Children's Home run by South West Complex Care Services in Cornwall

Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 1 Registered provider: South West Complex Care Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up to three children with learning disabilities. This is the first full inspection since the home’s registration. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2021. Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021. We last visited this setting on 18 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Note previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 3

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outstanding

There is currently one child living at the home. The child receives high-quality care from the staff and his progress is remarkable and sustained. Staff support the child to establish healthy sleep routines and to balance the time that he spends using technology with activities that support his learning and physical and emotional well- being.

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outstanding

The staff support the child effectively to build his confidence and enjoy a range of activities outside the home, such as travelling to parks, the beach and shops.

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outstanding

Staff support the child successfully to develop tolerance of furniture and decoration in his environment. The child now attends school full time and is making progress, learning to interact with his peers and to develop an awareness of his sense of self in relation to the world.

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outstanding

The child has developed exceptionally strong, trusting and positive relationships with the staff. The move to the home was thoroughly planned and included outreach work so that the child could get to know the staff prior to moving into the home. The consistent and trusting relationships with staff have led to a decrease in incidents and an increase in the child’s verbal communication.

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outstanding

The staff are aspirational and ambitious for the child. Care planning is detailed and thorough and the staff use these plans to challenge other professionals to obtain the services that the child needs and to push the child’s development.

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outstanding

The staff work consistently and collaboratively to ensure that the child’s emotional and health needs are met. Importantly, the child recently visited the dentist for the first time. The staff demonstrate exceptionally nurturing relationships with the child and an understanding of his needs. For example, staff sit with the child as he falls asleep, providing reassuring touch if needed. This helps the child to feel safe, loved and cared for.

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outstanding

The staff consistently use photographs to provide an excellent visual record of the child’s time since moving to the home, tracking his achievements and progress in an accessible way. This allows the child to look back and enjoy his own achievements and new experiences.

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outstanding

Creative arrangements are in place to support the child to keep in touch with his family. The staff use an innovative social media group to share with the child’s family photographs and details of his day as it happens, with the child encouraged to fully contribute. This helps to continue the child’s relationship with family members, despite the physical distance. His parent reports that her son moving to the home Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 4 has been ‘like winning the lottery’ and describes how her child has gone from ‘no quality of life’ to ‘being able to do things I never thought he would do’.

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outstanding

The child is kept safe. The staff use clear, research-based plans to support the child to reduce his identified risks, and effective control measures are in place to promote his safety. As a result of this approach, incidents have significantly reduced as the staff have gained excellent insight and understanding of the child’s needs and how to meet them.

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outstanding

Clear and effective monitoring and review processes are in place if it is identified and agreed that a restrictive practice, such as a locked door, must be used to keep the child safe. Targets and plans are in place to reduce the use of restrictive practices. This means that the child is not restricted more than is necessary for his safety. There is evidence of progress to reduce the use of restrictive practices. For example, the child is now aware that he takes medication.

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outstanding

The staff confidently challenge the practice of other members of staff if necessary. The registered manager has completed thorough investigations in response to any allegations, which are rare. The learning from investigations is linked back to the child with consideration given to the impact on him of any changes to practice.

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outstanding

The staff comprehensively plan activities for the child to balance safety and progress. Careful thought is given to avoid situations where restriction might be needed, while still giving the child every opportunity for growth and development. For example, the child is supported to visit the beach and paddle in the sea, even though he can become overexcited in water.

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outstanding

The staff team works creatively to provide love, nurture and physical interaction, while having regard for the need to keep boundaries and smooth-running daily routines. The child’s mother and the safeguarding trainer are involved in developing the plan to provide this support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has high aspirations for the child. Strong and effective leadership embeds a culture of aspiration throughout the home. The leadership team tracks incidents and uses the data to support its understanding of the progress the child has made. This is then used to update the plans that are in place for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team uses feedback and learning from the staff to understand and develop the plan for the child, ensuring that a common goal is shared across all staff. As a result, the child receives a consistently high quality of care and appropriate challenge to ensure that he continues to make progress. Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 5 The child is supported by a consistent and stable staff group. The manager has adapted the staff rota to ensure that there is sufficient time for staff training and development activities. This means staff have a detailed understanding of how to support the child. The manager has comprehensively researched the child’s rare health condition and how best to meet his needs. Staff report that they are well supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked creatively to make a homely environment that meets the child’s complex needs and is comfortable and welcoming. For example, stickers on the wall make sockets and switches look like rocket ships. The child’s space has been decorated with his choice of wall colour and there are posters reflecting his interests on the walls. The manager has plans to improve the environment further, such as replacing the windows and door handles. However, some areas of the home do not offer a homely environment, such as the entrance hall and adjacent room.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works collaboratively and effectively with other professionals. The placing authority describes communication with the home as ‘joined up’. The registered manager has implemented recommendations from an occupational therapy report. This has contributed to the homely environment experienced by the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team has recently changed the home’s independent person to invite more scrutiny and challenge so that the team can continue to improve. Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of its children; in most cases, this will be a homely, domestic environment. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (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 home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2593054 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Complex Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Thornleigh House, Chilsworthy, Gunnislake, Cornwall PL18 9PB

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Inspector

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2593054 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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