Children's Home run by Swan Cottage Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report children’s home: 1258893 1 Registered provider: Swan Cottage Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is a privately run home. It provides accommodation and care for up to two children. Children come to live at the home because of family or placement breakdowns, which might occur in birth or adoptive families, foster placements or other residential placements. The registered manager is experienced and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management in residential childcare. She has worked at the home since it was registered in September 2017.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1258893 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/09/2018 Full Good 16/01/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1258893 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff successfully provide good-quality care to a child who has lived at the home since November 2017. The staff have built warm and trusting relationships with her, which have helped her to make good progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff continue to support the child to experience and understand positive long-term relationships. Within the home she has made significant progress in appropriately managing her emotions and expressing her feelings. This has resulted in her forming some resilient relationships with staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff continue to support the child to work towards improving areas where she struggles to consistently make good progress. For example, she has at times made good academic progress at school and achieved good attendance. However, she struggles to maintain and manage the distraction of friendships at school. This, at times, still has an impact on her educational success. The registered manager and staff consistently promote the importance of her academic achievement. They support her to try to understand how to build appropriate friendships. They also liaise on a regular basis with school staff to ensure that they work in partnership to deliver a consistent message and approach.

p.3

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

The child feels safe in the home. Staff talk to her in key-work sessions, and on a day-to- day basis, to help her to understand how to keep herself safe. Staff role-model and discuss effective communication skills. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of formal complaints that the child makes. Instead she talks to the registered manager and the staff team and resolves concerns face to face.

p.3

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

There have been no missing from care incidents, and historical aggression towards staff and damage to property has stopped. Since the last inspection, there have been no physical interventions or consequences used. The child is instead responding to reward systems, which have seen her take a growing pride in her bedroom and the home. She has also been able to achieve a significant reduction in swearing and derogatory comments towards others.

p.3

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

The registered manager has focused her staff team’s learning to the age-appropriate needs of the child. For example, they have developed folders for the child and staff full of information on internet safety. Staff have used these to develop their practice. They work in partnership with family members to ensure the safety and well-being of the child, while also educating the child.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy manager work hard to maintain a good service. They continually review and develop practice to ensure good outcomes for the child. For Inspection report children’s home: 1258893 4 example, they have decorated areas in the house, revised the staff recruitment process and developed the staff induction and probation procedures.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are motivated and feel well supported by the very child-focused registered manager. They enjoy working with the child and with each other. They attend regular informative staff meetings and supervision sessions. Both provide good opportunities for them to reflect on and develop their practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager, deputy manager and staff have good working relationships with other professionals. The registered manager is not afraid to challenge and advocate on behalf of the child when necessary to ensure that she receives the services and outcomes that she deserves.

p.4

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.

p.4

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: 1258893 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Swan Cottage Limited

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Parkar Accountants, 19-21, Hatchett Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B19 3NX

p.5

Inspector

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258893 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6