Children's Home run by The Ryes College Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report children's home: SC429748 1 SC429748 Registered provider: The Ryes College Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2011

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 17 to 18 December 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 good

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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: SC429748 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2018 Full Good 19/12/2017 Full Good 23/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC429748 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 all employees–

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c)) 03/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if–

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 20/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person–

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)) 20/01/2020 Inspection report children's home: SC429748 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. They have established positive relationships with the skilled and committed staff team. The children receive individualised support that enhances their future opportunities and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s interests are actively encouraged. These include swimming, bike rides, using the gym and attending youth clubs. The staff organise for the children to meet up with their friends. These opportunities provide the children with meaningful experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make progress in education. The staff work closely with schools to ensure the children’s good attendance. Staff help the children with their homework and offer effective support at times of behavioural difficulties. As a result, the barriers to children’s learning have reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff obtain the children’s views regularly. They encourage good levels of participation from the children through house meetings, daily activities and key-worker meetings. These help the children to develop reflection skills and understand their impact on the wider community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, homely and well decorated. Children are involved in choosing the themes and colours. The children benefit from personalised bedrooms, and they said that they like their space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain contact with their families through effective communication and planning. The staff team recognises the importance of these relationships and, consequently, children benefit from an improved sense of identity and emotional well-being.

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

The staff support the children with their social interactions. The high level of staff supervision enables good group dynamics. The children appear relaxed and comfortable with one another.

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

Familiar staff and established routines help the children to feel secure. The staff enable the children to take appropriate risks. Carefully considered free time for the children develops their range of experiences.

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

The staff ensure that behaviour management plans are sufficiently detailed. There is an emphasis on proactive strategies. These include recognising achievements and acts of kindness to reinforce positive behaviour. The staff use sanctions proportionately and rarely. These approaches are effective in helping the children to develop their self- esteem and to change their behaviour, over time. Inspection report children's home: SC429748 5 The staff use physical intervention when necessary. The holds that have been used are proportionate and used only as a last resort. When a child develops a stable relationship with the staff, these incidents reduce.

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

Allegations against staff are suitably managed. Children have been consulted and relevant referrals have been made. This provides assurance that there are appropriate systems in place to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified. She is committed to achieving good outcomes and stability for children. She is highly regarded by professionals and well received by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme. They have the skills to meet the children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff and management team have sustained good relationships with parents and professionals, who provided consistently good feedback about the positive impact that the home has had on children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managerial monitoring of records is generally good. Children’s records are detailed. Monthly reports are thorough and outline the children’s progress well. The manager has a clear oversight of the quality of care and experiences of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring visits provide a fair level of scrutiny and challenge. However, a high proportion of these visits do not include children and family consultations. Furthermore, two visits were delayed and were not completed within the required timescale. This means that children cannot consistently be consulted on their experiences at the home, and this undermines the assurances and additional safeguards intended by these visits.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is strong participation in regular, child-centred staff meetings. However, the staff do not regularly receive supervisions and appraisals. This was a requirement from the last inspection and has still not been met. This does not ensure that the staff have appropriate time to reflect on their practice consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team failed to notify Ofsted promptly of a significant incident at the home. Although the information was shared with the designated officer, Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home and its safeguarding processes was reduced. Inspection report children's home: SC429748 6

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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 difference 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: SC429748 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Ryes College Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Skyview Business Centre, 9 Church Field Road, Sudbury CO10 2YA

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC429748 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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