Children's Home run by Safe Haven Adolescent Care Group Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 1 Registered provider: Safe Haven Adolescent Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned and run. The home was registered with Ofsted on 10 July 2020, and provides care for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager left in mid-June 2021. A new manager has been appointed and she is in the process of applying for registration with Ofsted.

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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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from good-quality, individualised care. This helps children to settle quickly in their new surroundings and start to build trusted and secure relationships with the adults who look after them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed into their new home, and parents and other family members are kept informed and communicated with regularly. This helps to reassure families that their child is settled and their needs are being met from the outset. Promoting and facilitating family time helps to relieve anxieties for the child and demonstrates that staff acknowledge the importance of nurturing and repairing relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Building relationships and working together with professionals such as social workers, youth offending workers and community-based services means that children’s well-being and safety are at the centre of practice in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress irrespective of their time living at the home, and relative to their starting points. Despite some very challenging times, there have been lots of positive experiences. Staff have encouraged and supported children to engage in activities of their choosing, such as going to the gym, shopping and day trips.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is given priority, with leaders and managers understanding the barriers to learning. For one child, much effort was made to facilitate a move back into mainstream school, despite resistance from education providers. Children moving into the home have access to education immediately, in accordance with their learning needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment of the home is warm and welcoming. Children are given opportunities to have their say and contribute to the design and decor of the home. As a result, children feel a sense of belonging.

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

Children’s risks are well managed, well documented and clearly understood at the point of admission to the home. This means that staff can very quickly provide the right level of care to meet the differing needs of the children in their care. Challenging behaviour is handled well, without the need to use physical intervention. Staff work tirelessly to provide clear boundaries and to use creative strategies that are specific to the needs of each child. Children do not go missing from the home. This suggests that children feel safe and are comfortable in their surroundings.

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

There have been inconsistencies in how staff have responded to offensive comments made by children. At times, these comments have been relentless. Consequently, some staff have left the home. This means that, on occasions, the home has been left short-staffed. Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 4 Any allegations made are investigated, procedures are followed and immediate action is taken to safeguard children. Such diligence and attention to detail ensure that children are better protected.

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

The staff team is dedicated to providing safe care. Children’s free time is highly structured, and this keeps them occupied and engaged, which helps to promote a positive and healthy outlook.

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

Safe recruitment practice is in place, which ensures that no unsuitable people are employed to work at the home.

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good

The home has recently been through an unsettled period, when it came to light that there were shortfalls in the management oversight and performance of the home. For example, not all staff had regular supervisions or annual appraisals. Staff felt unsupported, and this affected staff retention. Leaders took steps to address this, and plans were immediately put in place to ensure stability in the home.

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good

New staff have been recruited and there is a manager in post who is currently in the process of applying for registration with Ofsted. Safe recruitment practice is robust, meaning that staff are suitably vetted and qualified to meet the complex needs of any child in their care.

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good

The new manager is conscientious and ambitious. She has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and areas for development. New monitoring systems are in place. Staff receive a well-rounded induction to the home and existing staff are now receiving supervision and having regular team meetings. Feedback from staff has captured the positive improvements that have been made.

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good

Staff have received additional training in how to communicate effectively with children and have taken on board language that children feel more comfortable with. This helps children to experience a more normal family atmosphere.

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good

The responsible individual did not challenge or escalate concerns with a placing authority in relation to one child. This contributed to an unplanned ending for the child. Some learning has now been undertaken. This will help prevent a similar occurrence in the future.

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good

The statement of purpose was recently updated. However, this has not been shared with Ofsted as required by regulation.

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good

Professionals and a parent spoke highly of the home and the staff. Their comments included: ‘It’s so nurturing and safe for my child; staff are so welcoming when I visit’ and ‘Communication is excellent and I am really impressed with how well [name of child] has settled.’ Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 5

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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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 30 November

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 30 November Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 6 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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 30 November

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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: 2587233 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Safe Haven Adolescent Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Horizon House, 2 Whiting Street, Sheffield S8 9QR

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Inspector

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2587233 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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