Children's home run by HAVEN CARE GROUP LIMITED

Inspection report children’s home: 2599805 1 Registered provider: Haven Care Group Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural needs. It is owned by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered and has been in post since January 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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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

Date of last inspection: This is the first inspection of this home.

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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: 2599805 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2599805 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a good standard of care. They are fully involved in the day-to-day functioning of the home and any wider development. The staff encourage children to develop new skills. For example, one of the children has decorated a new ‘chill- out’ room. This has improved the child’s self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress in education is variable. One of the children is waiting to begin a college course, while other children are doing well at school. For some children, not in school, their progress is impeded by a lack of coordination between agencies. This means that identifying the right educational provision is at risk of drifting. This will have an impact on the children’s educational attainment and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff understand the importance of maintaining children’s relationships with their families and friends. If required, the staff support and oversee the children spending time with their family. Staff undertake this role in accordance with children’s care and placement plans, to ensure that this is a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged, by managers and staff, to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes maintaining their physical and mental health. However, in the case of one child, the managers and staff did not prioritise a referral for additional mental health support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager listens to children and acts, if possible, on their feedback. One of the children is helping to update the children’s guide. Once finished, this guide will be easier to understand, and will contain crucial information and welcoming photographs for any new children coming to live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment is maintained to a good standard. Children are encouraged to decorate their bedrooms to reflect their interests. Many pictures of the children are on display around the home. This creates a homely environment. Staff ensure that there is a wide range of information available, for example about bullying and mental health. The rear garden requires some improvement. This will then be a nicer place for children to spend time in.

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

Children can make complaints about the care they receive. Managers take all children’s views seriously and will act quickly in response to any complaints. Children are kept informed of the progress of their complaints, and they receive a thorough response. This gives children additional opportunities to share any concerns they might have. Inspection report children’s home: 2599805 4 There have been times when children have gone missing from the home. When children do go missing, staff work closely with the police, the children’s families and local authorities to locate them. If a local authority fails to provide an independent return interview for the child, the manager challenges this. In recent months, there have been fewer incidents of children going missing. This means that children are safer.

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

Social workers said that the manager and staff have high expectations of children. This is especially in relation to children’s behaviour. Staff communicate well with children and are consistent in their response to challenging behaviour when it falls below expectations. As a result, there have been fewer incidents.

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

Staff make every effort to defuse difficult situations in order to avert the use of physical intervention. Staff are all trained in using physical intervention. When an intervention is required, there is good communication with social workers and families. The manager reviews all incidents and, if required, additional support is drafted in to help children manage strong emotions without aggression.

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

The systems and processes for monitoring health and safety are effective. Fire safety checks and drills are carried out on a regular basis. The manager has recently undertaken a review of the location of the home. This means that risks are minimised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since January 2021. He is qualified and experienced. A deputy manager and team leaders help to lead the staff team, providing guidance and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not ensured that all staff receive regular, individual supervision. This includes the oversight of senior staff who supervise others. This means that there are missed opportunities to provide good-quality support for new and more experienced staff alike. However, staff reported that they feel supported by the manager and their colleagues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff retention is good. When new staff join the team, they are supported to develop their skills with a thorough induction. They undertake a wide variety of training courses. This helps new staff to develop the skills and knowledge required to care for children with some very complex needs. New staff reported that the home feels organised. That there is a good structure and routines, with clear expectations for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working with local authorities is good. Communication is effective. Social workers said that children make progress, and that staff are good at meeting the children’s individual needs. When any concerns arise, the manager is proactive in addressing these quickly and with the interests of children coming first. Inspection report children’s home: 2599805 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered manager should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded, or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs

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Recommendations

under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are being met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered manager should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered manager should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: 2599805 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Haven Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 6, Barberry Court, Parkway, Centrum One Hundred, Burton-on-Trent DE14 2UE

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2599805 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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