Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1275228 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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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 provides care for up to two children and young people who have complex needs, which may include challenging behaviours and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The experienced and qualified manager has been a registered manager for a sister service since 2014, taking on the additional registered role for this home in May 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 11 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1275228 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1275228 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being including nutrition and exercise. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ paragraph 7.18, page 35)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive a very high standard of individualised care. They make exceptional and sustained progress because of the care provided. At the point of admission, one child presented with behaviour which consisted of daily aggression and verbal abuse. He is now generally able to self-regulate his behaviour. A professional said, ‘[The child] has made great strides forward in all areas since moving to the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who have experienced numerous placement breakdowns have benefited greatly from this enduring and settled placement. Relationships between staff and children are extremely caring and nurturing. As a result, children have formed attachments and trust the staff caring for them. One child described the home as ‘amazing’. A parent said, ‘My child has benefited so much from the love they have shown him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A social worker identified the staff team as being instrumental in the success of a plan to return a child home. There was also recognition of the excellent work carried out to engage the child’s mother and work in partnership.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The experience of living at the home enhances children’s life chances. Both children living at the home are making notable progress with their education and have high attendance records. This is excellent considering their individual backgrounds and histories of missing education. Activities and planned holidays provide children with new experiences and stimulating opportunities. The children have become more socially aware and confident.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children typically decline offers to engage in physical activity. Additionally, they have formed patterns of spending pocket money on unhealthy confectionery and drinks. While staff endeavour to make changes and restrict spending, this has the potential to impact detrimentally on their long-term health. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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

Children have become safer since moving to this home. In terms of reducing risks, a social worker commented on how staff had helped to devise a child’s safety plan, and Inspection report children’s home: 1275228 4 how well they had adhered to this. The social worker described staff as being ‘on the ball’. Children’s behaviour has improved. A parent commented that their child’s general attitude had improved and that they had a greater sense of right and wrong. One child has been able to reflect and talk about feeling safer. The child described being listened to and helped by staff. There has been a reduction in this child’s missing-from-home incidents.

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

The team has developed effective working relationships with safeguarding agencies. An established relationship with a local police officer provides staff with a link to discuss evolving concerns. This further supports the protection of children.

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

Staff understand the different vulnerabilities of each child. Practice is informed by detailed risk-management plans. The manager identifies learning points promptly and acts decisively to strengthen practice where necessary.

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

Children are helped to keep themselves safe. Regular one-to-one conversations between children and staff emphasise protective behaviours. As a result, children become more self-aware and begin to understand the impact of their behaviour on others.

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

Consistent boundaries are set. As a result, children know what is expected of them. There have been no incidents requiring the use of physical intervention since the last inspection. The team emphasises the use of relationships, within the adopted therapeutic model, to manage behaviours. This works well and has resulted in desired changes to behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care arrangements are led effectively by a very experienced and qualified registered manager. Staff are enthused by the manager’s commitment and drive to provide high- quality care. Involved professionals hold the manager in high regard. Effective joint working is recognised as contributing to the progress made by each child. Staff describe the team as happy and supportive. This in turn has a positive effect on the care received by children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is careful not to be complacent. She oversees a reflective and learning culture. Weaknesses are identified promptly, and decisive action is taken to strengthen care arrangements when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team accesses a well-established training framework, starting with a two-week induction programme when staff commence in their role. This means that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Much work has been undertaken to ensure that the adopted therapeutic model of care is now fully understood and practised across each area of care. Regular meetings with external trainers enable the team to reflect on practice, and identify new ways to incorporate care principles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Requirements set at the previous inspection have been addressed. Action has been taken to strengthen safeguarding arrangements, resulting in children becoming safer. Inspection report children’s home: 1275228 5 Management monitoring of care arrangements and the manner in which health support is accessed is also improved.

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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: 1275228 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Shaw Trust House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Muchatuta

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Inspector

Mary Timms, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1275228 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 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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