Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to five children and young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified.

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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: 14 September 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 2

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Recommendations

 Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make good progress from their starting points in all aspects of their development. The quality of individualised care that young people receive is outstanding. Young people engage in direct work with staff. The planning and the level of engagement by young people are excellent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have positive relationships with staff. Key workers understand their pivotal role in modelling behaviour and helping young people to become more resilient.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The language used by staff about young people and towards young people is positive and inclusive. An outstanding feature of this home is the emotional warmth and positivity shown towards young people. Staff help young people to feel cherished.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Some young people make very good progress in education. Other young people have made progress from their starting points but still need a great deal of support and intervention. Managers and staff are tenacious in supporting young people to make progress and to reach their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work alongside healthcare professionals to ensure that young people’s health needs are met. An example of this is the use of therapeutic interventions in the home. Specialist services have provided training and consultation for staff to meet specific health, well-being or behavioural needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s day-to-day experiences are very positive, despite there being some difficult dynamics between the young people at times. Social workers spoke very positively about the home and how well young people’s needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff have a can-do attitude and they have high aspirations for young people. Staff help young people to look forward and to be ambitious for themselves. This includes discussions about careers and the steps needed to reach their career goals. Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 3

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

Professionals said that staff understand the young people very well, and that risks to young people had reduced. This is supported by a reduction in incidents in the home. When incidents do occur, such as challenging behaviour or going missing from the home, they are managed well. Staff understand how to respond to incidents of concern. Any allegations made about staff are managed appropriately.

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

In the period since the last inspection, some incidents have resulted in the police being called to support staff in the management of challenging behaviour. The manager has worked to address this through staff training and supervision. Staff training is extensive and equips staff to respond effectively to a range of safeguarding situations. On-call arrangements to support staff outside core hours are working well. A lessons-learned approach is used to reflect on practice.

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

An improved understanding of the emotions being expressed through behaviour has enabled staff to recognise trigger points and risks at an earlier stage. The ability of staff to quickly notice changes in children’s mood is underpinned by positive relationships between staff and young people.

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

A restorative approach is used. Efforts are made to be transparent with young people about risks and consequences. Managers and staff monitor how behaviour is managed very closely to ensure staff consistency and to review the effectiveness of behaviour management strategies. There is a strong emphasis on providing young people with boundaries and guidance. They are encouraged to do the right thing, without staff being punitive or being seen as unfair. This is helping young people to learn and move on from incidents. Key-working sessions are very effective. Direct work with young people is detailed and of a high quality. Young people are better equipped to keep themselves safe and to make better choices.

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

Partnership working between staff and other professionals is excellent. Placement support meetings take place regularly and enable a more dynamic approach to managing risks. This way of working increases the chances of young people being able to work through difficulties. Placement stability is improved as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2018. She is suitably skilled and experienced, and she is working towards the required management qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Care is provided in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The manager has high expectations of what young people can achieve. She and the deputy manager ensure that staff provide high standards of individualised care. There is a very strong sense of inclusive practice. Staff are quick to recognise small but significant achievements. Some very good direct work has been carried out with young people. Occasionally, work was not dated. This can make charting young people’s progress more difficult. Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 4 The diversity of the staff team works very well. Young people identify with different members of staff. The staff bring a variety of different experiences and interests to the home, providing a stimulating and inclusive environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has been through some difficult periods. All of the young people and staff had to move out temporarily following a small house fire. This was managed exceptionally well, and the actions of staff and young people were commended. The safety of young people is of paramount importance. The manager runs the home very well. She is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and uses internal monitoring systems effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and her deputy are strong advocates for young people. They will challenge other professionals if they feel that decisions or actions are not in the young person’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A very positive development is including young people in staff meetings and having training events for staff and young people together. The manager has a strategic awareness of the issues that influence residential childcare and her safeguarding knowledge is up to date. Opportunities to improve young people’s care experiences are embraced, for example the use of non-institutionalised language. The home presents as an environment where learning and the continual development of care practice are embraced.

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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: 1255743 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Homes 2 Inspire Limited, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

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Inspector:

Corrinne Barker: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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