Children's Home run by Unique Care Homes Support Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC481015 1 SC481015 Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support 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

This home, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to six children who are likely to be considered as vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The new manager has been in post since September 2019 and is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 16 to 17 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

Date of last inspection: 11 December 2018

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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: SC481015 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2018 Full Good 07/11/2017 Full Good 11/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC481015 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress at this home. Children who have a history of placement breakdown are now living in an environment in which they feel secure. Staff achieve positive relationships quickly because they are skilled in engaging children. The children respond well to the calm, consistent and nurturing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for the children. They encourage and support them with their individual education packages. Most of the children either attend an external school or the provider’s off-site school. Two newly admitted children who previously refused to attend education are now engaging well with home tutors. The manager is proactive in his attempts to source school places for them to ensure that they reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in a wide range of activities that reflect their individual interests. Some have joined local football clubs, other children attend regular dance classes and one child enjoys horse riding. These opportunities help the children to increase their confidence, widen their social peer groups and develop their talents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children maintaining relationships with their family and friends. The staff work well with placing local authorities to enable the children to see the people who are important to them. A parent said, ‘The staff are all good. They make contact easy. They were great at supporting us both when I had to share upsetting news with my daughter.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into the home are well planned. Prior to a child’s admission, the manager carefully considers all information available to him alongside the needs of the children who already live at the home. Children are encouraged to visit before moving in and are given a detailed children’s guide to help them to understand the daily routines of the home. Careful planning and a warm welcome help the children to settle into their new environment.

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

Professionals and parents commented on the positive changes in the children’s behaviour, which they attributed to the consistent and skilled work of staff. A social worker said, ‘There has been a significant change in her behaviour. [The child] speaks very highly of the staff and the home.’ Another social worker said, ‘The staff are supportive and very child focused. They meet all her needs. She [the child] is now happy and is thriving there.’

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

Since the last inspection, there have been three incidents of children going missing from the home. Prior to being admitted, one child had a significant history of going missing. This child said, ‘I ran away from my previous home every day. I don’t run off from here Inspection report children’s home: SC481015 4 because they follow, so what’s the point. I like the staff and they don’t give you a chance to go missing.’ Children recognise that the staff care. The protective environment enables the children to stabilise and feel secure.

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

The children sometimes present with difficult and challenging behaviours, which are de- escalated by staff to good effect. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children or others safe. When these incidents occur, the manager ensures that the views of the children are obtained and the staff are debriefed. This enables children to reflect and the staff to gain strategies to reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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

The staff reward children’s positive behaviour and give sanctions for negative behaviour. These sanctions and rewards are discussed with the children, who are encouraged to reflect on their actions. Records show that the children consistently receive far more positive rewards. By openly praising positive behaviour the children begin to make better choices.

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

An increase in bullying behaviour occurred following a child moving into the home. Bullying incidents are well recorded, and work was successfully undertaken with the child to reduce this behaviour. However, on one occasion this work was not undertaken in a timely manner. Failure to promptly reinforce that bullying is unacceptable may hinder the children developing positive relationships with one another.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child-focused manager has been in post since September 2019. He has a relevant level 5 diploma and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. An equally dedicated deputy manager supports him. Both have worked at the home for several years. Staff spoke highly of the new management structure at the home. One staff member said, ‘We could not ask for a better manager and deputy to be working together. They are brilliant.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s case files are detailed, concise and updated regularly. The home’s care plans, health plans and risk assessments are thorough. They evidence that staff take the time to gain each child’s individual views and that their voices are heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff communicate well with social workers. New information is shared promptly and detailed weekly reports are provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive yearly appraisals and good-quality supervision. However, several of the staff have not received practice-led supervision at the frequency set out in the home’s own policy. This reduces opportunities for the staff to reflect on their practice and development in a planned way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose has been updated to reflect changes to practice. Recent amendments have resulted in updates to the staffing arrangements. However, this version was not submitted to Ofsted as required by regulation. Inspection report children’s home: SC481015 5 A requirement set at the last inspection has been reset as one member of staff has not achieved a relevant level 3 qualification within the required timescale. The manager has met to good effect the three other requirements that were set at the last inspection.

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(a)(xii)(xiii)(b)) 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), 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 27/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC481015 6 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 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 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. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 31/01/2020

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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: SC481015 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: White House Business Centre, The White House, Greenalls Avenue, Warrington, Warrington WA4 6HL

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Inspector

Lynne Drage, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481015 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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