Children's home run by 24/7 Support UK Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 1 Registered provider: 24/7 Support UK Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children with emotional, behavioural and social support needs. The home registered with Ofsted in July 2021 and has not previously been inspected.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021 when the home opened.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 2

p.1

Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first full inspection since the home registered in July 2021. The first child moved into the home in September 2021 and, due to their support needs, will be the only child living at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is happy living at the home. They described living there as a positive move for them; they like the modern, well-appointed environment. Staff show understanding, kindness and patience when supporting the child. They encourage the child to be independent and help them to start taking responsibility for decisions. This has started to help the child feel valued and respected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child takes part in a range of beneficial activities, including meeting neighbours and members of the community. This has helped the child to learn about developing respectful relationships and interacting with other people. Staff have quickly identified new opportunities for the child to take part in activities that develop independence skills, such as gardening and cooking.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social care professionals are positive about the quality of care. A social worker said that the child has made progress since living at the home, which has not happened at their previous two placements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are supporting the child to start leading a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, outdoor activities and a balanced diet. Staff help the child to understand the benefits of being healthy and set expectations for the child. Staff proactively manage the child’s healthcare needs. They communicate with relevant professionals and ensure that the child attends health appointments.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has continued to make progress in their virtual education with support from the home’s staff. Managers are working closely with other professionals to identify a local school provision.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child can share their views. Staff and managers encourage the child to do this in a safe and constructive way. Staff spend time with the child to help them understand how to advocate for themselves.

p.3

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

The child said they feel safe at the home. All staff undertake safeguarding training and know the provider’s system of reporting concerns. This helps the staff to identify concerns of exploitation, gang affiliation and radicalisation.

p.3

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

Staff provide guidance and mentoring to help the child understand age-appropriate behaviour in respect of their appearance and choosing clothes. Staff provide high- Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 4 level supervision when the child uses the internet to reduce the risk to the child of online abuse.

p.3

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

Staff set and hold consistent boundaries and expectations. A recent focus on this, working with clinical professionals, has led to improvements in the child’s behaviour. Managers and the therapeutic lead regularly discuss the child’s progress in relation to positive behaviour to review what is working well and what is not.

p.4

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

Care plans emphasise the importance of de-escalation techniques to avoid incidents. Staff know the child well and can anticipate triggers that could lead to aggressive behaviour. Appropriately trained staff use restraint techniques only when necessary and in line with the child’s agreed care plan. Records show that, after these incidents, extensive review takes place with all those involved.

p.4

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

Risk assessments identify actions that staff need to take to help keep the child safe. However, the registered manager’s review of these as the child settled has not always reassessed the level of risk as more information became available. Changes to plans are shared with staff at handover meetings and team meetings and consider feedback from the staff.

p.4

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

There have been no incidents of the child going missing from the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager registered when the home opened in July 2021. However, he has since resigned and is due to leave in December 2021. The manager has not been at work since September 2021. The home’s leadership team members work closely together. This has provided consistency and stability at the home as the child settles. The responsible individual visits the home regularly and knows the child and staff well. He is going to apply to become the registered manager and a new responsible individual is being appointed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well led, flexible in their approach and enthusiastic. Staff enjoy working as part of a well-motivated and supportive team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider has developed the monitoring and assurance systems since the home opened. However, these systems did not identify when a notification to Ofsted had been missed, resulting in a short delay.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person’s first report, shortly after the child moved into the home, highlighted some shortfalls in records and staffing. The provider took immediate action to implement changes and make improvements. These improvements have been sustained.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the skills and experience needed to support the child well. Training takes place regularly, with additional sessions to meet the child’s new or emerging needs. Staff receive regular opportunities to take part in team meetings and supervision sessions, which they find effective. Staff are confident that the quality and quantity Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 5 of the training they undertake helps them to provide good-quality care and to improve the outcomes for the child. Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 6

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, ensure that records are updated following these reviews to accurately reflect the assessed level of risk. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

p.6

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: 2638148 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: 24/7 Support UK Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 & 5 Elmer House, Finkin Street, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6QZ

p.7

Inspector

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2638148 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8