Children's home run by Happy Children Home Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 1 Registered provider: Happy Children Home 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

The home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There have been up to three children cared for in the home at any one time since the last inspection.

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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: 14 January 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

14/01/2019 Full Good 23/01/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 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 if the individual has the appropriate qualification.

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (2)(a)3(b)(4)(a)(b)(5)(b)) 31/01/2020

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. 04/11/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 3 (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to undertaking a lessons learned exercise following an incident of potentially harmful behaviour between children, to inform staff practice and enhance management oversight of practice.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to managers ensuring that poor quality recording by staff is identified and addressed. Consideration should be given to including a chronology in children’s records. 04/11/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive relationships and good routines in response to the consistent, nurturing care that they receive. Staff act as good role models by communicating in a calm, respectful manner at all times. One child said: ‘This home is very welcoming, and I feel listened to.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child has education arrangements in place. Some children had poor experiences in education prior to moving into the home. Despite this, staff are aspirational for children. Staff celebrate all achievements and progress. From the start of each child’s placement, clear expectations of school attendance and engagement are put in place. Children generally live up to these expectations. One child has been offered an apprenticeship following a successful voluntary work placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have detailed health plans that identify their healthcare needs and promote good health. One child has stopped smoking since moving into the home. Another child Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 4 has engaged in a range of physical activities, which has helped him to settle and develop healthy routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a say in their day-to-day care arrangements and the development of their care plans. They benefit from individual sessions with carers that focus on their individual plans and targets. These are child-centred, sensitive sessions that children respond to positively. For example, one child has developed a better understanding of healthy relationships and how to keep safe. The registered manager also meets with children regularly to confirm that they feel safe in the home, and to review progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with social workers and families to support children to maintain relationships. This is particularly effective for children who are living a long way from their family home. Staff support visits so that they are safe and positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good examples of staff developing contacts in the community to support opportunities for new interests and work experience. For example, one child has visited a fire station and is joining the fire cadets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn life skills and independence skills. Staff provide practical and emotional support for children moving on from the home and always have follow-up contact. Follow-up contact has included visits to children living in independent accommodation. When necessary, staff have reported concerns about arrangements to social workers.

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

The manager has recently completed safeguarding training appropriate to his role. Team meetings and supervision sessions include discussions about safeguarding policies, practice and emerging concerns.

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

Children have detailed risk and behaviour management plans that are reviewed and updated when there is new information. There has been one incident of inappropriate and potentially harmful behaviour between children living in the home. The manager followed safeguarding procedures, and individual work was undertaken with the children concerned. There have been no further incidents. However, there was not a sufficiently robust review of the incident to inform future practice.

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

There are explicit contracts with children about the use of the internet, mobile phones and social media. The children’s guide includes messages about keeping safe with peers. Staff have had training about the risks associated with criminal and/or sexual exploitation. Managers have appropriately requested multi-agency meetings to assess concerns and agree plans to keep children safe.

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

Children have responded well to stable care arrangements and relationships. There has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing from home. Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and qualified. The management team has been strengthened by the addition of a part-time, experienced deputy manager. The manager has successfully increased the number of qualified staff since the last inspection. However, one member of staff has not gained the relevant qualification within the required timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The ethos of the home, which staff and managers consistently refer to, is to provide a nurturing, kind, home environment. This ethos is reflected in the consistently warm and affectionate interactions between staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. Managers also support personal development through good-quality training. There is good attendance at team meetings. Staff report that they feel supported by colleagues and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective shift planning arrangements support good routines for the children and the maintenance of a safe environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has improved quality assurance processes. Developments include monthly ‘safe and well’ meetings with children and monthly management audits of practice and records. The deputy manager has undertaken regular overnight shifts to evaluate the quality of overnight care. This demonstrates the value placed on the role of staff who support children at night-time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This inspection identified some inconsistencies in the quality of recording by staff. A more comprehensive chronology would improve children’s records. The manager has identified the quality of recording as an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals in children’s networks are positive about partnership working and report that the manager and staff champion children’s needs. There are a number of examples of the manager challenging delays in organising education placements and requesting multi-agency meetings when there are escalating safeguarding concerns.

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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. Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 6 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

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Information about this inspection

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: 1258894 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Happy Children Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Walk House, 99 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7LF

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Inspector(s)

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1258894 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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