Children's home run by Strive to Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 1 Registered provider: Strive to Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated children’s home provides care for up to three children. The provider states in their statement of purpose that they provide care to children from a variety of cultures and ethnicities and with varying social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The children are supported by an experienced registered manager who has been in post since October 2020.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 15 March 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 good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 2 Date of last inspection: Not applicable

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 3

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outstanding

Children receive exceptional care in this children’s home. In partnership with the home’s clinical psychologist, children’s individual needs are extensively assessed to ensure that specialist services are made available to them without delay. The staff undertake case study sessions to enable them to understand the impact of the child’s life experiences. This work helps staff to enhance the quality of care they provide to the children. A parent said, ‘We have seen that all the staff, without exception, have been spot on in their understanding of our son’s many complex needs. Therefore, we have been asking their advice as to how to progress this in the future when he is home. It’s such a breath of fresh air to see him improve in this way. It gives us great hope for the future.’

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outstanding

Children are admitted to this home with a history of educational disruption, including lengthy periods of non-attendance at school. The staff work in partnership with the children and the educational providers to develop detailed individual support packages. This level of support enables children to re-establish themselves in the educational environment. As a result, each child’s educational attendance and attainment has vastly improved.

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outstanding

A headteacher said, ‘The children made excellent progress at school, and this is down to the outstanding collaboration between the school and the care home. They have the children’s best interests at the heart of everything they do, and this is reflected through the children’s behaviour and the professionalism of all the staff.’

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outstanding

Children form trusting relationships and strong bonds with the staff team. One child said, ‘The staff want what is best for us. They are like a parent or a big brother and they listen to us.’ Because of the strength of relationships, the children engage extremely well with staff and professionals who undertake work with them. The positive effect of this is evident in the exceptional progress children make in this home. However, this support could be further enhanced by encouraging the children to review and comment on these sessions with staff, to enable children to feel a sense of control about their lives and the progress they make. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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outstanding

Family contact is extremely well supported in this home. The staff team and the home’s clinical psychologist work directly with the children and their parents to help to build positive relationships and establish acceptable boundaries. This has proved to be successful, with some children returning to live with their parents. When difficulties arise, the staff take prompt action to address these concerns and help the child and their family move forward positively.

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outstanding

Children’s health and well-being is prioritised in this home. From the point of admission, staff take prompt action to escalate any previously unmet health Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 4 concerns. This ensures that the children’s health is assessed and monitored in accordance with their needs.

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outstanding

Children are encouraged to join sports groups and keep fit and healthy. Motivational speakers from renowned boxing and football clubs attended the home to speak to the children about life chances and building positive futures. A staff member said, ‘The children love it. It fills them with inspiration and positivity.’ Children regularly attend football matches and boxing tournaments, alongside a range of other interesting and exhilarating activities.

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

Children come to this home with a significant history of risk-taking behaviours. As a result of living in this home, risks have considerably reduced.

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

Risk assessments are developed in partnership with the children, the home’s clinical psychologist and placing social workers. Risks are meticulously assessed. Children and staff are provided with detailed strategies to reduce and manage risks. In addition, children are provided with extensive support from external services, such as the early break service and the detached youth service. This advanced level of support enables children to understand their risk-taking behaviours and the negative effect they have on their lives.

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

Since living at this home, incidents of children being missing or absent from home are significantly reduced. On the occasions when this has occurred, the staff have taken swift and effective action to ensure that the child is returned safely.

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

Using individual case studies, behaviour management plans consider each child’s life experiences from birth to the present day. This enables the staff to understand the effects of children’s lived experiences and how these can be exhibited through the children’s behaviour. Using the theory of attachment as the backdrop to the work undertaken in the home, children begin to understand how their behaviour can affect themselves and others. This extensive work has resulted in children making safe and supported connections with their own emotions and developing empathy for others.

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

The staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and the use of physical intervention. They have formed positive and trusting relationships with the children and this enables them to successfully defuse episodes of escalating behaviours. The use of physical intervention is rare. However, when a physical intervention has proved necessary to safeguard a child, the intervention is brief and considers the strategies agreed in the child’s behaviour management plan. Records of physical interventions taking place are exceptionally detailed. However, when a physical intervention has been necessary on more than one occasion during a single incident, these have not been recorded separately. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff team have created a home dedicated to promoting excellent outcomes for children. Children thrive in this environment because they receive informed and consistent high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The majority of the staff have successfully completed the diploma level 3 and are enrolled on the diploma at level 4. In addition, staff receive consistent and targeted training, including clinical input, to assist them in their work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides regular formal and informal supervision. The use of reflective practice is woven through the home’s procedures and is evident during team meetings and daily handovers. The registered manager said, ‘I want the staff to develop professionally and to understand the importance of our role. We are all dedicated to the children and the staff are fully committed to their personal learning.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is passionate and thorough in his approach to monitoring the quality of care provided in the home and the positive effect this is having on the children. This consistent analysis makes sure that patterns and trends are identified quickly, and that appropriate steps are taken to address any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The external monitoring of the home has improved since Ofsted’s last visit. The independent visitor has begun to collate feedback from a variety of sources, including social workers and families. However, a recommendation is made to prompt a consistent approach to gathering the views of others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

One social worker said: ‘I can honestly say the management of the home is outstanding. This home is one of the best care homes we have ever worked with. The manager clearly cares deeply about providing a safe, secure, nurturing and outstanding care home for these vulnerable children. This can be seen through the professionalism and dedication of all the staff he employs. The manager is the driving force of the care home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The care provided in the home is supported and organised to reflect the theoretical framework of attachment. The staff team invests in children. The staff work closely together to create an environment where children are safe, and where they feel valued, respected and accepted. This is evident in the exceptional progress and achievements the children make. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each individual physical intervention is recorded separately. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should actively encourage children to read their records and add further information to them. Children should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should ensure that visits undertaken by the independent visitor routinely include contact with external professionals and families. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2598004 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Strive To Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 206 Waterloo Street, Oldham OL4 1ES

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 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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