Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 1 SC468747 Registered provider: Idem Living Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company, and provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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 good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2018 Full Good 07/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/04/2017 Full Good 29/11/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 3

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outstanding

During this inspection year, one child has moved out of the home and another child has been admitted.

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outstanding

The child who has moved out had lived in the home for more than three years. During this time, she made outstanding progress. The experience of living in this home has significantly enhanced her life chances. It has given her the confidence to embrace life and feel aspirational about her future. An example of exceptional practice that took place and benefited the child during this time was the life-story work that the registered manager completed with her. This led to the child having a better understanding of why she had not been able to live with her family, and has contributed to the positive relationships she now enjoys.

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outstanding

Carefully considered and child-focused decision-making took place in respect of assessing and introducing the current child to the home. The manager, the responsible individual and the staff have worked hard to establish positive relationships with her, to help her feel valued and listened to. They have celebrated her achievements and supported her cultural and personal-identity needs effectively. The manager challenged why she had not seen significant members of her family during the past two years, and has been instrumental in helping her to achieve this outcome.

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outstanding

The child is benefiting from having a bespoke education package. She is receiving one-to-one home tutoring and is making excellent progress. Her tutor told the inspector that the work they are doing together is enabling her to catch up, and is aimed at contributing to her being successful when she returns to a school setting. There are clear plans in place for this to happen, and the manager is working closely with the local authority to keep such plans on track.

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outstanding

Staff help the child to enjoy a wide range of activities and support her friendships. A careful and creative approach to risk assessment ensures that the child can enjoy a wide range of experiences in a planned and safe way. Staff are also helping the child to keep several scrapbooks of her experiences and achievements. Together, they are also creating a variety of electronic memories. These pieces of work symbolise the commitment of the staff to her, and their motivation to provide positive experiences and create lasting memories.

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outstanding

The manager has used research to develop practices in the home, and has continued with her own learning, recently completing a qualification in working with traumatised children.

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outstanding

The physical environment of the home provides excellent standards throughout, and reflects the individuality of the child living there. Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 4

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

The manager has an excellent awareness of her safeguarding responsibilities. Risks are carefully assessed and reported. Staff are suitably trained and know how to respond to safeguarding concerns.

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

The manager maintains detailed records of any safeguarding concerns that arise. These provide evidence that the home works effectively with other professionals and takes robust action to help and protect children in its care. Good work is also carried out to help children to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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

Behaviour is positively managed. Physical restraints are not used. Incentives are in place and a ‘life-lesson’ approach is used to reflect on poor behaviour and to acknowledge good behaviour.

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

Missing-from-home incidents rarely occur. When they do happen, staff are diligent in fulfilling their responsibility to return the child safely. While individual protocols are in place, it was noted that some details need amending. Furthermore, there is a need to establish clear expectations with the placing authority regarding the importance of face-to-face return home interviews and the sharing of information, to enable staff at the home to reflect on whether there is anything they can do to reduce the likelihood of a child going missing again.

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

Staff recruitment processes are safe and rigorous, as is ongoing monitoring of suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. She has an excellent working relationship with the responsible individual and they work effectively together to ensure that the home provides child-focused care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide a supportive environment for staff through day-to- day support, practice-related supervision, team meetings and ongoing training. Following a discussion during this inspection, the manager will review the qualification of one member of staff to ensure that she meets expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A recently appointed deputy manager is being mentored by the registered manager. This is good succession planning, given that the company is expanding and the registered manager has recently taken on additional responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The voice of the child is apparent in this home. Documentation has been reviewed to ensure that it is child-friendly. New approaches have also been introduced to help the child to explore her feelings, and to enable staff to identify ways of helping her feel safe, fulfilled and healthy. Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 5

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to children always having an independent return home interview if they are reported missing. It also refers to ensuring that the registered person gains access to such information, so that consideration can be given to how the child can be supported to become safer. 19/04/2020

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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 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

the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 30/04/2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC468747 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Newlands, 1a Huyton Hey Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 5SE

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Inspector

Norma Welsby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC468747 8 to 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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