Children's Home run by Higher Hopes Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2531620 1 Registered provider: Higher Hopes Limited 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 provides care for up to four girls who have experienced trauma and may be at risk of child sexual exploitation. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in June 2019. She holds a suitable level 5 qualification in leadership and management in children’s residential care. This is the first inspection since the home’s registration.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

This was the first inspection of the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2531620 2

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(viii)) 07/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments are in place for children who store smoking materials in their bedrooms. 31/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2531620 3

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Recommendations

 Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  Children’s homes staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home’s plan of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This recently opened home provides care and support to children who have experienced complex trauma and who are at risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home, which is in a rural area, provides the children with spacious accommodation that is maintained to a high standard. The staff and children cook and eat together, and the children enjoy being able to freely access all areas of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children access good support to meet their health needs. One child has a fear of the dentist. The staff work with a local dental practice to help this child to access dental care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff welcome visits from children’s families and facilitate family meetings. This has been valuable for a child who had a long period without family contact prior to coming to live at the home. This child is now having regular visits to family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both the children have pet kittens, which are cared for by the children and the staff. Some staff bring their dogs to the home and encourage the children to go on dog walks in the local countryside. Consequently, the children experience family-style living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently taken up horse riding. The staff said that they have offered, and encouraged the children to develop, hobbies outside the home. However, the children are not involved in regular recreational activities. One child said that she would like more contact with her friends in the community and another child said that she sometimes feels bored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Neither child is attending their education provision. Routines that promote attendance are not in place and the children often stay in bed for long periods during the school day. This means that the children are not making progress with their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have had unplanned placement endings. The managers and staff have Inspection report children’s home: 2531620 4 reflected on these endings to inform future decisions around placement matching. The arrangements for planning for children’s transitions from the home do not enable children to develop the skills that they need when they leave the home.

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

Risks have reduced significantly for the children. Children who were previously involved in risk-taking behaviours in the community and were subject to exploitation are now safe from harm.

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

One child, who was previously involved in criminal activity, is no longer offending. The children want to be at the home and they do not go missing. A child who was regularly placing herself at risk by going missing is no longer doing so. There is no bullying at the home. The children said that they get along well together. Children who were previously engaging in risk-taking behaviour now enjoy greater stability in their lives.

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

The manager discourages the use of restraint to manage behaviour. When restraint is used, staff and managers reflect on incidents and learning is shared with the team.

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

The children receive high levels of support to manage their difficult emotions. The staff seek to understand the triggers for behaviour and respond by applying the principles of the home’s model of care. The staff encourage the children to take individual responsibility for their actions. The staff do not impose sanctions to manage behaviour. They respond to children with empathy and acceptance, which enables the children to develop their self-esteem and make more appropriate choices.

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

The staff do not consistently implement the home’s smoking policy and individual smoking contracts. There is no written risk assessment to reflect the arrangements for a child who stores smoking materials in her bedroom. Practice that falls outside of the home’s own smoking policies and lack of risk assessments leave children and staff unclear about what is expected of them and could present a risk of fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s managers share an ambitious vision for caring for vulnerable children in a therapeutic way to enable their recovery from significant childhood trauma. The managers work hard to develop a team that shares a commitment to the ethos and values of the home. The settled staff team is made up of some newer staff and others who have longstanding experience in caring for traumatised children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff value the individual model of care. Managers ensure that the staff have a good understanding of the home’s statement of purpose and are implementing this in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff said that they receive good support from the managers and are able to raise any concerns. There are high levels of emotional warmth between the staff, who model a nurturing approach to interactions with each other. A therapeutic lead is based on-site to provide reflective consultation to all the staff. This lead also provides group training to all Inspection report children’s home: 2531620 5 the staff. The staff benefit from regular reflective supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All the staff undertake a period of induction and comprehensive training. They receive training in managing ligatures and fire warden responsibilities. The staff access specialist training that enables them to meet the children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers have established systems that ensure the smooth running of the home. The children’s records are detailed and well organised. Managers review the quality of care and disseminate good practice to the rest of the team through team meetings. This ensures good management oversight of the service and learning to inform future practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals reported positive working relationships and good communication with the staff at the home. The children are encouraged to view their own case records, which document their everyday lives and capture the progress that the children are making.

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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: 2531620 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Higher Hopes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 49 Musley Lane, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 7EW

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Inspector

Angela Weston: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2531620 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 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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