Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC059753 1 SC059753 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a national private organisation. Care and accommodation can be provided for two children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and for children who have autism spectrum disorder. The manager has been registered since April 2018. Children were not living at this home between December 2018 and May 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 good

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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: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC059753 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/05/2018 Full Good 03/01/2018 Interim Not judged 26/07/2017 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC059753 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, review the allegations protocol for the current child living in the home to ensure that it is up to date and current.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed positive and trusting relationships with the child who lives at this home. He receives good care and support from a staff team whose members have got to know him well. Staff are nurturing and show him genuine warmth and affection. The child gave 10/10 for how much he likes living here and for the staff who look after him. He says that he feels safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The atmosphere in the home is akin to that of a family-type home. For example, the child showed the inspector around his home and pointed out his and the staff’s toothbrushes in the bathroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the child enjoys a wide range of good-quality activities, both in the home and in the wider community. At the time of this inspection, he was delighted to receive a bicycle in recognition of how well he has settled in. The child proudly showed the inspector and the registered manager his bicycle skills during a visit to the local park.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Memory books and photographs of activities are kept for the child to keep and to look back on. At the inspection, the child sat with the inspector and happily showed the inspector his memory books. The child enjoys looking at these books and said, ‘Looking at these make me feel good and happy.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support the child to attend school. In addition, they provide him with a good range of learning opportunities that meet his learning needs. He is doing well and is looking forward to going to school full time in September 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed when they move to this home. The registered manager ensures Inspection report children’s home: SC059753 4 that there is an effective assessment process that clearly identifies the needs of the child before they come to live at this home. This ensures that the provision can meet the child’s needs.

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

Staff have a thorough understanding of safeguarding protocols. They receive regular safeguarding training and safeguarding is an agenda item in supervision sessions. At these meetings, the registered manager regularly reviews and evaluates staff’s understanding of these protocols. Since the last inspection, there have not been any concerns that needed to be referred to the designated officer or to children’s services.

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

Prior to the child moving into the home, an allegations protocol was devised. This was agreed with the child’s social worker and with the designated officer. However, the protocol has not been reviewed since May 2019. Not reviewing this document does not demonstrate that the protocol is current and up to date.

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

Staff are provided with a comprehensive behaviour support plan and detailed risk assessments that guide them in how to support the child to manage his emotions. Staff say that these documents are helpful. In addition, comprehensive risk assessments identify the risks and describe how these risks are to be managed and reduced.

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

Restraint is rarely used. If restraint is used, this is as a last resort to keep the child and others safe. Leaders and managers ensure that there is good oversight and evaluation of the use of restraint. Staff seek the child’s views of the intervention used. In addition, staff discussions are held after an intervention and an incident so that they can reflect on their practice.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that the home’s safe recruitment and selection practice safeguards children.

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

Children live in a safe environment. The recently reviewed locality assessment is comprehensive and identifies the known risks and social and leisure opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed and is led by an experienced registered manager. Staff have high aspirations for the child who is currently living at this home. Information sharing between the staff is effective and ensures that the child receives good continuity and consistency of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He has recently reviewed the quality of care provided and has identified realistic targets to further improve the provision. In addition, he responds effectively to recommendations made by the independent visitor. Inspection report children’s home: SC059753 5 Staff receive effective support and supervision. At these meetings, staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice. They speak well of the support that they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide range of training, including both mandatory training and specific training to equip them to support the children well. For example, staff have recently received training in relation to the organisation’s new model of care. Staff say that this has been extremely helpful and that they have been able to apply their learning in practice. In addition, staff have received training in relation to the home’s newly chosen approach in supporting children to manage their emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child lives in a homely and well-maintained home. He was very happy to show the inspector around and it is apparent that the child considers this to be his 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: SC059753 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Five Rivers Child Care, 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Timothy-John Matthews

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Inspector

David Kidner: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC059753 7 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

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