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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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

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2019 Full Good 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

employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate qualification for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained–

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the 30/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 3 individual–

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32(2), (3)(b), (4)(a)(b), (5)(a)(b), (6)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in the home are not participating in education… because they are not on school roll… the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. They are benefiting from a settled and nurturing home environment. They have developed positive relationships with care staff and with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers ensure that children have up-to-date education plans and that they are supported to meet their individual education targets. Children who have lived in the home for some time are achieving beyond what was expected of them. Children‟s successes are celebrated. The children are ambitious about their future and staff are aspirational for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently secured a school place after some delay. Managers were proactive in working with virtual schools and challenged the delay. However, strategies to engage this child in educational activities provided in the home have not been effective. A recommendation is made to ensure that staff consistently support children to participate in structured activities if they are not able to attend school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Lively, energetic weekly children‟s meetings take place. Children lead these meetings and participate fully. This ensures that their voice is heard. Managers respond positively to the views of children. Children report that they feel listened to and are included when managers make decisions about the home that might affect them. Children‟s views influence their day-to-day care. Children take responsibility, with staff, for important areas of practice. For example, they help staff to provide anti-bullying advice and organise theme nights and lead in the planning of activities. They develop organisation and presentation skills. This enhances their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children‟s health needs are identified and met. They are encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle. Their emotional well-being is a priority. A therapist provides weekly consultations with children, as well as advice to staff about meeting children‟s needs.

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

One child was not settling in the home due to external influences. There were both an increasing number of incidents in which the child ran away from the home and escalating concerns about her safety. Managers requested and convened multi-agency meetings to review care plans and risk minimisation strategies. This proactive approach enabled the child to move to a more appropriate placement in a planned way.

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

For other children, there have been a low number of incidents of concern. One child is subject to high levels of monitoring due to her needs and risk profile. Staff have managed this well so that concerns about harmful behaviours and vulnerabilities have reduced.

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

Managers have worked well with police and social workers to support staff and children Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 5 to understand and manage the risks to children that emerge in the community. These include risks associated with the use of digital technology and social media. There are consistent boundaries, which children understand. Staff provide clear advice to children. Where appropriate, they draw up agreements with children to address particular vulnerabilities.

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

Children are developing a better understanding of their individual safety plans. They have had responsibility for developing the risk assessments for a planned activity and a holiday. As children‟s understanding of risk improves, they are able to take part in a greater range of stimulating and enriching activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by an inspirational manager, who is tenacious in ensuring that children are listened to and have opportunities to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children respond positively to the relaxed, inclusive, nurturing atmosphere that the staff group has developed. This is evident in children‟s enthusiasm about group activities, holidays and celebrating each other‟s achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff have reviewed and learned lessons following one child‟s experiences in the home. They have amended their pre-admission checklist. They recognised the need to improve information-sharing with the child‟s network.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers are visible and „hands on‟ in the home. There is a manager or senior on every shift, including overnight shifts. This results in consistent care and positive role modelling across the staff group.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a range of effective monitoring mechanisms that support managers and staff to understand and assess the impact of the quality of care on children‟s lived experiences and outcomes. The staff respond promptly to the thorough and challenging independent visitor‟s reports. Children and partner agencies are consulted about the home‟s development plan. This ensures that development objectives are relevant, challenging and impactful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have a range of qualifications and experiences and are representative of the community. Managers ensure that there is a balance of experience and gender on shift. Staff speak positively about working in this home and refer to a strong, child-focused team ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff appraisals are used very well to identify innovative developmental opportunities and training. Training is of a very good standard and has been improved further by commissioning a new training provider, who provides more face-to-face training for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There has been some delay in one member of staff attaining the mandatory care qualification. However, all other staff are on track to achieve this within the timescale.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children‟s home: 2483881 6 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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