Children's Home run by First 4 Care Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 1 SC390293 Registered provider: First 4 Care 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

This home provides medium- to long-term residential care for up to three children or young people between the ages of eight and 18 years old.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager of the service has 23 years’ experience of working with children and young people in residential settings, 14 years of which is in a leadership capacity. The registered manager has an appropriate level 5 leadership qualification.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2018 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2016 Full Good 29/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 3

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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, the 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that risk management plans have multi- agency input or agreement. 30/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(5)) 30/09/2019

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have developed good relationships with the competent and nurturing staff. One child said: ‘I like this home. The staff are all good.’ A social worker said: ‘[Name of child] was instantly welcomed and made to feel part of the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare is prioritised. Children and young people are registered with appropriate local services and have had regular appointments to address their general medical needs. One young person has had a considerable amount of dental work since moving into the home. This has resulted in improved self-confidence and enhanced emotional health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children and young people were not in education prior to their arrival at the home. Leaders and staff worked collaboratively with other agencies to establish an appropriate plan for education to meet the individual child’s or young person’s needs. One young person is being supported to apply for college this year. Staff encourage employment ambition and help children and young people to look for voluntary opportunities and part-time work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people access a wide range of activities. They are encouraged to develop active hobbies and interests, such as attending the local gym, joining a football club and accessing community activities with the staff. This provides children and young people with opportunities to socialise and to develop increased self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have regular key-work sessions and house meetings, and are supported to access advocacy services. This demonstrates the staff team’s commitment to ensuring that children and young people can influence the care they receive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with families and those important to children and young people to ensure that contact is regular, and that young people retain a clear sense of their identity and belonging. One young person has been able to have increased contact. The staff are working sensitively with the young person’s family to contribute to a longer-term goal of reunification.

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

Children and young people do not go missing from the home regularly. Children and young people who have been missing have received a well-coordinated response. Staff have worked proactively to search for them and return them home safely.

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

Placing authorities have not always fulfilled the requirement to ensure that an independent return home interview takes place. However, there are other local agencies through which staff can source these visits to the home, in order to ensure that they Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 5 happen on all occasions. A good-practice recommendation is made with regard to return home interviews.

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

The staff have intervened physically to keep young people safe. Physical interventions are proportionate and comprehensive records are made. Record-keeping practice is much improved.

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

On one occasion, a young person was considered to be at risk of harm and a decision was taken to implement restrictive practice, with verbal consent from the placing authority. Risk management plans should have multi-agency input or agreement. A requirement is made to enhance this area of practice.

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

Staff have had safeguarding training which includes enhanced training for specific topics. This helps to ensure that staff know how to identify and reduce risks to children and young people from forms of exploitation. There are sessions planned to better understand the risk of criminal exploitation in the near future.

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

The physical environment in the home is well maintained and kept free from hazards. Children and young people feel safe at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a passionate and child-centred leader who is appropriately experienced in providing residential care for children and young people. She is supported by a competent deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff reported that the service is well managed, and that they feel well supported to meet the needs of the children and young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has accessed a wide variety of training courses. Supervision and team meetings are regular and provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is introducing topics of research to the staff to further enhance their practice. The development plan for the home reflects a culture of continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning processes are child centred and demonstrate that the team is heavily invested in ensuring that the needs of the children and young people in their care are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care review does not contain feedback from children and young people or their families and other professionals. The manager should have a system for gathering this information, and should use this to demonstrate a culture of continuous improvement in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Placing social workers and other professionals provided positive feedback about the Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 6 service. One social worker said: ‘I am happy with the placement. The support is good and it is a nice home.’

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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: SC390293 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First 4 Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 313 Goodison Boulevard, Doncaster DN4 6TP

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC390293 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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