Children's Home run by Willows21 Limited in Devon

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is part of a small organisation. The manager and the home were registered on 21 July 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four young people.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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: 2599388 2

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The care of children

Young people have honest, trusting and caring relationships with staff. Young people’s views and feelings are taken into account and their wishes shape the care and responses given by staff. These views are well documented in written plans.

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The care of children

Young people are supported to see their families and this has continued throughout the COVID-19 restrictions. Young people all attend school or college and education is promoted in the home. Homework and out-of-school learning are encouraged.

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The care of children

Social workers speak very positively about the home and the progress young people have made. One social worker said that her young person’s physical health is the best it has been and emphasised the warmth, care and commitment shown by the team.

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The safety of children

There have been times when staff have needed to act quickly to ensure safety, as young people have complex needs. One recent incident, although handled very well by staff, generated a need for urgent self-harm and ligature training for all staff. When this was highlighted during the assurance visit, the manager promptly made these arrangements.

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The safety of children

Young people have gone missing on approximately eight occasions, normally for periods of a couple of hours. There has been learning following these episodes and other incidents of concern. Alongside arranging urgent training, the manager also revised the staffing rota to ensure that the required level of vigilance is applied without exception in the future, to reduce the potential for any incidents reoccurring.

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The safety of children

Some documentation lacks the clarity needed to describe the action staff take to ensure children’s safety and welfare. The manager has started to revise these documents to remedy this problem and ensure that professionals are aware of these changes.

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The safety of children

The manager and staff are open with young people about the boundaries that are in place and consistently apply these in a caring manner. Young people know what is expected of them and know how staff are expected to help them.

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The safety of children

One young person raised a concern about an external professional. While this was reported to the social worker, it had not been referred to the designated officer to agree whether any action should be taken.

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The safety of children

Young people said that they feel safe. One young person particularly values a system that staff have designed to communicate with her when she finds it hard to articulate her feelings. Assurance visit report: 2599388 3

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Leaders and managers

The pandemic and associated restrictions have significantly affected plans and so the manager has had to make adaptations. For example, the young people were due to go on holiday, so instead new resources were purchased for them to enjoy, both for inside the home and the surrounding gardens. The team has worked hard to reduce the impact of the restrictions on the young people and, as such, they have not been affected negatively.

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Leaders and managers

The manager knows the young people very well, they meet regularly and she has good relationships with them. The manager is a good role model for staff and is honest with young people.

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Leaders and managers

Staff feel well supported and the team presents as cohesive. Regular supervision takes place and issues are addressed when necessary.

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Leaders and managers

The home is well maintained and provides a homely environment for the young people.

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Leaders and managers

Support work identified by the local authority for one young person has not been completed for nearly four months and this gap has the potential to delay a rehabilitation plan. The matter has not been escalated sufficiently by the manager, although, during the assurance visit, the manager took action in relation to this issue. On another occasion, the manager did escalate and resolve a problem relating to a young person not being allocated a social worker.

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5 (b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that one young person receives the counselling that has been recommended. 12 January 2021 Assurance visit report: 2599388 4 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—

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Requirement Due date

that staff are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staffing levels are always sufficient to ensure that young people’s needs are met, and ensure that matters of concern are referred to the local authority designated officer. 12 January 2021

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the manager ensuring she has sufficient oversight of all records to ensure that they are fully reflective of what actions staff are advised to take, or do take, to keep children safe. 29 January 2021 Assurance visit report: 2599388 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stephen Quay Accountancy, The Granary, Hinton Business Park, Tarrant Hinton, Blandford Forum DT11 8JF

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Inspector

Sarah Canto, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2599388 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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Inspector

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