Children's Home run by Our Place (2008) Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC407929 1 SC407929 Registered provider: Our Place (2008) 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

A private company operates this children’s home. It is registered to provide care for 10 children who have learning disabilities (including autism spectrum conditions) and associated challenging behaviours. Children may stay after they reach 18 years old. The registered person operates a small registered school in a separate building in the grounds. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017. The registered manager is appropriately experienced and qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 November 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 Outstanding

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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: good

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC407929 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Good 13/09/2017 Full Good 18/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC407929 3

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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

The registered person must— ensure that they maintain in the home the records relating to Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) This is specifically in relation to having a copy of the staff duty rota of the persons working at the home, their full names and the hours worked. 31/12/2019

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good individual care for children. There is thorough care planning and multi-disciplinary wrap-around care that ensures children make good progress in all areas of their development. Children are supported to lead healthy lifestyles and engage in education. Those who previously found school challenging are now attending full time and are making good progress. Children develop trusting relationships with staff and feel comfortable in their company. This develops children’s self-esteem. Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. Toys and equipment reflect children’s needs and interests. For example, one child loves gymnastics. The manager purchased a specialist mat and had ‘uneven bars’ erected in the play area of the garden Inspection report children’s home: SC407929 4 so that the child could practice. This ensures that children develop a sense of belonging and feel valued. Despite their complex needs, children are encouraged to have age-appropriate

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

experiences and enjoy a range of activities inside and outside the home. This supports children to develop their confidence and social skills. For example, one child is now able to access activities in the local community without the use of his wheelchair. Staff communicate with children using a variety of communication tools individual to each child. This ensures that usually all children’s wishes and feelings are understood and acted up. Staff prepare children well when a person they do not know visits their home to speak with them. Photographs are taken and a social story prepared to help children understand why a person may be visiting. The children’s guide is not accessible to all children. One child with a visual impairment is not able to use the children’s guide. This means that some children may not have a clear understanding of where they are living when they first come to live in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good-quality contact with family members and others important to them. Parents and carers are encouraged and welcomed into the home and are positive about the care that their children are receiving. One parent told the inspector about her son’s progress: ‘His communication has come on incredibly well. His mobility is fantastic... Staff are brilliant. They go above and beyond.’ Staff support children well in their transition to the home and when they leave. Managers and staff work closely with staff from other homes, sometimes over a period of a few weeks, to ensure that children feel comfortable and settled in their new home. This helps children to feel cared for and ensures that their move is a positive experience for them.

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

Children are safe in the home. Staff know the children’s behaviours well so that they can safely care for them. There are clear risk assessments in place for children, including impact assessments completed prior to children living in the home. However, compatibility risk assessments are not clear about whether each child’s needs are compatible with others living in the home. This shortfall means that there is the possibility that children will be inappropriately matched. Children do not go missing. Managers and staff manage any safeguarding concerns swiftly and appropriately. They take effective action where there are concerns for children and their welfare. This ensures that children’s safety and well-being is at the forefront of their care. Staff effectively manage children’s behaviour. This is because they understand the children well and can often predict when behaviours are escalating. Children’s plans give

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

staff clear approaches to use to manage children’s emotions. As a result, incidents are reducing. Staff rotas do not list the names of the staff from the organisation’s on-site school when they work in the home to support care staff. As a result, rotas do not give an accurate reflection of who has been working in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC407929 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is inspirational and innovative. She is suitably qualified and is continuing to improve her knowledge through further higher management qualifications. She has high expectations for children. She is creative and drives continuous improvement in the home. For example, she is constantly developing the home and staff’s therapeutic practice to sustain and improve the quality of care for children. The home has a consistent and qualified staff team that receives a wide range of training, specific to the needs of the children that it cares for. Staff feel well supported and learning is embedded into staff practice. For example, staff receive training from health professionals to ensure that they have the necessary training to meet children’s health needs. This ensures that appropriately skilled staff meet all children’s needs. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of the progress that children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is supported by strong and reflective monitoring which shows that children make excellent progress over a sustained period. Managers and staff work effectively in partnership with a range of professionals, including parents. Excellent multi-disciplinary care for children between the psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist and school staff ensures that children’s needs are met to good effect. As a result, children are able to make significant progress in all areas of their development.

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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: SC407929 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Our Place (2008) Limited

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Inspector

Sue Young, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC407929 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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