the cause of this increase in risk-taking behaviours. Strategies have been put in place and, at the time of the inspection, concerns were reducing.

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

There has been only one use of physical intervention. Staff have been trained in, and use effectively, distraction and defusing techniques. Behaviour management strategies are underpinned by positive, nurturing relationships between staff and children. Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 4 This home is good at working through difficult patches with children. Staff seek advice appropriately and they understand that children will test boundaries. Staff are consistent and non-judgemental. Children are encouraged and supported to share their views following incidents. This helps staff to improve behaviour management strategies.

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

Recruitment practice is safe and robust. The experienced managers have received safe recruitment training and have access to advice from the provider‟s human resources service.

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

Staff induction includes safeguarding and managing allegations training. The manager ensures that staff are not complacent about the risks to the vulnerable children in their care. Managers use team meetings and supervision well to update the safeguarding knowledge of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This manager knows the children‟s needs well. She is a strong leader and role model. She inspires and motivates staff to ensure that children are making progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals and staff comment on her enthusiasm and commitment to providing an excellent home environment for children. A social worker said: „The manager is a positive, child-focused leader. I receive useful information from the home, such as the weekly summaries. I know that I will be contacted by the staff with important information at the right time.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have a range of strengths, skills and interests. The staff group is diverse and has a good gender balance. Practice is underpinned by a good understanding of equality and diversity. Staff promote an inclusive ethos. Staff and children work closely together to promote robust anti-bullying policies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive training that is pertinent to the needs of the children living in the home. The staff who are not yet qualified are in the process of completing their mandatory qualification. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. Managers quality assure the effectiveness of supervision to ensure that it is purposeful and supports development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is clear that she wants children to feel empowered in their home. She is reviewing how children can best contribute to staff recruitment and staff appraisals. Staff and managers advocate with partner agencies on behalf of children and are instrumental in ensuring that children have independent visitors and advocates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager‟s review of the quality of care and the independent visitor‟s monthly reports demonstrate robust challenge and scrutiny. They include qualitative and quantitative information. They identify what has changed, what has improved and what needs to improve. The management team undertakes weekly management checks and has recently introduced data reflection sheets. These are to identify any patterns or Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 5 emerging themes that raise concerns for individual children. They will consider, with the child‟s network, how to intervene effectively and in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager challenges partners and professionals if she believes that there is a delay in progressing a child‟s plan or services for a child. She confidently requests meetings with professionals to consider how best to meet a child‟s needs. Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 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 difference 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: 2483881 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 7 The Quadrant, Upper Culham Farm, Upper Culham Road, Upper Culham, Reading, Berkshire RG10 8NR

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Inspector(s)

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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