Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties. It is owned and run by an independent organisation which has other homes in the local area.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home was registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Inadequate

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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: 2537375 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

Children benefit from warm and nurturing relationships. Children happily approach staff for company and interaction. Staff are confident in meeting the needs of children who are often living far from their families. Family members and social workers are complimentary about the home and the steady progress that children make.

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The care of children

Staffing has remained consistent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and managers were actively preparing for the current period of England-wide restrictions at the time of this visit. Staff have supported children well through the uncertain period due to COVID-19 with thoughtful approaches to managing the changes in family contact and education.

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The care of children

During the first nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19, the children continued to access education. Staff were innovative in their approach to engaging children in interesting educational activities. Children now attend school regularly, which is a significant improvement given their histories. Staff maintain regular contact with school to ensure that any barriers to learning are quickly noted, and support provided for the children.

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The care of children

Children are free to choose the activities they engage in, with clear guidance from staff about what is practicable. Children are confident in requesting what they would like, such as a meal out. As a result, children feel that their views and wishes are respected.

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The care of children

Safety and emotional well-being are held as central to all planning. Children’s successes are celebrated, with verbal praise and rewards focusing on health and well-being, for example receiving a new bike. Children are open with staff, who actively praise children for their engagement in smoking cessation services, while acknowledging and supporting when children lapse. Joint working with relevant partner agencies means that children have access to appropriate services for their physical and emotional well-being.

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The safety of children

Staff are acutely aware of children’s risks and vulnerabilities, and they take positive actions to keep them safe. Staff are confident in the processes that they need to follow should they be worried for a child’s welfare. Responses to child protection and safeguarding concerns are swift. Records highlight the prompt action and detailed communication with partner agencies. Assurance visit report: 2537375 3 Staff understand that all behaviour is a form of communication. Incident reports are clear in their recording and consideration of the child’s needs at the time. Staff are reflective in their approach, involving the children in how to respond differently in the future and recognise their emotions. The use of physical intervention is rare. However, on one occasion, an incident was not recorded until two weeks after the event.

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The safety of children

Children’s risk assessments are positive about how to manage and respond to risk. They are personalised to the child and their needs, rather than a set format of potential risks. They are thoughtful in approach, recording positive changes to children’s risks. Most staff have now had guidance on how best to formulate and complete risk assessments. However, this is an ongoing area of development.

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The safety of children

The building is well maintained, and the decoration reflects the taste of the children living in the home. Children are engaged in fire drills and staff use real-life examples and incidents to support children to understand the potential implications of their actions which may cause fire or risk from misusing fire-fighting equipment.

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Leaders and managers

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager. Staff benefit from regular supervisions, which they find supportive. They have continued with essential online and in-person training during COVID–19 restrictions.

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Leaders and managers

Children’s care plans identify clear goals and targets, while highlighting individual progress. They are all highly detailed and from the child’s perspective and show a clear insight into the child’s needs. Individual sessions with children are reflective of goals and targets, as well as responding to current concerns. The plans indicate concisely how best to meet the child’s needs and who is important to the child, and their personalities shine through. However, the plans lack insight into the child’s individual culture and identity beyond their religion and ethnicity. The registered manager is reflective of the quality of care provided, using both in- house and external monitoring to evaluate the home’s functioning and development. The manager, along with the senior leaders, acknowledges the shortfalls that were identified at the last full inspection. As a result, they have met all the requirements

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Leaders and managers

and recommendations that were set at the last inspection. Assurance visit report: 2537375 4

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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 registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made.

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Recommendations

 Children should be supported to express themselves as individuals and should be given an appropriate degree of freedom and choice in relation to day to day arrangements for their care, depending on their individual needs and the setting in which they are cared for. This is in relation to both activities and personal items such as clothing, technology and leisure items. Children’s reasonable preferences in relation to day to day arrangements should be met with consideration given to safeguarding, particularly in relation to the use of technology. Where a child’s preferences are unreasonable or cannot be met for safeguarding reasons, staff should discuss this with the child to help them understand why. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that children’s in-house care plans demonstrate the child’s individual culture and identity beyond their religion and ethnicity.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

In particular, that all staff have training in formulating and reviewing risk assessments. Assurance visit report: 2537375 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Eagles Nest, Dunston Business Village, Dunston ST18 9AB

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2537375 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.

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