Children's Home run by Inspire Care (UK) Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 1 SC487764 Registered provider: Inspire Care (UK) Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who have experienced childhood instability leading to trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a newly registered manager. The manager has the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Inspection date: 24 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 24 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 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

The same child who was living at the home at the time of the last inspection continues to live at the home and is settled. Two children have been admitted into the home since the last inspection, with one leaving. At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All nine requirements made at the last inspection have been met. Managers now ensure that children are provided with an independent person to speak to following missing-from-care incidents. Health and safety measures are in place and regularly reviewed. There are, however, shortfalls that need to be addressed. As a result of this inspection, four requirements and one recommendation have been made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s education progress is not well supported. Both children who live at the home do not attend education. Staff and managers are not proactive in their efforts to encourage the children to engage in learning at home until this is resolved. For example, a suitable placement has not yet been sourced for one child and so a daily planner has been created for them to promote online learning throughout the school day. However, this is not always followed and the child is not encouraged to engage with it. Because of this, children do not make academic progress and are left without meaningful activity during the day.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers do not always plan well for new children moving into the home. For example, one child moved into the home with potential risks that could have affected the child already living at the home. The manager did not plan well for this and did not measure the impact effectively. Consequently, the new child left the home after just two days. This was not a good experience for this child and was unsettling for the child already living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager reflects on unplanned endings and has improved the quality of matching and impact assessments. Because of this, the decision to move another child into the home was well considered and the child has settled well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Positive behaviour is encouraged through the use of reward and incentive schemes. Staff use consequences to deter unwanted behaviours, such as damage to the home. For example, when a child damages a television, a consequence of financial penalty by way of reparation is used to repay some of the costs. However, such consequences are not always well thought through because staff do not take into account previous financial consequences implemented. This means that one child is required to repay funds from his weekly allowance for a period of up to 12 months. This is unreasonable and does not promote positive change in behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 3 Staff ensure that the home environment is safe for children to live in. A range of health and safety checks are completed to assess whether there are any hazards that could pose risks to children. However, not all children take part in regular fire

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

drills. Because of this, it is not clear that staff are assured that children know how to evacuate the home in case of such emergency.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements have been made to the environment. The home is decorated throughout in a neutral tone and offers a more inviting feel in communal areas. Damage is repaired promptly and window restrictors have been fitted to bedroom windows. Children are living in a home that provides a nurturing environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s relationships with staff and peers have improved. One child said that he likes the staff, and another child said that staff and the manager have helped him to mature and think about his behaviours. Furthermore, both children spoke positively about living together and said that they know staff would intervene if there were any concerns. However, children do not have individual behaviour management plans that inform staff of how to manage behaviour, which has resulted in police being called to the home to manage behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and managers develop positive relationships with children’s families and professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met effectively. One parent said, ‘Since the new manager has been there, [name of child] is like a new child, mentally and emotionally. He has good support around him; staff seem to go above and beyond for him.’ This good partnership working results in the children receiving good-quality, coordinated care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/10/2018 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are attending education provisions, and that when children are not attending education, they are provided with meaningful education until an education setting is found. 9 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children experience positive moves to and from the home. 9 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 6 No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that, if financial penalties are used by way of reparation, they are reasonable and fair. 9 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are encouraged to take part in fire evacuation drills. Where there are challenges or children decline, managers should seek alternative ways to ensure that children are aware of the evacuation procedure. 9 May 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home has an individualised behaviour management policy. This policy should describe the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour. This policy should reflect the individual children in the home and how their complex needs should be supported. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.33)

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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) Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 7 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Care (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 263 Nottingham Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 7DA

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Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 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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