Children's Home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited in Leicestershire

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home currently has two registered managers.

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Information about this children’s home

Visit dates: 30 September to 1 October 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 24 February 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Sustained 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. Assurance visit report: 2504494 2

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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.

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The care of children

Staff at the home have managed the COVID-19 lockdown well. Children were provided with a wide range of activities. These included involvement in community projects such as coffee mornings and gardening. Children were rightly proud of their contributions and the money they raised to help others.

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The care of children

Children were able to keep in touch with family and friends. A newsletter was produced in the home to keep everyone up to date. Children also kept a daily journal around life in lockdown. This will provide detailed memories for the children in the future.

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The care of children

Children are cared for by a consistent team of staff who are proud of the achievements and progress made in the home. Children make progress in the home, especially in education. All the children attend education provision which is specific to their needs. They have goals and aspirations for the future. One teacher commented on the positive influence a child was having on others within school.

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The care of children

Children’s plans are not individualised. They do not always contain current or specific information on the child. Plans contain conflicting advice and information. This means that staff do not always have a clear understanding of the child and their individual needs.

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The care of children

Some of the children in the home smoke tobacco products. They have been offered alternatives to this to support cessation. Staff do not know where children access tobacco products from.

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The care of children

The physical environment is much improved. Children’s rooms are personalised to their taste. The garden area has been updated and new furniture purchased. Children have contributed with painting the fences and planting flowers.

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The safety of children

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans are not always individualised to the child. They do not fully identify all known risks and how these are managed. Plans do not contain enough information and are confusing in parts. This means that staff working with children do not have access to all relevant information around risk and behaviour.

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The safety of children

Children are not always consistently supervised in the home. There have been occasions when children have been able to access the internet and computers Assurance visit report: 2504494 3 without appropriate monitoring. This is not in agreement with their plans. The manager has put in measures to address this.

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The safety of children

Incidents in the home have reduced significantly. Children are settled and stable in the home. Staff have supported children in identifying other ways to manage their emotions. Children are able to identify a trusted adult in the home that they could go to if they had a concern.

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The safety of children

There have been two complaints about the home from an external source. The manager has investigated these. There is a lack of evidence of learning from these complaints and a lack of action taken in response. Staff supervision and team meetings do not reflect the impact of any learning from these concerns.

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Leaders and managers

Leadership and management in the home are not strong. The manager has not had a clear oversight of children’s plans and she has not ensured that plans are reviewed regularly. This has led to the manager not identifying that there is conflicting and missing information recorded in plans.

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Leaders and managers

Monitoring tools in the home are not used effectively to improve and develop the care provided. Key information is missing from reports. There is little evidence of evaluation and analysis of information. Children, staff and professionals are not routinely consulted with about the care provided or the development of the home.

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Leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision. Supervision records do not provide evidence of how practice issues are challenged. Targets are not regularly reviewed, and progress is not recorded. However, staff discussed feeling supported and appreciated by the management team in the home.

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Leaders and managers

The home is now fully staffed. All mandatory training is up to date. Most staff are suitably qualified and experienced. This has led to stability in the team that is caring for the children.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has supported the staff and children to integrate into the community during the lockdown period. Children have engaged in projects supporting their neighbours and a homeless charity. This has had a positive impact on the children and the community.

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Leaders and managers

Most of the requirements from the last inspection have been met. There have been improvements in the home since 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 Assurance visit report: 2504494 4 ‘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 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) 1 Dec 20

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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

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 1 Dec 20 Assurance visit report: 2504494 5 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Recommendations

 The registered manager must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and on the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61 paragraph 13.2) Assurance visit report: 2504494 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 131a London Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5DP

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Rachael Smith, Lorna Bowen

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2504494 7 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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