Children's home run by Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 1

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Thrive Childcare Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This private provider is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have experienced early childhood trauma and who have emotional and behavioural needs as a result of these experiences.

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Information about this children's home

This is a new provider which has not been inspected since registration in August 2020. An experienced registered manager has been in post since registration.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for monitoring visits.

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This monitoring visit

Assurance visits have been suspended during the third national lockdown in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Instead, Ofsted is undertaking monitoring inspections when needed. This visit has been undertaken to monitor children’s welfare at the home taking into account that this is a relatively new service that has not had a previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home was registered, one child has left the home. This child left due to staff being unable to manage escalating challenging behaviours towards them and significant property damage. At the time of this visit, two children live at the home.

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This monitoring visit

When a child made an allegation about a member of staff, the manager did not contact the local authority designated officer prior to investigating the allegation. As a result, this has allowed a member of staff to continue working in the organisation before external safeguarding advice had been clarified. Not following safeguarding procedures places children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Children have access to and enjoy using the internet. The home has a range of internet capable devices for children to use. The manager informed the inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 2 that internet safety controls were in place for children. However, the inspector spoke to one child who was using a chat facility on a popular children’s online game. Staff were unaware that this was available to the child. The risk assessments for both children do not consider internet usage or online risks. This has the potential to increase children’s vulnerability to online exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

When children have displayed behaviours which challenge, staff have physically intervened to keep children and others safe. However, records of physical intervention are poor. In addition, children are not given the opportunity to have a debrief after an incident to understand their views about what happened. During one incident, a child suffered a head injury. The record did not contain any detail of how this had happened and whether medical advice or treatment had been sought. This child has now left the home. In addition, another incident had not been reviewed by the manager. Poor recording of incidents involving physical intervention, a lack of debriefs and effective management oversight mean that it is not always clear that restraint practice is safe and proportionate.

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This monitoring visit

Although the manager completes impact assessments for new children coming to live at the home, these are not comprehensive. This is because they do not fully consider the needs of new children alongside those children already living in the home and how these will be managed. Shortfalls in care planning have the potential to cause disruption to children’s experiences and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

One child is from a minority ethnic background and his first language is not English. In planning the child’s care, managers and staff have not considered his cultural, religious and language needs. This is a missed opportunity to help this child understand his background, culture and identity.

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This monitoring visit

Children engage with education. One child has started at a local school following a period out of education, which shows good progress from his starting point. During this visit, the child was undertaking online lessons because he wanted to attend his looked after review that day, which was taking place virtually. This shows that staff are responding creatively to children’s needs during the coronavirus pandemic and respect children’s wishes.

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This monitoring visit

The home is furnished to a high standard with good-quality fixtures and fittings throughout. The communal areas of the home present a homely environment. The inspector observed both children making good use of the space during the visit. Children’s bedrooms are clean and have all necessary furniture, though the office- style blinds detract from the otherwise homely environment. Repair work which has been undertaken in the home following significant property damage has been completed to a good standard.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have up-to-date mandatory training, and specific training courses tailored to children’s needs are available when required. Access to training opportunities helps staff to develop their skills and knowledge in order to meet the needs of the children in their care. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 3 Staff are supporting children well through the COVID-19 pandemic. Children enjoy activities in the home with each other and staff, including gaming, pool and board games. This has helped to keep children engaged and in good spirits during periods of national lockdown. The inspector witnessed warm and friendly relationships between the children and staff.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not Applicable Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background; help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6)(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring children's care helps to address their ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds and consider the impact of previous neglectful experiences. 19 March 2021

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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 staff— 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; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; 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)(a)(i)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the appropriate professionals are contacted when there is a concern about a child's welfare. In addition, ensure that appropriate safeguards are 19 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 5 in place and risk is assessed of children having internet access. The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home. (Regulation 14)((1)(a)

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the when new children move into the home, their compatibility with children already resident is considered in line with known information about risks and behaviours. 19 March 2021

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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 which includes— the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measures; a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35)(3)(a)(vii)(viii)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring records of measures of control, discipline or restraint are completed accurately and have management oversight. In addition, when a child has suffered an injury, they are offered medical attention and this is recorded on the record. 19 March 2021

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Recommendations

 For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9) This relates to the blinds in children’s bedrooms. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to review the welfare of children living at the home.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 72 Oakdale Drive, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 3SW

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Sureeta Nayyar-Abassi

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Inspectors

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2593928 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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