The Banyan Tree

Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 1 SC396186 Registered provider: Living Life (UK) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to five children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 30 December 2019

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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: SC396186 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/12/2019 Full Good 14/08/2018 Full Good 09/10/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Two children have lived at the home for several years. They are now being prepared for moving on from the home as young adults. They are developing the skills that they will need as they move into adulthood. They have access to a range of helpful training courses, such as health and safety, to prepare for this transition. Staff supplement this learning by supporting the children to develop age-appropriate life skills, such as cooking, shopping and budgeting. Children are also being helped to develop independence in decision-making and choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know and understand the children well and this has promoted trusting, nurturing and supportive relationships to be formed. As a result, children, for the most part, are settled and stable and have a sense of belonging in their home . One child commented that this is the best home they have lived in. Professionals and parents are positive about the care children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all of the children are in education, employment or training, and the manager continues to explore a range of alternatives. One child has completed the Prince’s Trust programme and has since returned to education and is progressing well. Another child is completing a range of online courses and in-house independence work. The manager is working with a school in supporting a child to re-engage with education and improve attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain and, in some cases, improve the relationships they have with people who are important to them. This has helped to strengthen family links and connections and improve some of the children’s support networks. Children have opportunities to engage in a range of activities in the home and community. These provide opportunities to develop social skills and friendship groups in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. They have access to a range of external professionals for specialist support. Children’s presenting behaviour is considered by the therapist employed at the home, who gives advice and guidance regarding strategies to support children’s emotional and mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has asked a placing local authority to look for another home for one of the children due to an escalation in concerns around them going missing from the home. The manager no longer considers that the home can meet this child’s needs. She is working with the local authority to find somewhere more suitable for the chid to move to, which can better meet their needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 4

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

There has been a recent escalation in missing episodes for one child at the home. The manager has worked closely with a multi-disciplinary team in identifying strategies to manage risk. This has led to an insightful incident-reduction plan being devised. This has provided analysis and evaluation concerns regarding missing concerns, which has been shared with the professional network. As a result, a referral has been made to a specialist agency that will provide additional support to the child.

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

One child has been provided with and allowed to play age-inappropriate electronic games that have an 18-classification due to the adult content. At the time of inspection this child was 17 years old, however had been accessing and playing this game since they were 16. The team of professionals working with the child has considered the risks. Although permission was given, this does not detract from the fact that the child has been exposed to games where they can become involved in extreme violence and other themes of an adult nature. The risk assessment in place has not been regularly reviewed.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are well written, clear and detailed, with input from the therapy team. Staff are given clear guidance around risk management and what children may be trying to communicate through behaviour observed. A range of strategies are used that link to the therapeutic models of care used in the home. Wherever possible, children have contributed to their plans and identified themselves the best ways of supporting them.

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

Incidents in the home are infrequent and are well managed when they do occur. Children receive debriefs, which encourage reflection and looking at more effective ways of managing emotions. The use of physical restraint is rare and is used as a last resort to keep children and others safe.

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

The recruitment of staff is safe, and all relevant checks designed to keep children protected from unsuitable adults are completed prior to staff being employed. Children are involved in the recruitment process and interview staff prior to any offer of employment. This gives children the opportunity to have their voice heard and views considered about staff coming to work at the home.

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

Children are provided with a safe and nurturing environment. The home is clean and children’s bedrooms are decorated to reflect their individual tastes. A range of photographic images, soft furnishings and pictures add to the homely atmosphere.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about the home and has strong views on how she wants the service to develop and progress. The manager knows the children and their needs well and she has been a strong advocate for children to get the services they require. There are a range of monitoring tools that support the manager in keeping a good oversight of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 5 The manager is actively engaged in her own professional development and learning. She has been using external research to develop her knowledge and understanding and has then shared this with the staff team. Staff have access to a wide range of training courses, including training delivered by specialists, such as the clinical team and police. This means that staff have been given opportunities to improve their skills in working with children with complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A particular strength of the manager is in working with other professionals and within multi-disciplinary teams. The manager is well respected by the professionals they work with, and one described the manager as an ‘asset’ to the home. The manager has contributed high-quality reports to meetings, which have assisted other agencies in their plans for supporting children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a high turnover of staff and the manager is currently rebuilding the team. Staff have regular supervision, and they describe being well supported by the manager. Staff say that the manager goes ‘above and beyond’ to support them and the children. New staff have a well-planned induction that includes training and opportunities to shadow other staff on shift. Team meetings are held regularly, although not all staff read meeting minutes if they do not attend. This potentially means that not all staff are aware of pertinent information shared within these meetings, and this could impact on consistency. Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 6

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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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure-

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to allowing children to own and play age-inappropriate electronic games that are rated as 18 because of adult content. 01 May 2022

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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: SC396186 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Living Life (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 60 Overstone Road, Sywell, Northampton NN6 0AW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lorraine Andrews-Miller

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 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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