Children's Home run by South West Childcare Services in Somerset

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a national provider of children’s homes. It is registered to provide care and accommodation to four children or young people who need emotional and/or behavioural support.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 27 February 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Declined in effectiveness

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We identified no serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: 2509684 2

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The care of children

The young people benefit from trusting relationships with the staff and say they like the staff and enjoy living at the home. The young people’s behaviour has improved. They are positively responding to the clear and consistent boundaries and expectations that the staff are putting in place in the home.

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The care of children

The young people benefit from an educational placement that meets their needs. The staff work creatively with placing authorities and education providers to find bespoke educational packages for each young person. The young people are all engaging in education and making progress.

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The care of children

The young people feel supported and make progress with their emotional health needs. Staff understand the complex emotional needs of the young people. They respond comprehensively and promptly to emerging emotional issues arising for the young people and obtain the necessary professional support.

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The care of children

Routines in the home run smoothly. The young people are clear about the expectations of them and respond positively. Through the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the young people were supported effectively to understand the reasons for the lockdown and their responsibilities for keeping themselves and others safe, for example through social distancing and regular handwashing.

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The care of children

The staff support the young people to stay in touch with their families effectively, and the young people enjoy regular visits and holidays with their family.

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The safety of children

Incidents of young people going missing and self-harming and incidents of aggression in the home are reduced. Assessment of identified risks is comprehensive. Risk assessment documents give the staff clear guidance about how best to safely manage incidents.

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The safety of children

The staff support the young people to learn from their mistakes and understand how to manage their own behaviour. The staff succeed in achieving a balance of allowing the young people to take age-appropriate risks, while keeping them safe.

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The safety of children

The staff, including agency staff, are carefully recruited in accordance with the company safe recruitment practice and procedures. Extensive checks take place to ensure that only suitable people are employed in the home.

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The safety of children

Young people report that they feel safe living in the home and are confident that staff will support them to keep them safe. The young people could name the members of staff that they would speak to if they ever felt unsafe or worried. The staff use the home’s comprehensive safeguarding procedures and have a good working relationship with safeguarding professionals. Assurance visit report: 2509684 3

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Leaders and managers

The home has recently been taken over by a national provider of children’s homes. The management oversight of the home is robust. Improved quality monitoring and recording systems have been introduced. The registered manager is being supported in the home by a house manager.

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Leaders and managers

Three members of staff recently left the home. The current shortfall in staff numbers means that temporary agency staff are regularly being used in the home. The manager recognises that the young people need a consistent and stable staff team to support them, and the recruitment process is underway.

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Leaders and managers

The manager ensures that the young people are fully involved in all decisions made about the day-to-day running of the home. The views of the young people are gathered informally, often when on journeys in the car.

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Leaders and managers

Feedback from other professionals is positive. Placing authorities praise the quality of care given to their young person in the home and how their young person is settled and is making good progress.

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)) 26/10/2020 Assurance visit report: 2509684 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2509684 5 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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