Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 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

This privately owned children’s home is able to care for up to five children. The home can accommodate children aged between 12 and 18 who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified registered manager is in post.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people living in this home are making excellent progress. The home is a warm, welcoming place for young people to live in. Young people invest in the home because of the very positive relationships that the staff build with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people benefit from stable and secure placements. The highly dedicated and reliable staff know the young people very well. Because of the warm and consistent care that they receive, young people trust staff and, as a result, begin to flourish. Young people know that staff care and that staff are committed to them. A young person said, ‘I have a bond with them. I know I can trust them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are aspirational for young people and want them to achieve in education. There is an expectation that young people will engage in education, and they do. Staff provide sensitive support and encouragement to help young people to maintain their education placements. If children do not attend education for any reason, educational activities are provided by staff. This supports young people to refocus on their studies. As a result, all of the young people took GCSE exams over the summer. All have now moved on to further education. Some are enjoying their new courses, others are taking every opportunity to find an alternative course that is right for them. Young people have recently attended a careers fair to help them to identify the type of job they would like to do when they are older. Staff are tenacious in trying to find the right education resource for each young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are given excellent support to prepare them for adulthood. All of the young people are due to move on from the home soon, and are engaged well in work to develop their independence skills. This includes taking responsibility for their own health appointments, doing their own food shopping and cooking meals for themselves. Managers and staff understand that this is a difficult time for young people. They work hard to make the move as smooth as possible. After a young person has moved out of the home, staff continue to support them. This means that children continue to have a secure base and access to trusted adults who they can ask for help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are valued and respected in the home. They are fully supported to share their views and opinions. Staff respect what they have to say. The voice of young people is central to the running of the home. The registered manager and staff team advocate strongly on behalf of young people, particularly when liaising with the police. A police officer said, ‘This children’s home is a cut above the rest. It comes across that staff really do care.’ Professionals said that communication from staff is very good. This enables them to have a clear understanding of the progress being made by young people and any additional support that may be required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Supporting contact between young people and their families is also an area of strength. Staff play a key role in contact plans. Staff recognise that once young people have left the home, they will need trusted adults around them to continue to guide and support Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 4 them. Where this is appropriate, contact is encouraged between young people and their families.

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

The stable and nurturing environment provides young people with a strong sense of safety. Young people feel safe in the home and can identify members of staff who they would talk to if they had any concerns.

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

Direct work with young people is very successful. Key-worker sessions have covered topics including road safety, understanding personal space and healthy relationships. Young people’s individual risks and vulnerabilities are explored in a sensitive and meaningful way. As a result of the support they receive, young people to start to speak about their experiences. They begin to understand their thoughts and feelings.

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

Behaviour management is a significant strength of the home. There are clear boundaries which young people understand. The home is generally calm, but young people are able to take part in fun, noisy activities at appropriate times. There are very few incidents of behaviour that is difficult to manage. Staff understand that young people’s behaviours are often linked to their histories, and respond to challenging behaviour with great sensitivity.

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

The use of physical intervention is rare. When physical intervention is used, it is carried out safely and appropriately. The manager and staff discuss the use of restraint through debriefs and ‘lessons learnt’ sessions. These ‘lessons learnt’ discussions are used very well to inform staff practice and develop young people’s care plans. Effective debriefs are also carried out with young people. This approach is extremely effective in ensuring that incidents are dealt with in the best possible way, causing the least possible distress for young people.

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

Allegations made against members of staff are responded to quickly and effectively. This ensures that young people are fully safeguarded. Young people feel supported and protected because staff respond so well to any concerns that they raise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is ambitious for young people and sets high expectations for them. She is a strong advocate for young people. She is tenacious in ensuring that any decisions made in respect of young people are well thought out and in the young person’s best interests. The manager and deputy manager are well respected by the staff and the young people in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All of the young people have lived in the home for a long period of time. Placement stability has enabled them to make strong progress. The stability of placements has been made possible by the determination of the management team. The team members Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 5 support staff very well through challenging periods.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel extremely well supported by the management team. The staff spoke with enthusiasm about their love of working in the home. A staff member said, ‘I am really proud to work here.’ There is a low turnover of staff. Effective staff-retention strategies underpin the strong relationships between staff and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

High-quality team meetings and regular, focused supervision ensure that care practice is monitored and improvements are made where needed. The management team is committed to making continual improvements to the home and the care that young people receive. Academic research informs the practice of staff. The manager ensures that staff have a good understanding of issues that affect young people who live in care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monitoring systems are excellent. The manager makes sure that she has robust oversight of what is happening in the home. This ensures that any shortfalls are quickly identified and addressed. Record-keeping was identified as being an area for development at the last inspection. The recommendation is met because records are now of a consistently high standard.

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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: 1255743 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: Suntheep Dulay-Kainth

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Inspector

Catherine Honey: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1255743 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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