Children's home run by HAVEN CARE GROUP LIMITED

Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 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 children’s home can accommodate up to two children with learning difficulties or disabilities. It is owned by a private provider. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and has been in post since October 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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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 : not applicable

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection at this home. Children receive good-quality care, and they make good progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff ensure that children progress with their education. Both children have excellent school attendance. Staff continue to develop informal learning at the home. For example, one of the children is learning about the value of money. At other times, children have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the less structured aspects of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Throughout the home, there is evidence of staff using communication methods based on the children’s specific communication styles. Staff are skilled in using basic sign language, Makaton and a picture-exchange communication system. When information is provided to children, this is made accessible for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children share a large house, situated in a housing estate. The environment has been tailored to meet the needs of children with sensory disabilities. There is a soft playroom, and many opportunities for sensory play in most rooms. The home is generally in good condition; however, at the time of this inspection, one bedroom needed cleaning and a bathroom required remedial work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their social and emotional health and well-being. They regularly enjoy going to trampoline centres and parks, as well as swimming and football. Children have the opportunity to experience and participate in new activities. For example, the staff are planning to take the children on a flight to a different part of the country.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and are reviewed on a regular basis. This detail means that staff understand the children’s needs well. Staff help children to take well-managed, age-appropriate risks. When there are risks associated with an activity, staff follow risk assessments diligently to make sure that there is a balance between promoting independence and ensuring children’s safety.

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

When physical restraints take place, managers usually have a good oversight of the actions taken. However, on one occasion, children’s views of the restraint were not sought. Also, when practice concerns were raised in relation to this, these concerns were not addressed by a manager. This means that opportunities have been missed for staff to reflect on their practice.

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

Staff are skilled in seeking the views, wishes and feelings of children with complex care needs. When children make a complaint, this is taken seriously and there is Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 4 always an outcome. Children’s opinions and feelings are valued. This means that children with complex communication needs are empowered to have their say and bring about change.

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

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They know the home’s procedures for escalating concerns. Staff use formal supervision effectively to speak about any worries they have about the children.

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

On this inspection, the garden area was not fully secure. Because of the children’s vulnerabilities, they would be at risk if leaving the home unsupervised. However, this risk is minimised by a high staffing ratio and staff’s knowledge of the children’s risks and vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is registered with Ofsted. She has appropriate knowledge of children with complex needs. She is currently undertaking her level five qualification. She and her team leaders lead a small team of motivated and child-centred staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are good advocates for children. They fully understand the children’s need for consistency in all areas of their lives, due to complex learning disabilities. The manager has made a complaint on behalf of a child. This was because it was proposed that the child moved schools at a crucial time of their life. This intervention by the manager will improve this child’s feeling of stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers know the importance of a stable staff team. This is because children at this home require an approach to their care based on minimal changes. Currently, the staff team is consistent and there is a low turnover of staff. However, at periods when there were significant changes with staffing, managers had not undertaken work to analyse the situation and improve staff retention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When children are preparing to leave this children’s home, managers work closely with all involved agencies. This ensures that partnership working is maintained. One of the children will require a long transition period. This will increase the chances of a successful transition and reduce anxieties about change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular training and supervision. This means that staff are supported and have the skills and knowledge to provide good care for the children. When training is delayed, the manager ensures that staff remain skilled by inviting agencies to the home to offer advice and guidance. Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 5

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of its children. In most cases, the home will be a homely, domestic environment. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that the home works in partnership with relevant people, as appropriate, to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. This may include the use of and support to use communication aids, equipment and/or any necessary language support. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that the performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This relates to the need to provide ongoing monitoring of staff practice when concerns have arisen. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that the risks to each child are known and that arrangements are in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that they monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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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) Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 6 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 7

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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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Inspectors

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Caroline Brailsford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2598462 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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