Children's Home run by Unique Care Homes Support Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children's home: SC481015 1 SC481015 Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a large private organisation. The home provides care for up to six children aged between 10 and 18 years who present with social, emotional and mental health needs and/or learning needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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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 11 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring 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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC481015 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/12/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good 07/11/2017 Full Good 11/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC481015 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were six children living at the home at the time of the inspection. One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. This child is currently being supported away from the home by the staff while plans are made for her to move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are committed to the children they care for. They have worked tirelessly to provide continuity of care to the children during recent unsettled periods at the home. The staff support the children to enjoy planned and predictable daily routines. This means that overall, children go to school, enjoy an evening meal together and settle at bedtime. This helps to achieve a real sense of homeliness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff engage well with the children. They spend time together playing games, cooking and enjoying outdoor activities that the children choose. Children are at ease with staff, who they feel able to confide in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have pets that they are expected to help look after; one child leases a pony. Children also help with everyday household tasks such as cooking and setting the table. This provides children with the opportunity to gain new skills and experience responsibility for the care of others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have an up-to-date education plan. The home has established an excellent working relationship with the school. This means that any issues that arise for children are dealt with quickly. Staff and school staff work effectively together when children are refusing to attend education. Most children are making good progress with their learning and take part in additional activities at school, such as fundraising. One child has finished school and has a choice of college courses. This child is undertaking work experience over the summer holidays, which is helping them to prepare for being independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the children access the hobbies and activities that they enjoy. These include horse-riding, skating, boxing and playing musical instruments. This enables children to gain a sense of achievement and increase their self-esteem. Staff are proud of how children have progressed in different areas of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop relationships and spend time with their family and friends. Staff are sensitive to children feeling unsettled when there are changes at the home, particularly when staff who are important to them leave.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and comfortable. The garden is large, but at the time of the inspection it was overgrown and did not provide a pleasant space for children to spend time in. The home had scheduled a gardener to attend the same week as the inspection took place. The hallways, stairs and front of the house require maintenance to provide a more welcoming first impression of the home. Inspection report children's home: SC481015 4

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

During the past month, staff have managed an increasing number of incidents of self-harming behaviour. Staff managed the incidents well and acted quickly to involve other professionals when needed. Staff have undertaken relevant training, more recently delivered by the organisation’s specialist in managing self-harming behaviour.

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

The manager undertakes a detailed matching risk assessment before a child moves into the home. These assessments identify any risks and outline the measures to reduce these. This process helps the manager to make considered decisions about which children’s needs can be met at the home.

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

Individual risk assessments are up to date and identify current risks to children. However, one risk assessment about mobile phones lacks sufficient guidance for staff about the regularity of checks. This could result in inconsistencies in staff practice.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. When children leave the home without permission, staff act quickly to follow, keep children in sight and to return them home safely. One child went missing when visiting their family. Staff followed protocols when they were notified, and the child was supported by staff and their social worker when they returned.

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

Staff do not use physical intervention often. When staff hold children, it is proportionate and used keep children and staff safe. Children have individualised incentive schemes which enable them to earn positive rewards of their choice. The manager maintains effective oversight of consequences given to children. This enables her to identify opportunities for incentivising children, to promote positive behaviour as opposed to repeating ineffective sanctions.

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

Staff address issues of bullying with children during key-working sessions. The children recently led a presentation on ‘bullying and banter’ at their community meeting. This encourages empathetic relationships between the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Ofsted received an anonymous complaint about the support provided by leaders at the home. The issues highlighted in the complaint were explored as part of this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has resigned from her role and is moving on in the organisation. She is in the process of handing over to a new manager who is present at the home. This transition is planned to help reassure the staff and children that there is continuity of management and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She has proved a Inspection report children's home: SC481015 5 stabilising factor since she stepped in to manage the home after a serious incident last year. Professionals speak highly of the manager and the professional relationships that they have formed with her. She has provided professionals and staff with confidence that she will take appropriate action to meet children’s needs and address any issues of poor practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and valued by the manager. They feel part of a strong team that looks after each other. However, some staff are not positive about the support from the wider organisation, particularly over the past month when working long hours to help manage increasing risks at the home. Managers recognise the pressures on staffing since waking-night shifts were implemented at the home. Managers led a team meeting to hear how staff are feeling and to share their plans for addressing the pressures, some of which have been alleviated by one child moving on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers carry out debriefs with staff following any serious incident. The discussions include lessons learned, to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents recurring. Recent debriefs include full conversations about staff’s well-being, providing a further opportunity for staff to share their feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New members of staff have not received supervision at the frequency outlined in the organisation’s own policy. This means that new staff are not receiving the support and practice oversight that supervision provides. Staff have undertaken training that is relevant to their role, but not all staff have achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within the required timescale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has received two complaints from professionals. These have been responded to formally by the manager and progressed as far as possible with the information provided. Children have access to advocacy to help them share their views about their care plans. The home has received one complaint from a child. The manager involved the child to identify what actions should be taken. This helped to resolve the complaint to the child’s satisfaction. Inspection report children's home: SC481015 6

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff who are required to have a qualification achieve this within the required timescale. 1 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive supervision at a frequency in line with the organisation’s policy. 1 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC481015 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that risk assessments are clear and consistently provide staff with clarity regarding the arrangements in place to protect children and the steps that they must take to manage any assessed risks on a daily basis. In particular, when actions are identified for routine checks on children and their devices, it should be clear when these should be carried out and by whom. ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should provide a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children. This particularly relates to ensuring that the front of the property is maintained and the garden offers children a pleasant space to play and spend time in. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC481015 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC481015 9 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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