Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2613661 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Ltd 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 an independent provider, and it provides care for up to two children who have emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, 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 requires improvement to be 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 previously inspected

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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: 2613661 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children's home: 2613661 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a home that is well presented and decorated to a high standard. They are welcomed into the home by managers and staff that are both nurturing and child centred. The inspector observed positive interactions between the staff and the child. Children and the staff develop good relationships and, as a result, the children settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move on from the home are supported well by the staff, who ensure that transition planning is thorough and positive. This helps the children to settle into their new homes well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff ensure that effective communication is at the centre of children’s care planning, and the child’s journey is celebrated in their records. This often results in children staying in touch with the home, and their continuing progress is celebrated together. This also helps the children to understand their life story and to build their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a range of activities to support the children’s involvement in the local community and further afield. However, the staff do not fully help the children to develop socially acceptable behaviours. The staff do not identify and seek out opportunities of the child’s choosing, to help children to spend time with their peers in structured and supportive environments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s outcomes have improved. Children’s general health needs are met, and when specialist support is required, the staff help the children to attend. Children have benefited from positive outcomes in their education. However, when children do not attend, the staff do not consistently provide a structured learning environment. This does not enable the children to keep to a routine that supports their return to full-time education as soon as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and help children to develop their independence skills. Children have the space to have pets, and they learn several skills through the experience of looking after them. This supports the children’s well-being and encourages ownership and responsibility.

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

Children are helped to understand their behaviours through one-to-one discussions with individual staff members. These are purposeful, and records are well written and help the children to reflect and have a safe, open conversation with a trusted adult. A child stated: ‘The staff are good at fighting my corner. They help me to understand and see things in a more mature way. They are good listeners.’ As a result of staff support, children develop resilience and build self-esteem. Inspection report children's home: 2613661 4 Children’s risks are understood well by the staff. The strategies identified for the staff to follow, to promote the safety of the children, are clear. As a result, the children’s risks are well managed by the staff.

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

Children and staff have positive relationships built on trust and respect. This enables the children to feel safe and to share difficult experiences. Staff respond positively and with sensitivity, ensuring the safe care and well-being of children is paramount.

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

Children who leave the home without permission, or go missing while with staff in public places, are supported to return as soon as possible. Staff maintain close supervision to avoid any potential harm coming to the children. Staff are well informed of safeguarding procedures, which ensures that safe care practices are followed, and all actions are recorded.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are thorough and identify the children’s known behaviours and triggers. However, some of the language used in these records is unhelpful for children. The manager had identified this and has a plan in place to address this.

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good

The registered manager is supportive and attentive to the needs of the children. She is knowledgeable about their plans and celebrates their achievements. She is highly visible to the staff and children on a day-to-day basis. As a result, staff feel supported, and the children make progress.

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good

The manager and her team maintain and develop positive communication with professionals and parents. This proactive approach helps to ensure that the children’s needs are always prioritised. The manager consults with her staff team daily, and together they review their care practice.

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good

The manager is passionate, and the staff team is committed to the ethos of the home. Staff training has been delivered through e-learning throughout the COVID- 19 pandemic. The manager has ensured that any face-to-face training has been identified and booked now that the restrictions have been eased. This ensures that the staff are knowledgeable and sufficiently skilled to meet the children’s needs.

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good

Staff shortages mean that the manager and the staff work for lengthy periods. This has reduced the amount of time that the manager has available for her management tasks. Staff from the provider’s sister homes have also been used when necessary. The manager recognises this shortfall and has a plan in place to recruit more staff.

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good

The manager and her team are not receiving formal practice-related supervision on a regular basis; there are significant gaps between supervision sessions that do not enable the manager and her staff to learn and reflect on their practice. The senior Inspection report children's home: 2613661 5 leaders are not addressing this issue and have subsequently failed to support the manager.

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good

The provider’s records give details of incidents and progress made by the children. However, when there have been significant events involving children, Ofsted has not always been informed. This does not enable external monitoring from the regulator to take place and support overall practice development.

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good

The manager has identified physical improvements for the home, notably an extension to provide an office that is fit for purpose. The current office, although functional, is too small. This will enable clear separation from residential space and provide more privacy. The overall maintenance and appearance of the home is of a high standard. This ensures that the children are provided with a positive living environment in which to make progress. Inspection report children's home: 2613661 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 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staffing numbers do not depend on the manager being present to ensure that the shift quotas are maintained to meet the needs of the children. 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager and staff must receive regular practice-related supervision. 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 30 November Inspection report children's home: 2613661 7 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or person working there; and

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the staff work closely with the placing authority and educational professionals so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, children should be supported and encouraged to engage in structured educational activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that the children are supported and encouraged to take part in a range of activities including in the community with their peers. Staff should ensure that the children are aware of what is available to them, including clubs of personal interest and volunteering activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that the staff understand the importance of

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Recommendations

careful, non-judgemental use of terminology while recording in children’s files. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2613661 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Beresford Adams Commercial Ltd, 7 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD

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Inspector

Michael Dack, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2613661 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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