Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to five children and young people who have complex needs, which may include challenging behaviours. The home has a registered manager who is suitably qualified.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 18 November 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2019 Full Outstanding 17/12/2018 Full Outstanding 13/02/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place the well-being of children at the centre of their practice. Children’s day- to-day needs are met through the provision of a warm and nurturing environment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by a highly dedicated and resilient staff team. This has provided children with a sense of increased stability. As a result, children have been able to form trusting relationships with staff. Staff work consistently with children to ensure that they feel safe and secure.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress is variable, despite the commitment and support from staff. The staff are strong advocates for children and have high aspirations for all, regardless of each child’s starting point.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are very positive about the home. One child said: ‘I like it here. I love the staff, and they make me feel safe.’ The relationships between the staff and children are a strength of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views of children are respected and valued by the manager and staff team. Children know how to complain if they are unhappy. They are encouraged to meet as a group of children and staff on a regular basis. This provides children with the opportunity to express their views about the home and have some influence on the decisions made and how the home is run.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager felt that this was not the right placement for one child. The manager has taken appropriate steps and worked proactively with the placing authority to identify a more suitable placement for the child. A social worker said: ‘The home being able to say that the placement isn’t suitable for the child’s needs is really refreshing to see.’

p.3

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

Risk assessments identify all known risks and they provide clear guidance to staff about how to manage these risks. Consequently, children are protected and safeguarded.

p.3

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

Staff receive good-quality safeguarding training. This ensures that they are aware of their roles and responsibilities if they are concerned about a child. Staff confidently manage all safeguarding incidents and share information appropriately with safeguarding agencies.

p.3

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

Staff work proactively to minimise risk and they have an excellent understanding of children’s needs, risks and vulnerabilities. Staff use their positive relationships with the children to de-escalate any challenging situations quickly. Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 4 Staff and managers work closely with a wide range of agencies. Regular meetings take place to consider the changing needs of each child. These meetings include a range of professionals, together with parents and carers. Professionals spoke highly of the manager and staff team, commending their partnership working to keep children safe.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious for the children, the team and the home. He is clear about the progress the home is making and the areas that they are seeking to develop.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team is suitably supported by a business support member of staff, who has previously worked with the children in the home. She provides an additional resource to the home and it was clear to see the benefits of her role.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale remains high, despite recent challenges. Managers have created a supportive working environment for staff. This helps staff to be resilient as they care for children through unsettled periods.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises that, although staffing levels are deemed to be appropriate, having additional staff available on duty would be of benefit, supporting the staff to manage the complex risks and behaviours that children present.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff described their managers as being approachable and supportive. All staff reported excellent management support. One staff member said: ‘The management team is amazing. I feel so supported; we really are like a family.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke positively about how helpful they find their supervision sessions. However, supervision is not always reflective. Some learning opportunities have been missed as a result of this. Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)) 19 July 2021

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)) 19 July 2021

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive regular supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 6

p.5

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: 1256061 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

p.7

Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256061 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8