Children's home run by Homes2Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1254308 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It provides care for up to five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report for children's home: 1254308 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/09/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 1254308 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences while living at this home. They take part in a range of interesting and stimulating activities. For example, they have been fishing, to their favourite restaurant and to London to see a show. Children are also supported to develop their sporting and musical talents. As a result, children generally feel that they have good relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As children approach adulthood and begin to think about living independently, they are helped to learn practical life skills. Children are able to take managed risks so that they can learn from their experiences. They are given age-appropriate free time with their friends so that they can develop social skills and links in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in education and achieving academic success. They are taking vocational courses that provide them with employment opportunities. For example, one child is studying sports science and another is studying health and social care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good-quality, creative direct work takes place regularly with children. As a result, children are helped to understand a wide range of issues in relation to their safety, health and personal development. Because staff deliver direct-work sessions well, children engage and participate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children are provided with healthy options in relation to food. However, meals offered to children do not always reflect their personal preferences and dietary requirements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of care is generally good. However, there have been some isolated incidents when support given to children has not met the home’s usual standard. One incident has left a child feeling upset. After these incidents, children have felt able to share their concerns with the manager. The manager has acted appropriately in quickly acknowledging shortfalls and taking action to make sure that practice is improved. The manager has also provided the child with support and reassurance. However, this support has not yet provided the child with the reassurance she requires.

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

Children are safe in this home. Staff receive good-quality training in safeguarding and risk management. As a result, they know how to keep children safe and how to protect them from abuse and exploitation.

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

Children who are at risk as a result of self-harming behaviour are well supported to safely manage their feelings and emotions. Staff know the children well enough to Inspection report for children's home: 1254308 4 recognise when children’s risks increase. They ensure that children are safe and that their mental health needs are addressed.

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

Behaviour management strategies are effective. When physical intervention has been necessary to protect a child, managers have carefully scrutinised and evaluated staff practice. Managers have also ensured that they have sought and listened to the views of children. Because there is a strong focus on staff reflection and further learning, restraint practice is safe.

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

Staff have a good awareness of the risks associated with drug and alcohol misuse. Staff understand the support that each child requires to reduce these risks. As a result, children receive the support they need.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff do all they can to search for them and ensure their safe return. When children return, staff endeavour to find out why they went missing, where they were and who they were with. This enables staff to review and improve risk management plans. Children also have a formal interview with their social worker. However, the reports of interviews do not get sent to the home. This means that staff might not be aware of important details that might help them to protect children in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been led well during the pandemic. When some staff were not able to work at the home because they contracted COVID-19, the remaining staff pulled together to make sure the home continued to run smoothly. Staff and managers covered vacant shifts themselves, working over and above what would normally be expected of them. This demonstrates a strong commitment to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports staff to reflect openly on their practice. There is a strong emphasis on learning lessons after any incidents, analysing practice and ensuring continual improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When there have been incidents in which staff practice has not been to the expected standard, and children have not felt well supported, the manager intervenes quickly. She uses performance management systems effectively to set and maintain expectations for staff. The manager has plans in place to better support children in their views about their care, and to work through any relationship difficulties they have with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads and promotes an inclusive culture in which diversity is celebrated. Children are supported to take pride in themselves and to understand their own heritage and culture. Inspection report for children's home: 1254308 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. This is in relation to further support needed by one child in relation to a shortfall in staff members

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Recommendations

performance. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. Where appropriate, children should be involved in choosing and preparing meals and opportunities to sit together and eat should be promoted. This is in relation to children’s preferences and dietary requirements. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8)

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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 for children's home: 1254308 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Muchatuta

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Inspector

Caroline Brailsford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1254308 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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