Children's home run by The Open Care Group

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605108 1 Registered provider: The Open Care Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in January 2021. It is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides medium- to long-term care for up to three children with emotional and/or social difficulties. The manager registered at the same time.

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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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Inspection date: 15 December 2021

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 15 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2605108 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children say they are happy living in this home and develop trusted relationships with staff. Because of these relationships, staff are able to influence behaviours and help children to develop. Staff describe one child as ‘flourishing’ since moving into the home, and another as ‘maturing’. This is echoed by other professionals who work with the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Progress can be seen in many aspects of the children’s lives. Children increase their attendance in education, they achieve qualifications and are supported to identify goals for their future. For some children, this is their first regular attendance in education for several years. Staff use effective ways of helping children to see the benefits in this. The children respond well to the structure, and the qualifications they achieve will help them later in life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are supported to maintain contact with their family, even when they live a long way from their home town. Staff keep families updated about children’s achievements which contributes to children feeling valued and strengthens family relationships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support children to engage with specialist agencies for help to stop alcohol and drugs misuse. The staff reinforce these messages in regular discussions at home. This has proved effective for the children who have made significant reductions in their use of substances.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

As children get older, staff help them learn independence skills. They do this at the child’s pace, constantly checking out their understanding and capability. Staff contribute to discussions about where children will move to, and they advocate to ensure that plans take the children’s views into account. The staff at this home work closely with the staff from the child’s new home to promote the success of the move.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When children move out of the home, staff also ensure that they are prepared emotionally for living more independently. Due to risks to one child in the local community, an urgent move without preparation was initiated. Although this resulted in significant upheaval for the child in the short term, it was necessary to ensure their safety. Leaders and managers have learned from this experience and have identified factors that could minimise the likelihood of this re-occurring.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When children are at risk of exploitation, staff work alongside others to reduce this risk. Safety plans have been devised in collaboration with agencies who specialise in Inspection report for children’s home: 2605108 3 exploitation and youth offending, and staff implement them consistently. This, combined with regular sharing of information, promotes the children’s safety.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Because staff follow plans which are effective in keeping children safe, the provider rarely needs to escalate any safeguarding concerns to the regulator. Additionally, there has been only one occasion when a child has needed to be held for their own safety, and a reduction in occasions when children have been missing. This suggests children are increasingly safe because of the care provided in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Impact assessments are completed to check how any new child will get on with the other children. This enables the manager to establish if staff have the right skills to support them. However, this assessment is not formally recorded until after the children have started living in the home, when the full impact is evaluated and documented. This does not help to reassure the manager that all relevant information has been collated and evaluated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children generally enjoy positive relationships with each other, but when difficulties arise staff respond quickly and effectively. Changes to the way children are supervised are made, which ensures that there are fewer opportunities for conflict between them. Alongside this, opportunities are offered to try and promote friendships between the children, as a longer-term strategy for encouraging harmony in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have had enriching experiences over the summer and autumn including going on holiday, pursuing sporting interests, days out and group activities in the home. This has helped to improve their self-esteem and develop their relationships and sense of stability.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers use a variety of tools to monitor the quality of care, and the related records are kept up to date. Children’s records are of a good standard, but some minor issues were identified around accuracy. Broadly, these do not have a material impact on the children except for an omission on one child’s behaviour plan. This misses an opportunity to help a child to manage their own behaviour more effectively. This was addressed during the inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers identify areas for improvements and have evidenced that they have focused on this since the last inspection. Changes made to drive up quality have been effective, including safer recruitment practice, ensuring that staff work cohesively and consistently, providing reflective child-focused supervision to staff and addressing issues around staff capability. Requirements made at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605108 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2605108 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (’Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2605108 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Open Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 17 Dunston House, Livingston Road, Hessle, East Yorkshire HU13 0EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Philippa Grantham

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Marlie-Rae Willerton

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2605108 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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