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Assurance visit report: SC488943 1 SC488943

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children whose adverse childhood experiences and trauma can lead to them exhibiting complex behaviours. A private provider operates this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is completing a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 11 February 2020

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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: SC488943 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 live in a welcoming and homely house. Staff greet children as they return home from school. They sit around the dining table together discussing their day. Staff identify any concerns children have and prepare them for forthcoming events.

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The care of children

The registered manager maintains excellent and regular contact with professionals. One child has recently started a new school. The registered manager informed teachers of strategies staff use in the home to help the child settle. As a result of this, the child is engaging better in his class and his work is improving.

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The care of children

Social workers are happy that their children receive good care. Children have, however, recently had an unsettled period which saw an escalation in their behaviour. Social workers identify a link between this and children moving in and out of the home. All social workers say that children are settled again. They receive regular and effective communication from the registered manager, who keeps them informed of their child’s continued progress.

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The care of children

Staff seek medical advice to promote children’s physical and mental health. They encourage children to attend consultations, which improves guidance for staff. This helps to keep children well cared for and safe.

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The care of children

The registered manager oversees improved storage and administration of medication. Staff ensure children take medication as prescribed and seek medication reviews if children’s circumstances change. This ensures children receive the correct medication to meet their needs.

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The care of children

Staff help children to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children have maintained telephone contact with their families when restrictions have prevented face-to-face visits. Staff also recognise the importance of helping children to acknowledge anniversaries when self-isolation has prevented their visit to the cemetery.

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The care of children

When children were not attending school during the first COVID-19 wave, they completed their home schooling together at the dining table. Children encouraged each other to understand and complete their work. They then enjoyed playing together in the garden.

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The care of children

Children have a rich range of experiences. They have visited the beach, a local theme park and had overnight stays in a cabin with hot tub. This has given children time away from the home with staff who they trust and enjoy spending time with. Assurance visit report: SC488943 3

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The safety of children

There have been improvements in how staff maintain children’s records. This evidences a chronology of how staff respond to keep children safe when their behaviour becomes heightened or if they are missing from home.

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The safety of children

The registered manager considers the impact of a child moving into the home. She includes the views of children already living in the home as, according to one child, ‘we live together as a family’. When the registered manager has been unable to meet with a child due to COVID-19 restrictions, she has completed the assessment and tour of the home virtually.

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The safety of children

Despite comprehensive individual behaviour support plans and risk assessments, staff have not always acted quickly enough to protect children from physically and emotionally harming each other. Children have complained that they have been hurt or kept awake by a child when she was unsettled. Children have also observed escalated and risk-taking behaviour from a child, which upset them.

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The safety of children

The registered manager has responded to children’s concerns and complaints. She has improved her challenge of a child’s local authority care plan. This has enabled one child to move to a more appropriate therapeutic home.

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The safety of children

Children say they are happy that the registered manager listens to them. They feel included in decisions about their care and are happy with how the registered manager has resolved their concerns.

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The safety of children

Staff use effective and proportionate physical interventions to keep children and others safe. Children and staff receive debriefs following interventions which support their reflection and learning from incidents.

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The safety of children

Children have experienced periods of self-isolation due to COVID-19 concerns within their bubbles at school. Staff have managed this well to keep children safe and reduce the impact for children living in the home. Children say that they felt supported during this period with creative ways to stay in touch and still feel part of the home.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager maintains excellent oversight of children’s care. She communicates well with the team around the child and seeks additional professional support when necessary. This multi-agency working enhances children’s experiences and guides staff to help keep children safe.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager notifies and updates Ofsted of all serious incidents. She explains steps she has taken, including increasing monitoring levels, to keep children safe. This allows Ofsted to understand how staff care for children and promote their welfare. Assurance visit report: SC488943 4 Staff identify a difficult period caring for children living in this home. They link this to the impact of looking after a child who had increasing therapeutic needs. Staff say that the registered manager supported them during this time. The registered manager requested additional staffing to keep all children and staff safe. She liaised with the agency to ensure consistency of workers wherever possible. Staff felt this was successful. The agency staff worked well with the children, who developed relationships with them, and the agency staff became part of the team.

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)) 15 January 2021

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Belvoir Farmhouse, Woolsthorpe Road, Redmile, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG13 0GN

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Inspector

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC488943 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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