Children's Home run by Anchor Care and Education Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 1 Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education 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 is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home registered in April 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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 3

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improvement to be good

This recently registered home has had a difficult start. Two children placed at the home soon after it opened did not have good experiences and did not make good progress. They both left the home in an unplanned way and moved on with very short notice. However, current residents are having better experiences and are better supported by staff.

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improvement to be good

Current residents have made progress over a short period. For example, children who have previously gone missing from home regularly have not been missing from this home. Additionally, a child who required regular restraint in previous placements is now rarely held.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has been committed to finding a school placement for a child who is not currently in school. She has strongly challenged the local authority to ensure that a school placement is set up by September. Staff transport another child over a considerable distance to ensure that he can maintain his school placement, which is important to him. His school attendance has improved significantly since moving into the home. Staff communicate effectively with the school to ensure that teaching staff know what the child’s mood and behaviour have been like prior to school. This helps them to support him in his learning.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are important to staff. Children’s bedrooms have been designed to each child’s specifications. For example, a child wanted a vanity mirror, which she has in her dressing room, and another child wanted a specific type of bed. Despite already having a new bed, the bed of his choice was purchased.

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improvement to be good

Staff use a therapeutic approach with children. They are building strong and nurturing relationships. Children generally respond positively to this approach. For example, the registered manager sent the children a postcard while she was on holiday. A child appreciated this gesture because it made her feel valued. She has the card on display in her bedroom.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of activities, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic government restrictions have eased. Children’s hobbies and interests are encouraged. For example, a child who is interested in karate is being taken for a taster session at a local karate club. Children also go to the seaside, have joined trampolining clubs and enjoy walks in the local area.

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improvement to be good

Staff have access to good information about children. This helps them to provide appropriate care. Staff have regular conversations with children that help them to understand significant events in their life. For example, staff supported a child to complete work that helped him to understand about making good and bad choices. Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 4 This session was tailored to the child’s needs to help him to come to terms with what had happened when he was involved in a serious incident.

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improvement to be good

A serious incident occurred that put children at risk of harm. The incident could not have been predicted but could have been prevented. Staffing levels at the time of the incident were lower than agreed in children’s placement plans. This meant that staff were unable to supervise the children properly. During this time, staff did not prevent a child from taking and driving the home’s car, which placed the child and others at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Despite this serious incident, current residents have become safer after moving to the home. Incidents of children going missing from home have significantly reduced. When children walk away from the home, staff follow and encourage them back to the home. The strength of relationships between staff and children means that children usually return with staff.

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improvement to be good

When children become anxious and upset, staff reassure them and are patient. They use de-escalation techniques, such as distraction and humour, to help children to become calm again. This means that children are restrained less often after they move to the home.

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good

A child who was at risk of harm from adults in the community was admitted to the home. Despite understanding the risks, the registered manager did not ensure that actions were taken to fully minimise these risks prior to admission. Because the risks were not well managed, the placement could not be sustained. The child left the home at short notice. The registered manager has learned from this. Risk management decisions when children move into the home are now better.

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good

The registered manager has completed an investigation into an incident in which a child stole the home’s car and took the other children with him. However, the investigation was not thorough enough. Details of the incident were not fully established. Potential inaccuracies in incident records made by staff were not fully explored. Because the investigation was not thorough, opportunities to learn lessons and improve practice might have been missed.

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good

Vetting procedures minimise the risk that unsuitable staff are employed. However, these can be further strengthened. For example, when it is identified that staff need additional supervision or guidance during their probation, these have not always been provided. Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 5 The registered manager is appropriately qualified. This is her first role as a registered manager, but she is supported by an experienced and qualified responsible individual and staff team. Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risks are appropriately assessed and that the correct staffing levels are maintained. 28 August 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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments regarding the employment of staff are fully implemented. 6 August 2021

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 6 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children have the appropriate number of staff looking after them.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that investigation reports, completed by the registered manager, are thorough. 28 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all known risks are fully mitigated before a child is admitted to the home. 6 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 8

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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: 2637127 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Saxon House, Moseley’s Farm Business Centre, Fornham All Saints, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6JY

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Inspector

Joanne Vyas, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2637127 10 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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