Children's home run by Blossom Care Group Ltd

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children. The home cares for children who experience developmental difficulties and problematic early life experiences, including attachment disorder, emotional behaviours and moderate to low learning difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has a qualified registered manager.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

p.1

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).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

Information about this visit

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

p.1

Information about this visit

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

p.1

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. Assurance visit report: 2560305 2

p.1

Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

p.2

The care of children

Children told the inspectors that they are happy living in the home and staff provide them with everything they need. The home is well furnished, which provides a homely feel.

p.2

The care of children

Staff engage children in various activities and leisure opportunities, such as going to the gym, the cinema and youth clubs. This is reflected in the children’s individualised weekly planners. Children have positive experiences and enjoy the activities they do.

p.2

The care of children

Staff have reduced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for children living in the home. Staff took children to local parks and arranged activities in the home. Children’s birthdays were celebrated, and one child raised over £300 for charity.

p.2

The care of children

Following the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, children are now attending education settings rather than accessing home education as they did during the lockdown period of the pandemic. Staff support children’s learning well.

p.2

The care of children

Staff carry out child-centred key-work sessions with children. Staff talk to children about any behaviours or worries they have. This helps children to make better choices and develops their confidence. One child is working towards stopping smoking with help from staff and a smoking reduction support service. It is evident that staff promote children’s health and well-being.

p.2

The care of children

Staff help children to develop their independence skills. Children learn about budgeting, shopping and cooking to prepare them for the future.

p.2

The care of children

The registered manager’s matching of new children moving into the home needs to improve. On one occasion, consideration about the impact a new child would have on children already living in the home was not detailed enough. One child moved in and out of the home within a short period of time. This could have been avoided had matching been more detailed and considered. Children are informed when a new child is moving into the home.

p.2

The safety of children

During the inspection there were several safeguarding investigations that had not been concluded. One incident had resulted in a child moving out of the home. Other incidents had caused staff to be suspended without prejudice pending investigations. As such, details will not be documented in the report and Ofsted is awaiting an update on the outcome of these investigations. Assurance visit report: 2560305 3 The registered manager arranged additional staffing in the home to reduce safeguarding risks and keep children safe. This was not effective and children spent unsupervised time together without staff being aware. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans do not provide staff with satisfactory guidance to support them in keeping children safe. As such, staff have been inconsistent in their supervision of the children and their safety has been compromised. The manager has followed safeguarding processes and a safeguarding investigation is being

p.2

The safety of children

undertaken. One child has moved out of the home, which has reduced the risk while the investigation is concluded.

p.3

The safety of children

The registered manager follows safeguarding processes. He reports safeguarding incidents to the designated officer for the local authority and puts measures in place to reduce risks until an outcome is reached. Safeguarding records are detailed and provide a clear chronology of events.

p.3

The safety of children

Staff physically restrain children when it is necessary and appropriate to do so. Staff record physical interventions well. The registered manager completes debriefs with children and staff. The registered manager has good oversight of these incidents.

p.3

The safety of children

Staff have the relevant training to meet the children’s identified and individualised needs.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The registered manager is a new manager who is developing his knowledge and experience. The home is newly registered with a new staff team that has mixed experiences and abilities. The home has had some changes in senior managers. The registered manager has coped well during the period of change and this has not impacted on children’s experiences.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Overall, the registered manager is effective in keeping professionals up to date. When the registered manager is away from the home there has been some delays in information being shared with a social worker about a young person’s behaviour. This has since improved following changes in senior management. Current social workers shared with inspectors that communication with staff at the home is generally positive.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff have good-quality supervision. Although the registered manager receives regular supervision, the records of this are not as good as they should be. As such, the progress, development and support provided to the registered manager are not recorded clearly and monitored.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The registered manager values external monitoring that is in place. The independent visitor continued to monitor the home remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the restriction have been reduced, he has started to visit the home again.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The registered manager has review and monitoring systems in place. Some elements are very good. He captures and understands children’s views and wishes Assurance visit report: 2560305 4 well. The registered manager completes a six-monthly review of the quality of care in the home. This report could be improved with more analysis to help drive improvements in the home.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Feedback from the children’s social workers is variable. Both social workers spoke about the home and staff being newly established and needing to develop a consistent approach. One social worker shared that the young person spoke highly of the staff who care for him.

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: 2560305 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The home should play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high-quality support that is needed. Such partnership working should always take place: before a child arrives; while the child lives in the home and where the child prepares to return home, move to another setting or leave care. Where a placement is made in an emergency, the registered person should quickly engage with relevant persons to provide the best immediate care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.4)

p.5

Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33 (4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Thrift Road, Branston, Burton-On-Trent, Staffordshire DE14 3LJ

p.5

Inspectors

Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2560305 6 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.

p.5

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspectors

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6