Children's Home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 1 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a national private organisation. The statement of purpose advises that the home can accommodate a maximum of three children with emotional and behavioural needs arising from trauma and attachment-based difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has two registered managers. Both managers are registered with Ofsted.

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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

This is the first inspection visit to this home since it registered with Ofsted on 21 June 2021.

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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 good

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in the home. Carers model positive behaviour and set good boundaries to ensure that children make progress in all areas. Carers record children’s progress well. This helps them to offer additional support in areas where they struggle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met consistently. One child did not like to go to the dentist when they moved into the home. Carers persisted with their support and now the child attends regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children consistently attend school. Carers support their education within the home through extra-curricular activities. Leaders ensure that there are robust plans in place to help reluctant learners to return to educational provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to complain. When complaints are made, they are dealt with swiftly and fairly. Leaders keep the child informed during the process and explain the outcome to them. The child complaints form is easy for children to understand and use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage with a range of activities in the home and community. One child attends Cubs, swimming and water polo club. They have also completed a 20-mile bicycle trip.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is set within beautiful, expansive gardens that give children lots of opportunities to play and explore. Carers and children grow vegetables throughout the year. The house feels like a family home and children’s bedrooms are cosy spaces where they can relax. However, some areas are tired and need redecorating. The home has a plan in place to ensure that this work is carried out swiftly.

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

Restraint is used by carers. The home has robust and individual risk assessments to assess the suitability of the use of restraint for each child. These are underpinned by clinical advice. Recordings are detailed. There is good management oversight and reflection after events. Learning takes place to ensure that incidents are reduced wherever possible.

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

Leaders and managers provide detailed and thorough plans for children that help carers to understand their wide-ranging needs. Plans show good strategies for carers to ensure that their responses are tailored to each child. Leaders review plans regularly.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. There are detailed plans in place to ensure that children are located and returned home safely if they go missing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 3 Careful and considered recruitment ensures that only suitable people work with children. When managers identify that a carer is not suitable, appropriate measures are taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Carers have regular supervision which they report is helpful. Carers told the inspector that they can also access informal supervision whenever they require it. However, the quality of supervision recordings is inconsistent. Some are very detailed and provide evidence of useful, reflective supervision. Others are missing dates and names and reflect limited discussions of practice and how to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When there are concerns about practice within the home, allegations are investigated thoroughly, and lessons are learned. However, correct procedures have not always been followed regarding referrals being made to the local authority designated officer. On one occasion, an internal investigation commenced prior to the response from the local authority designated officer being received. Leaders and managers acted on this error and appropriate training was provided. There have been no repeat incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good oversight of children’s plans. There is evidence of robust challenge of other professionals when plans do not meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the training needs of carers are consistently met. Carers told the inspector that training is readily available and is of good quality. This ensures that they can respond effectively to the developing needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a significant turnover of carers since June 2021. This has had an impact on the team’s morale and placed significant pressures on carers. It has resulted in periods when communication with other professionals has not been robust. A local authority social worker told the inspector that they did not receive incident reports promptly and this prevented them from understanding the child’s changing needs. Leaders and managers have reflected on past difficulties and robust procedures are in place. Staff shortages have largely been addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that the supervision is being delivered in line with the regulations 33(4)(b). It is good practice for a note of the contact and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraphs 13.3 and 13.4)  The registered person should ensure the home is a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2642842 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3UT

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Chelsea Bryan and Timothy-John Matthews

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Inspector

Penelope Kutz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 6 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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