Children's Home run by Able Health Care Ltd in Suffolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC408714 1 SC408714 Registered provider: Able Health Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home looks after up to six children aged nine to 17 who cannot currently live in a family environment. There is a Department for Education-run school on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision. The registered manager has been in post since January 2015.

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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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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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.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC408714 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2019 Full Outstanding 28/11/2018 Full Good 12/09/2017 Full Good 23/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC408714 3

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outstanding

A stable, long-serving, knowledgeable and well-trained staff team provides a high and consistent standard of care. Children arrive at the home having had traumatic experiences involving adults. Over time, the children build strong bonds, lasting relationships and high levels of trust with the staff.

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outstanding

Care planning is thoughtful and detailed. There is a culture among staff of valuing every child, ensuring that they feel loved and celebrating the progress that they make. Close, caring relationships with staff help the children to feel safe and unconditionally accepted. Consequently, children can reflect on the past and develop an understanding of their behaviours. Staff help children to learn to empathise when their peers are struggling.

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outstanding

The home has an excellent record in re-engaging children with their education. One child, who had not attended education for two years, has now started to engage. Children’s continuous progress in education is tracked and evidence is provided by the staff.

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outstanding

The skilled staff view children’s emotional well-being as a priority. Children receive therapeutic interventions that are exceptionally well coordinated. Regular consultation between the staff and the therapy team ensures that children’s behaviours are seen in the context of their traumatic histories. The staff’s therapeutic and compassionate approach is a strength. Albert and Arnold, the therapy dogs, visit regularly and add something extra special to children’s well- being.

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outstanding

Staff encourage children to be physically fit. Children plan the weekly activities with the staff. The activities are planned to meet children’s individual needs and interests. Generous staffing levels mean that activities are well supported. During lockdown periods due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all children took part in a virtual walk across the country using a treadmill. Staff took one child to football matches in his hometown to keep up his season ticket. Another child, who is a climate activist, was taken to Sweden to follow in the footsteps of a very famous young activist. These individualised activities help children to thrive and flourish and make memories that will last them a lifetime.

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outstanding

Developing independence skills starts early. Staff give children tasks and responsibilities that provide them with useful skills, such as keeping their bedrooms tidy and helping with shopping and cooking. A child who struggled with going out and using public transport has, with support from staff, developed the confidence to travel independently. This means that when he leaves the home, he can come back and visit his friends and the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC408714 4 Children benefit from positive role models. One member of staff, before working at this home, was a chef for a very famous person. They were preparing some amazing food to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

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outstanding

Throughout the inspection, children were observed to be in constant discussions with staff. Children are at ease when approaching staff, which contributes greatly to the happy and relaxed atmosphere at the home.

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outstanding

Staff understand the risks that children face at the home and in the community. Risk assessments and behaviour strategies are effective in providing guidance to staff to ensure that children are safe. Risk assessments are responsive and enable children to have increasing levels of freedom. This means that they can safely experience new challenges and develop new skills.

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outstanding

Due to the highly skilled staff team, incidents of children going missing from the home and incidents of restraint dramatically reduce as children settle into the home. Staff defuse situations calmly and quickly. Incidents are recorded well and managers monitor and evaluate the records. There are comprehensive debriefs with children and staff following an incident. Staff help children to understand and manage their own behaviour. Staff encourage and reward positive behaviour.

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outstanding

Thorough selection and vetting procedures prevent unsuitable adults from working at the home.

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outstanding

Children get along with one another very well. They spend time with each other and support one another in their own ways. The staff promote a strong ethos of respect and valuing others. This has a positive impact on children, who reflect these values.

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outstanding

Children settle well and thrive because of the clearly defined boundaries. This provides them with a sense of security. Children experience an environment that is warm and nurturing, and they benefit from staff who provide them with appropriate affection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management are highly effective. The registered manager and deputy manager are ‘hands-on’ but do not lose sight of their management responsibilities. Both are uncompromising in improving the lives of children and in ensuring excellent standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers are strong advocates for children. They are tenacious in ensuring that any decisions made in respect of a child are planned, well thought out and in the child’s best interest. Both managers are experienced in and committed to their roles. Inspection report children’s home: SC408714 5 The organisation and management of the home is totally child focused. This is achieved by the willingness of staff to work flexibly and with a team-centred approach. Children’s needs are put first, and staff are prepared to work hard so that those needs can be met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers have developed an exceptionally positive culture at the home. Staff morale is high and staff retention is excellent. Feedback from staff is overwhelmingly positive. All staff report total confidence in the manager’s and deputy manager’s leadership style. One staff member said, ‘The first thing that struck me was the way that the managers care for the staff. They go above and beyond expectations to look after staff. They are very approachable, with a listening ear; this is rare.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals and parents speak highly of the care, attention to detail, support for children and longevity of placements. They say that the managers and staff advocate passionately for and on behalf of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Research informs all areas of practice. There is a commitment by managers to ensure that staff receive high-quality development opportunities. Learning is used to inform the care and support provided to children. There is clear evidence of how this support improves children’s quality of life. The development of the home is guided by clear plans. These plans show a systematic and measurable approach to continually driving improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The core staff training programme is closely monitored by the managers, who are aware of any shortfall. Weekly meetings are pre-planned and well organised, with input from the clinical team, which provides advice and support. Aligning theoretical models alongside the practical needs of children gives staff greater insight into why they should work in a certain way. Staff receive regular and highly effective supervision and clinical supervision which enable them to reflect on and develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal and external monitoring is of a consistently high standard. Records are monitored regularly by the managers, who provide meaningful evaluation and comment.

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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: SC408714 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Able Health Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Argyle House, 3rd Floor Northside, Joel Street, Northwood Hills HA6 1NW

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Inspector

Cathy Russell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC408714 7 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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