Children's home run by Gracewells Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 1 Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a small private provider. The home provides care and support for up to four children who may have emotional needs and challenging behaviour.

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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 setting on 9 December 2020 to carry out an assurance 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 outstanding

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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: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live in this home benefit from living in a homely environment. There is a lovely atmosphere in the home, and it is warm and welcoming. The home has a large garden, a cinema room and a full-size snooker table for children to enjoy. The home is also located close to the seafront and children enjoy bicycle rides and walks with staff in the local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is largely stable, allowing children to establish positive relationships with them. There is a good mix of experience within the staff team. There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection, with two of them moving in relatively recently. However, they were clearly already relaxed in the home. Staff and children were observed having fun together. It was a pleasure to meet the children, who were eager to be involved in the inspection. Staff speak warmly about the children in their care and are clearly committed to making this a good place to live. This is key to children making progress here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children always move into the home in a planned way. The manager insists on this, so that she can prepare the children already living in the home for a new child moving in. Introductions take place over a period of a few days, ensuring that there is an opportunity to meet with the other children. Consideration is given to children bringing their pets with them, too. One child has recently moved in along with her pet rats. This careful process helps to reduce the anxieties of all involved and supports children to settle in quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s behaviour indicates that they are happy here. One child also commented in a recent survey response for Ofsted, ‘What I like the most about living here is that all the staff are very caring, and they support you in every type of situation.’ Another child, who has recently moved on from the home, commented in a questionnaire, ‘I got to do some good things, which I would not have been able to do if I had not lived here. Staff sometimes nagged me a lot, but I learned a lot.’ This child’s reflection on his time in the home is an indicator of the positive impact of living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff appreciate the significance of children maintaining links with their family and friends. Staff spend time developing relationships with these individuals. This has helped staff, on more than one occasion, to locate children when they have been missing from the home. One parent spoken to during the inspection said, ‘The staff are brilliant. They are doing a fantastic job. I have no concerns at all.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children move on from the home in a planned way, mainly to live independently. Staff ensure that the children leave with the skills that they will need to manage on their own. This is a gradual process, taken at the child’s pace. For example, during the inspection, one child new to the area was supported to take a Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 3 bus journey to the local town. She was proud of her achievement. Children also leave with an album of photographs and mementoes of their time in the home. This ensures that they can remember the good times they had while living here.

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

Staff can de-escalate most challenging situations, due to the positive relationships that they have with children. In the main, children respect staff and listen to their advice. They also learn more effective ways of dealing with their emotions, with the support of staff. There has only been one low-level physical intervention this year, following an incident between one child living in the home and another in the community. However, the electronic record of this incident failed to include some detail required by regulation. Although staff did check on the welfare of the other child following the incident, the record does not indicate this.

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

Sometimes, children do go missing from the home, mainly to spend time with their friends. When incidents occur, staff are proactive in trying to locate the child and return them safely. Staff contact all the child’s known associates and look for the child in the locality. They also work closely with the police and other safeguarding bodies. Although no concerns were identified at this inspection regarding weakness in practice, children’s individual missing from care protocols are not clear about the length of time to wait before staff should alert the police when a child is missing from home. This would ensure that all staff are clear about when to take further action.

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

Children only move into the home following a robust matching process. The manager ensures that she speaks with as many people involved with the child as possible, such as school, parents and therapists. She also plans for social workers to talk to each other, to help ensure that the needs of the children are compatible prior to deciding to proceed. Although matching documentation does highlight potential conflicts with other children already living in the home, it falls short of identifying what staff can do to help alleviate these risks.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs and risks. Risk management plans are quickly devised and updated following an incident. However, on occasion, a behaviour of concern that has been acknowledged when considering the appropriateness of the child’s placement initially has not been carried over to the working plan post placement, potentially resulting in staff thinking it is no longer significant, or new staff being unaware of the behaviour.

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

Regular key-working conversations ensure that children are provided with accurate information on pertinent issues, such as managing relationships and keeping safe online. Children have confided in staff when they have felt unsafe. Children are confident that staff will take their concerns seriously. Similarly, children’s complaints are taken seriously, investigated and the outcome fed back to the child. Although children are sometimes unhappy about the action taken by staff at the time of an incident, they later acknowledge that staff are keeping them safe. Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 4 Robust staff recruitment procedures ensure that only those suitable are able to work in the home and provide positive role models for children. Children contribute to the interview process, devising and asking their own questions, as well as providing feedback on the individual’s responses. Their views inform the decision-making.

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

There is closed-circuit television (CCTV) installed at the front of the property. It was installed prior to the home opening. It has not been used to monitor the movement of children, as the manager was not aware that it was operational. Consequently, this is not outlined in the home’s statement of purpose; the appropriate consents have yet to be obtained and there is no policy outlining access and retention of the recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home benefits from the established skills of a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. She has a wealth of experience, as has the deputy manager, who shares the management tasks in the home. Together, they demonstrate a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children. They lead by example, providing good role models for less-experienced staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel supported, valued and listened to. They benefit from regular reflective supervision and an annual performance appraisal. Staff are supported to progress their career, but any performance issues are also swiftly addressed. Staff work well as a team. Managers lead by example and step in to support staff whenever required. During the COVID-19 pandemic, managers volunteered to remain in the home for a number of days with a child who was required to isolate. This illustrates their commitment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Core training, which includes safeguarding, is completed during induction. Staff are enrolled on a level 3 course to ensure that they have the suitable qualification for the role, following successful completion of probation, although the majority of the staff are qualified. Staff are up to date with their core training and a good range of online training opportunities have been available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have also received face-to-face training on physical intervention and fire safety. They have also completed training on specific topics to ensure that they can meet the needs of the children living in the home. This includes training on attachment and trauma, delivered by a clinical psychologist involved with one child. This means that staff have the knowledge and understanding to support children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to drive forward improvement. She utilises both external and internal monitoring arrangements to best effect. She consults regularly with children and stakeholders to ensure that the home continues to offer what children need. The manager is a strong advocate for children and provides effective challenge to placing authorities and education providers, when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is held in high regard by other professionals. Feedback about the home is overwhelmingly positive. Feedback from professionals includes: Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 5  ‘Communication from the home to myself is impeccable.’  ‘Communication is regular. Staff truly care about the children in their care.’  ‘Staff advocate well for the children, ensuring that they receive the support they need.’ Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 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, The 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

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

Specifically, that the strategies to manage any potential areas of conflict between newly admitted children and existing children living in the home are clear. That all previous known risks are acknowledged in risk management documentation, and that missing from care protocols include guidance to staff on when to report the child missing to the police. 22 October 2021

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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

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager’s evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention used and a record of any injury or follow-up relating to any other person involved in the incident. 22 October 2021

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 7  The registered person should ensure that there is a comprehensive policy regarding the CCTV system installed to front of the property and ensure that appropriate consents are obtained. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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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: 2545733 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gracewells Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 21 Jubilee House, East Beach, Lytham St Annes FY8 5FT

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Inspector

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2545733 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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