Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It is registered to care for up to three children with complex needs who have experienced trauma and loss.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has recently registered with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 2 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 2 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no admissions since the last inspection and there are no plans to admit any children in the coming months.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child who is currently living in the home continues to make positive and sustainable progress. For example, incidents of the child’s challenging and harmful behaviour have significantly reduced. The child’s relationships with staff continue to strengthen and improve. This supports the child to develop a stronger sense of belonging to her home and local community. Staff make sure that they work in partnership with other agencies, such as the placing authority, police and specialist health services. These strong relationships mean that the child experiences integrated and comprehensive care and support. The registered manager devises detailed internal care plans. These enable staff to track the child’s progress and adapt their support as necessary. A specialist health professional told the inspector, ‘The staff have been a pleasure to work with. She [child] has complex needs but the staff are doing a good job. There has been a reduction in her risk-taking behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

She is showing much more stability. This is down to the staff team and their willingness to meet her needs.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager continues to embed his vision for the home. He uses his experience, knowledge and skills to support staff to scrutinise and improve their practice. For example, the registered manager organises a range of informative workshops to support staff to provide the child with better-informed care. The registered manager works hard to provide the child with stability in her care. This means that the child is looked after by child-focused, attentive and caring staff. Staff told the inspector, ‘The manager is very therapeutic. He breaks this down so we can understand what it means,’ and, ‘We get a lot of feedback about our practice. We are gaining knowledge and confidence all the time.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, Ofsted raised six requirements. The registered manager has taken sufficient action to address these shortfalls. For example, the home environment is homely, safe and child-focused. In addition, staff work well to keep the child safe. The registered manager has worked hard to create a range of multi- agency risk assessments and protocols. As a result, the child receives consistent and joined-up care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child recently started at a new school. She has settled well and is making good progress. Staff work with teachers to provide the child with consistent support. Staff place a high value on education and work collaboratively with the child and teachers to overcome barriers to engagement. This proactive approach has set the Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 3 foundation for early education success. A teacher told the inspector, ‘Staff are really good at communicating. She [child] has attended 20 out of 21 sessions to date. Everything that we see between her and the staff is positive. She is making good progress.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work collaboratively with an external specialist health service and receive regular communication, consultation and advice. This provides the foundation for staff to offer children the specialist care that they require. As a result, staff better understand the impact of previous trauma on the children’s emotional health. However, this good practice is not always reflected in the quality of staff recording. For example, records of the child’s one-to-one support vary considerably in quality.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management strategies are effective, incorporating a positive, strength- based approach. Restraint is rare and is only used when necessary. On one occasion, staff did not clearly record why they used restraint. The registered manager had not identified and rectified this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work collaboratively to manage risks. For example, the child has left the home without permission on several occasions. Staff respond well to these incidents and work very effectively with other agencies to safely return the child to the home. Strong relationships with the police, clinical services and hospital staff are used to protect the child. However, on one occasion, staff did not seek timely advice when the child made comments that raised concern about her emotional well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to pursue opportunities that enable the child to play an active role in their wider community. For example, the child enjoys attending church and socialising with individuals who originate from her country of birth. However, the child told the inspector that she feels lonely. At present, the child is not socialising with other children during her free time. This means that the child feels isolated and misses opportunities to develop friendships. The registered manager is planning to address this issue by introducing the child to group-based activities. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2020 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 5

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to seeking appropriate advice in line with children’s needs. 25 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; 25 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 6 the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that staff clearly record the child’s behaviour leading to the use of restraint.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that records of children’s one-to-one support are of consistent and good quality. 25 April 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children enjoy a range of activities to reduce their sense of isolation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 7

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 1256135 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Suite Offices, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Earnshaw

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 9 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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