Children's Home run by Protea Care Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children's home: 2495371 1 Registered provider: Protea Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This two-bedded residential home cares for children aged eight to 18 years who present with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager’s position has been vacant since May 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID 19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 7 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: 2495371 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2495371 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children living at this home moved in recently. One moved in from another home within the organisation. It is positive that arrangements were made for some staff to transfer to the home with her. This provided her with consistency of care. The children have settled in well and are thriving. They have strong relationships with the staff and say that they are happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child attends school full time and is preparing for the transition to high school later this year. The home and school staff work closely to address any issues that arise. This provides the child with a unified approach from both settings. A school place is still being identified for the newer child. In the meantime, he is engaging in the home tuition that is being provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, the children were on school holiday and were busy helping staff to plan the activities for the week. Children have taken part in fun, stimulating activities despite the restrictions of the national lockdowns. These activities have enabled children to exercise and improve their sleep patterns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In addition to their physical well-being, the team ensure that children are supported to access medical and psychological assistance. A child who arrived with a smoking habit has stopped smoking in a very short period. This is because staff would not facilitate it. Their firm but child-centred approach has been successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel confident to express their views and wishes. Children’s meetings, key- work sessions and general conversation are used well to engage children in decision- making about the home and their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are supported to maintain relationships with their family members, in line with their care plans. The team is currently advocating for one child to have more contact with his family. This is to enable him to continue building on his improving relationships.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home experienced an unsettled period when a child’s mental health deteriorated and their level of self-harmful behaviours increased. The team worked well with the child to address the reasons behind the self-harm. They worked with other professionals to identify the help and support that the child needed. When it became clear that the child’s needs could not be safely met, the home shared information appropriately with other agencies to promote a well-planned transition from the home. Inspection report children's home: 2495371 4 Since then, there have been a minimal number of significant events. The decrease in incidents is mirrored in the reduced use of physical interventions. Staff are good at helping children to recognise when their behaviour needs to change. The staff set consistent boundaries and expectations. These are enabling the children to develop the ability to better regulate their emotions.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff closely monitor the interactions between the children to ensure that no bullying occurs. A recent incident between children was responded to appropriately by staff. The children’s risk assessments and safety plans have been updated following the incident. The updates include specific instructions to staff to ensure that they remain vigilant.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Due to their age and vulnerabilities, the children are accompanied by staff when out of the home. The fact that they are never unsupervised minimises their risk of going missing or being exploited. Staff know the processes and protocols to follow should a child go missing.

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good

The home has been without a registered manager since May 2020. The organisation has recruited managers but none of them remained in post or completed the registration process. The new manager commenced his role a few weeks ago and is starting the registration process.

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good

The home benefits from an experienced responsible individual (RI). He has worked closely with the various managers to ensure that the children continue to progress. He has provided children with consistency and acts as a strong advocate for them, ensuring that they receive the services that they need. As a result, the management changes have not had a negative impact on the children.

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good

The RI and current manager have a clear vision for the home. They are working together to ensure that there are no shortfalls in practice. The home’s records are input electronically. This makes them easier to review, helping managers to quickly identify any trends and patterns.

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good

The staff demonstrate their ability to care for children in an empathetic and non- judgemental way. The open and respectful approach of staff ensures that children feel valued. Inspection report children's home: 2495371 5

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children's home: 2495371 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 317 Horn Lane, London W3 0BU

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2495371 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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