Children's home run by Cornerways Children’s Services Limited in Reigate and Banstead

Inspection report children's home: SC014848 1 SC014848 Registered provider: Cornerways Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private company that also runs a school. It provides accommodation for up to six children. The service also provides individual children with support from therapists.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 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 inspec- tion framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspec- tions on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 8 December 2020 to carry out an assurance 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC014848 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2019 Full Good 18/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/06/2018 Full Good 20/02/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: SC014848 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive in this home. All children are accepted for who they are. The staff know the children extremely well and use this knowledge to promote their identity. This includes giving children the opportunity to access additional support to explore their individual identities. Because of this, children can and do develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are well trained and understand the value of implementing consistent rules and boundaries. To do this, the staff adopt the principles of good parenting. They work closely together to ensure that the children’s needs are met and that their care plans are followed. As a result of this, the children make significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional well-being is put first. Leaders and managers use a thoughtful and detailed process when making decisions about new children moving in. This includes meeting them beforehand and telling them all about the home. Children already living in the home are also involved in the plans. This means that new children receive a warm welcome from both the staff and the children, who have been fully prepared for their arrival.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed strong attachments to the staff. At times, this leads to some difficult dynamics among the group of children. The staff are very aware of this and ensure that the children can spend time with them on an individual basis as well as in the group. During these times, the children do things that they enjoy, and the staff not only promote their hobbies but also take an interest in them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff actively promote and encourage the children to maintain healthy lifestyles. Children are provided with a safe space and regular opportunities to talk about a wide range of topics. This includes the negative impact of smoking, using drugs and drinking alcohol. This approach, along with working closely with partner agencies, has helped the children to significantly reduce and/or stop these behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience warm and nurturing care. The staff regularly receive positive feedback from other professionals, commenting on the quality of care provided to children. This feedback is complimentary and consistently shows that children are well looked after while living in the home, as well as when they have moved on. Children spoken to during the inspection also say that they are happy, feel at home and that staff genuinely care about them.

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

Staff are skilled, confident and know how to keep children safe. Recent additional safeguarding training has helped to refresh staff’s knowledge in this area, particularly with regards to reporting and recording incidents. A recent example of a safeguarding incident showed that the staff acted quickly, recorded what had Inspection report children's home: SC014848 4 happened in detail, liaised with relevant professionals and put measures in place to prevent a reoccurrence. This responsive approach helps to keep the children safe.

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

Staff’s positive approach to behaviour management helps the children to develop and grow. This includes using techniques learned in training to de-escalate incidents when they happen. Children also have their positive behaviour reinforced through the effective use of rewards. Equally, children know and accept sanctions for behaviour which others may find challenging. Staff keep these measures under continual review.

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

Children’s mental health is seen as a priority. The staff know and understand the children’s individual and complex needs and are very good at giving them advice, guidance, and support. The staff use consultations with the home’s psychotherapist effectively, to guide their approach on a day-to-day basis. All children are also supported to access therapy that can meet their individual needs. Because of this, children are helped to understand and manage their emotions.

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

All children receive a close level of supervision. Children rarely go anywhere without the staff knowing their whereabouts. In situations where children have been reported missing to the police, leaders and managers have worked closely with partner agencies to agree a response that is proportionate. Because of this, children learn to be responsible and tell the staff where they are going and when they will be home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by an exceptionally strong leadership team that has a combined wealth of knowledge and experience. Their passion and commitment to ensuring that the children receive nurturing care is evident in the way they manage day to day. Leading by example, the managers speak highly of the children and work closely with the staff to model good practice. This approach has led to excellent teamwork, consistency of care and positive outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Over the past year, the responsible individual has reviewed and updated systems, policies and procedures. The introduction of a new way of recording information about children has made it easier for the staff to see how they are doing in all areas of their lives. It has also enabled the staff and managers to support the children in a more focused way. This includes working with the wider team around the child to ensure that their plans are on track.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders and managers have high expectations. To ensure that these are maintained, they use a range of rigorous monitoring systems. The new recording system forms part of this and has enhanced the level of oversight and scrutiny the managers have. The visits and reports from the independent visitor are detailed and are used effectively to help the staff and managers develop the quality of care further. Inspection report children's home: SC014848 5 All staff benefit from continual professional development. New staff joining the team experience a good introduction into the home. The initial training is thorough and helps them to prepare for and carry out their role. All staff training is up to date and several staff are in the process of completing the appropriate qualification to work with children. Other staff can undertake training that helps them to progress into more senior roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff performance is well managed. Leaders and managers use a variety of systems to ensure that they receive appropriate support to carry out their role. However, when performance falls below what is expected, staff are given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. In situations where this has not been the case, leaders and managers follow the relevant disciplinary policies and procedures. Inspection report children's home: SC014848 6

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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: SC014848 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ashcombe Court, Woolsack Way, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1LQ

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Inspector

Amanda Harvey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC014848 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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