Children's Home run by Future In Mind Limited in Staffordshire

Assurance visit report: SC063653 1 SC063653

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. The home provides a therapeutic environment for the children that it cares for. The home is owned by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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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 did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC063653 2

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The care of children

There is one child living in the home. The child is making sustained progress in key areas of her life. This is because of the secure relationships that she has with staff and the consistently good quality of care that she receives. Because of this, the child’s life chances are greatly enhanced.

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The care of children

The child’s views are central to the running of the home. Staff consult the child in all aspects of her care and support her to take control of decisions that affect her. Staff are creative with exploring how the child can communicate with others. For example, they helped her to write letters to family members during the pandemic. The child has extended this use of communication to pen pal letters and use of a feelings book. This is helping her to feel connected with others and promotes her well-being.

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The care of children

Staff are therapeutically trained. The child has regular access to therapy to meet her attachment needs. Staff work closely with the organisation’s therapists, who advise and mentor them about how best respond to the child’s needs. This ensures that staff are equipped to provide individualised care to reflect the child’s specific needs.

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The care of children

Staff are considerate of the child’s background and heritage. One staff member, of a similar cultural background to the child, shares their experiences of culture and the two of them enjoy cooking together. This helps the child to develop her own sense of personal identity.

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The care of children

The child takes part in activities that she enjoys. For example, the child continues to take part in her drama group via video link. Managers ensure that video capability is available to reduce barriers to the child continuing to access activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This enables the child’s confidence and self-esteem to improve and for her to continue to make progress socially and emotionally.

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The care of children

Staff ensure that the child lives in a homely and well-maintained home. The child has been involved in the planning of colour schemes and the development of the home. The child told the inspectors, ‘The best thing about the home is my room, because I got to choose everything that is in there.’ This enables the child to take pride in her home.

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The safety of children

Staff ensure that the child is effectively safeguarded. Risk assessments are clear and up to date, and staff follow the guidance in them. Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities and are clear about how they need to respond to promote her welfare.

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The safety of children

The child is safe and says that she is safe. Because of the close and nurturing relationships that she has with staff, the child feels able to share her worries and concerns. This allows the child to feel secure within her home environment. Assurance visit report: SC063653 3 Staff and the child work together to develop strategies to help the child to keep safe. Staff use a range of methods to reward the child’s positive behaviour. For example, progress charts are an incentive to safely reintroduce mobile phone and internet use. Because of this, the child has not been involved in a safeguarding incident in the past six months.

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The safety of children

Managers have made improvements to the organisation’s recruitment policies. However, managers do not always show professional curiosity as to why staff have left their previous employment. This means that managers do not always have all relevant information when deciding whether someone is safe to work at the home.

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Leaders and managers

A permanent registered manager leads a stable staff team that provides a consistent approach to the child. The registered manager knows the individual needs of the child well and keeps her at the heart of everything that she does. For example, when aware of the child’s anxieties regarding her family, quick and efficient plans are put in place to ensure that these anxieties can be reduced.

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Leaders and managers

Staff are positive about the support that they receive from the registered manager. Supervision is regular and of high quality. This helps staff to reflect on their practice and ensure that working practices are effective. The registered manager ensures that a ‘policy of the month’ is researched and discussed during each supervision. As a result, staff have the necessary skills and knowledge required for their roles.

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Leaders and managers

The majority of staff hold the required level 3 diploma. One staff member is currently working to achieve this and plans of support are in place to enable them to complete this within required timescales. Staff are also provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice to meet the needs of the child.

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Leaders and managers

Partnership working is strong. Education providers say, ‘The home is great, I can honestly say that communication with them is better than with most parents.’ The registered manager also seeks training from external agencies to deliver courses on child sexual exploitation and suicide prevention, explore ask, keep-safe training to ensure that staff have the skills required to meet the child’s complex needs.

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Leaders and managers

Managers use findings from internal monitoring systems to improve their processes and staff practice. For example, the approach to children’s debriefs after an incident of physical intervention has been reviewed to allow children to reflect on their actions and re-attune with staff in a more effective manner.

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Leaders and managers

The statement of purpose accurately reflects the services offered by the home and is clear about the support offered to the child. Managers and staff operate the home in accordance with this statement of purpose.

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Leaders and managers

Information provided by the independent visitor is not consistently good. For example, the views of the child, family and professionals have not been incorporated Assurance visit report: SC063653 4 into the report for six months. Managers have been slow to address this. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that regulation 44 reports remain a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home. This has since been addressed and a new independent visitor is allocated who has evidenced the feedback that has been sought within their first report. A recommendation is raised to ensure that this recent improvement is sustained.

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Recommendations

 Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Future in Mind, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspectors

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Alison Cooper, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC063653 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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