Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 1 SC489970

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Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to four children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 30 November 2021

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 22 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 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 sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are four children living at the home. One child recently moved in, and one child was moving in on the day of inspection. One child’s risks had not been thoroughly considered before she moved in. As a result, the manager is now unsure if the home can meet her needs, which may result in an unnecessary placement breakdown.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not ensured that staff have been provided with specific guidance about how to manage bullying incidents. Anti-bullying strategies are not providing either the victim or the perpetrator of bullying with the support and advice that they require.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following a significant incident, the manager did not carry out a review and did not facilitate a staff debrief. As a result, there has been little learning from the incident. This has not helped staff to develop their practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not ensured that all risk assessments reflect current risks to children or provide staff with risk management strategies. This could leave children vulnerable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has improved the children’s records so that they do not use institutionalised language. However, staff still use such language verbally, when talking about the children. This does not help children to feel valued and cherished by staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are making progress in education. The children’s engagement with education has improved. For example, one child, who had not engaged with education before moving into the home, has a plan to start education soon.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Protective strategies have been put in place to carefully monitor children who are vulnerable to substance misuse. As a result, substance misuse is reducing. Staff are proactive. For example, they make prompt referrals to specialist substance misuse agencies to ensure that children have access to all the services that they require.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage missing-from-home incidents well, and these incidents are reducing. They work with placing authorities to ensure that children receive independent return interviews and that these are recorded. One child who was going missing from home regularly before moving in is no longer leaving the home without staff knowing. Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 3 The manager has met two of the three requirements that were raised at the full inspection. These relate to behaviour management and children’s records. One requirement is restated in respect of care planning. Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/10/2019 Full Good 26/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure staff have clear guidance on how to manage bullying incidents and that victims of bullying have a support plan. Additionally, that perpetrators of bullying are educated about the impact of bullying and that there is a clear message that bullying is unacceptable. 6 April 2022

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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)) 6 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 6 In particular, ensure that children’s individual risk assessments reflect current risks to children and clear actions that staff need to take to minimise risks to children.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that incidents are monitored and reviewed to inform staff practice. 6 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to ensuring that the matching of children’s needs takes place before admission. 23 March 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff avoid the use of institutionalised language. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that the garden does not have rubbish in it, the front door is repaired or replaced and that communal areas are maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC489970 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Coach House, Drinsey Nook, Nottinghamshire LN1 2JJ

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 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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