Children's Home run by 5ab Care Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2590405 1 Registered provider: 5ab Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It provides care for three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post, who took up position in September 2021. He is not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2590405 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first full inspection since the home was registered in July 2020. Subsequently, the registered manager resigned and a new manager has been appointed.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home opened, several children’s placements have ended because staff could not meet the needs of the children or keep them safe. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience planned individual transitions into the home. The manager reviews all referrals and undertakes a matching assessment, considering the needs of the existing children alongside the needs of the new child. Children make good progress overall from their starting points on admission to the home. Examples of progress include positively re-engaging with education and learning to manage their behaviour.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Staff ensure that they are registered with primary healthcare services. Staff receive clinical oversight from the organisation’s therapist that provides them with opportunities to develop strategies to improve the emotional well-being of children. The arrangements for the controlled storage and administration of children’s medication are safe and effective.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

School attendance is good. Staff are skilled at helping the children to attend and achieve in education. Some children had low attendance prior to coming to live at the home. All now attend on a regular basis. This helps them to understand the importance of education and gives them confidence in their own abilities.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear plans in place to ensure that they retain positive links with family members and friends. Staff support these arrangements practically, as well as by providing emotional support for children. These arrangements reflect any restrictions that may be in place to safeguard children and are clearly understood and followed by staff.

p.2

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

Children are protected from harm because staff understand their vulnerabilities and challenging behaviours. Staff make good-quality assessments of risk, as well as putting in appropriate controls to minimise the risks. As a result, self-injurious behaviour and incidents of children going missing from home are reducing.

p.2

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

All staff are sufficiently trained in safeguarding, which ensures that they have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities to help keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590405 3 Staff know how to implement and follow the policies and procedures agreed with the local police for reporting children missing from care. Staff take appropriate action to locate a missing child quickly. They promote the child’s safe return by keeping in touch with them and liaising closely with the police and other agencies. There is a process in place for children to be seen by an independent person on their return. This helps staff to consider any information that may help to protect children from going missing again.

p.2

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

Staff manage challenging behaviour effectively and encourage children to reflect on incidents in a constructive and supportive way. Inappropriate behaviour is challenged or de-escalated as appropriate. Staff reinforce clear boundaries and provide daily routines and stability for children. This is supported by praise and recognition of achievements. Restraint is only ever used as a last resort to protect children from harm, accident or injury, and is proportionate to their behaviour.

p.3

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

Regular health and safety checks and routine servicing of equipment are carried out so that the home is kept safe for children, staff and visitors. All staff are trained in fire safety procedures, and they ensure that children take part in fire evacuation drills, so they understand how to leave the home safely in an emergency.

p.3

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

Children are protected by the organisation’s recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager took up position in September 2021. Staff are positive about the impact of the new manager on the home and welcome his open approach. Monthly staff meetings support staff to share information and are an opportunity for the staff team to reflect on the progress and experience of children. These meetings are well recorded and give staff a clear shared understanding of current issues and expectations on them as team members.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although there have been some recent changes in the composition of the staff team, a core group of staff remain who have continued to provide continuity of care. New staff are familiarised with their role and develop the required skills and competencies through induction processes and training.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training records show that staff benefit from a diverse range of appropriate training to develop their knowledge, skills and professional practice. This means that staff are well trained to meet the individual needs of children. Most staff hold a level 3 diploma in residential childcare, and other members of staff are working towards their qualification.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers support staff through regular supervision and appraisal. This enables staff to talk about the children, reflect on their working practice and discuss their own development needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590405 4 Managers have not been proportionate with some outcomes from disciplinary meetings. For example, a staff member received the same outcome twice for two separate performance-related matters. This does not ensure that concerns around staff performance are being treated seriously.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has formed positive relationships with a range of professionals, including therapists, placing social workers and schoolteachers. This helps the manager to have a coordinated approach so that children’s needs are met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590405 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

p.5

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that any disciplinary outcomes are proportionate to the matter they relate to. 30 March 2022

p.5

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: 2590405 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71 Knowl Piece, Wilbury Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 0TY

p.6

Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2590405 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7