Children's home run by South West Childcare Services in Plymouth

Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 1 SC486167 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services 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 private provider and offers care and accommodation for one child. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for one child who is experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 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 30 April 2019 to carry out a full inspection. 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: good

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2019 Full Good 01/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/07/2018 Full Inadequate 28/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from being cared for by adults at the home who know him well. He is developing trusting, nurturing and secure relationships with them and is gaining a sense of belonging. The child’s family and placing social worker comment positively about the progress he is making since he moved to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and adults ensure that the home is very child focussed. The child contributes fully to his plans and is always consulted about any planned changes in the home. The manager recently created an innovative children’s guide so that children being admitted to the home are able to fully understand the information provided about the home in an accessible format.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s healthcare needs are complex. The adults are vigilant and understand the specialist care the child requires to support him effectively. The staff are working with health professionals to ensure that the child receives the therapeutic help that he needs. As a result, he is now making progress with his emotional and mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys spending time out of the home with his friends. The adults support him to spend time safely with his friends and learn from his mistakes. The child is learning independent living skills such as cooking, shopping and budgeting. Gaining these skills means that he will be ready to move to an independent living arrangement in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and the adults have successfully supported the child to obtain a college place. They are motivating him to think about future employment opportunities and what steps he needs to take to gain a job of his choice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves in and out of the home are sensitively and carefully planned by the manager and adults. One child recently moved out of the home in accordance with his plan. He made very good progress during the time he lived at the home. As a result, he was able to return to live with his family.

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

The child reports that he feels safe living at the home and can name the people he will speak to if he feels worried or unsafe. Incidents are reduced. The manager carefully monitors any trends or patterns from any incidents to ensure that the child receives the help he needs.

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

Safeguarding procedures are effective. The adults are confident to use these procedures if necessary and there are strong links with safeguarding professionals. Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 4 The child does not go missing. The adults successfully implement effective boundaries and consistent daily routines in the home that the child has learned to respect and adhere to. Consequences are rarely used and are appropriate. The adults discuss any negative behaviour with the child so that he can learn. However, when consequences are used, the manager does not always sign the records to say that she has monitored and evaluated them.

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

The adults succeed in achieving a balance of allowing the child to take age- appropriate risks, while keeping him safe. For example, the child enjoys spending time out of the home with his friends. The time he is now allowed to spend with friends is increasing as he makes progress and earns trust.

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

The staff in the home are carefully recruited in accordance with safe recruitment practice and procedures. Extensive checks ensure that only suitable people are employed in the home.

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

The manager and adults undertake comprehensive assessments of identified risks. Control measures are in place along with guidance for the staff to follow about how best to safely manage the identified risks. The risk assessments are regularly updated and amended in line with the child’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is providing strong and stable leadership to the adults in the home. She is aspirational for the child, cares very much about him and is committed to ensuring that he achieves his potential. The manager encourages the adults to challenge other professionals to ensure that the child has access to all the help and support that he needs to succeed and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The adults receive regular and good-quality supervision from the manager. The supervision sessions focus on professional development and the care needs of the child. The manager makes sure that new members of staff receive a thorough and informative induction programme; this ensures that they can fully meet the care needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The adults have a clear commitment to the child and are dedicated to ensuring that he makes progress and succeed. The home is run as a family home would be. The adults in the home are consistent and stable. They will fill vacant shifts rather than the child having to be cared for by someone who they are not familiar with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well maintained, comfortable and homely. There is a relaxed and positive atmosphere from which the child benefits. The child reports that he really likes his bedroom which is personalised with his possessions. This helps him to develop his sense of belonging. Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 5

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so—

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(ii)) 24 September

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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: SC486167 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 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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