Children's home run by Cornerways Care Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2583142 1 Registered provider: Cornerways Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may have challenging and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 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 home on 2 March 2021 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2583142 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is one child living at the home. Three children have moved into the home and three children have moved out since March 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain high attendance levels at school and engage with education. The staff role model the importance of education and this has helped the child to achieve positive education outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and the staff offer a range of activities that the child can take part in. The child attends a boxing club and is learning to play the guitar. Being part of a group in the community increases the child’s self-esteem. The staff offer a variety of activities, and these encourage the child to have new interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage family time that reflects the child’s wishes. The child’s parent has been welcomed to the home and has a positive relationship with the staff. The staff encourage the child to have positive friendships outside the home. Helping the child to maintain family time and friendships ensures that the child maintains family and social relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete regular key-work sessions with the child that cover a wide range of important topics. The child is sensitively supported to understand sexual health and the health effects of smoking. The staff help the child to understand the associated health risks, and this ensures the child can make informed choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has encouraged a positive rapport between the local police officers and the child. The police are giving the child the opportunity to learn about mechanics using police vehicles. Building relationships with the police helps the child to feel comfortable to engage with authority figures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, modern and welcoming. However, the second-floor landing carpet is stained, and an inappropriate drawing has not been removed from the garden wall. This does not provide the child with a well-cared-for environment.

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

The manager has ensured that the staff have the appropriate training and understand the safeguarding procedures. The staff are confident and well equipped to manage safeguarding incidents.

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

The manager and staff benefit from trauma informed behaviour management training. The training helps the staff to look at the reasons behind the child’s behaviours and how they can support these behaviours using a therapeutic approach. The child’s behaviour support plan focuses on positive behaviour Inspection report children's home: 2583142 3 reinforcement and includes the child’s views. The plans comprehensively guide the staff on how to support the child.

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

The child occasionally goes missing from the home which can lead to risk-taking behaviours. The staff manage these incidents well. The manager has devised a reduction plan with the child’s social worker. This plan includes sharing relevant information with the local train station. Working collaboratively helps to minimise the risks to the child when missing from the home. However, the child’s return home interviews in relation to missing incidents have not been recorded on several occasions. The supporting records do not reflect that the child has been given the opportunity to have a return interview. Therefore, information that could reduce further incidents may be lost.

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

The staff rarely use physical interventions. The staff only intervene by using simple techniques to keep the child and themselves safe. These techniques are used minimally, and the records show that they are appropriate and proportionate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been registered since June 2020 and is working towards a level 5 qualification in health and social care. The manager is a positive role model for the staff and expects a high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff benefit from the support of a clinical psychologist. The psychologist provides consultations to the staff. These consultations help the staff to understand the child’s life experiences, past trauma and behaviour. The consultations also provide the staff with a reflective space to review and develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff said that the manager is supportive and approachable. They have regular and effective supervision meetings. Supervision provides the staff with a range of learning goals and monitors their professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Three children have moved out of the home. One child’s transition to another placement was planned. Two children had unplanned moves out of the home because the staff could not safely meet their needs. One child with complex needs was moved to the home. However, the child’s placement referral indicated that a specialist provision was needed. This specialism was not available and, therefore, the staff were not fully equipped to meet the child’s needs, and the placement ended for safety reasons. Abrupt endings to placements are detrimental to children’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and has effective monitoring systems in place. Good oversight and monitoring drive improvement to the quality of care. Inspection report children's home: 2583142 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is well maintained throughout. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should only accept placements for children whose assessed needs can be met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standard’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that the staff record children’s return interviews following missing-from-home incidents. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Eastway Enterprise Centre, 7 Paynes Park, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1EH

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2583142 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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Inspector

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