Children's Home run by HAVEN CARE GROUP LIMITED in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 1 SC474179 Registered provider: Haven Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of eight within the organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since October 2021. A new manager has been appointed to the home. The new manager will apply to register with Ofsted.

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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: 2 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/11/2021 Full Good 27/07/2021 Full Inadequate 23/10/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 22/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection in November 2021, two children have moved into the home and one child has left. At the time of this inspection, two children lived at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a good standard. Canvases and artwork are scattered around the home. Books and games are accessible, and a child’s fish tank in the lounge creates a homely environment. Children help with decisions of decor and children’s bedrooms are personalised. This allows for children to have a sense of pride in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about the care that they receive and build trusting relationships with staff. They informed the inspector that they feel confident to talk to the adults in the home about anything. Children are encouraged and supported by staff to engage in leisure activities; this enables them to improve self-esteem while having fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is attending school and is making good progress from their starting point. Another child is currently between education placements due to their complex needs. Staff are ambitious for the children and the manager ensures that children receive the education that they deserve. The manager attends regular education meetings with professionals to assess the support required, which has resulted in a new provision that is better suited for the child. Because of this proactive approach, children make measurable progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their health and well-being. When necessary, staff and managers seek specialist help and they have undertaken research to support the children they care for with their trauma. The multi-team approach means that children’s needs are responded to effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Training in attachment theory approaches is evident in staff practice. Staff use the principles of Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (PACE). The use of PACE is fully integrated by staff in their approach to children’s care and enables them to better understand the reasons behind some of the children’s behaviours. This model of care helps children to be more secure with the adults and enables them to develop the skills that are necessary for maintaining a successful and satisfying life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to stay in touch with people who are most important to them. One parent said, ‘Everything I ask for, they sort out. I am always made to feel welcome when I visit.’ This enables children to continue to have positive experiences with family and friends. Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 4

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

Children share their worries and concerns with members of staff, due to the close relationships that they have with them. Individual risk management plans are updated regularly to include any new information that can help to reduce risks. Risk assessments are completed with the individual child in mind and reflect the child’s own understanding of each risk. Staff follow the guidance in children’s plans and assessments well. Consequently, children feel supported and are protected.

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

The local Police Community Support Officer visits the home, which ensures good links between staff, the children and the police, and contributes to good risk management. Philomena protocols are completed and shared with relevant people. When children are missing from care, staff follow agreed protocols and independent return home interviews are routinely undertaken. The manager uses team meetings to refresh staff’s skills and knowledge to reflect on what action they would take in an emergency. This is a proactive approach to reducing risk for children.

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

Staff de-escalate incidents well. There are instances when staff need to use physical intervention to keep children and others safe. The manager reviews the staff’s handling of challenging incidents to continually improve practice. Reflective debriefs are completed with staff members involved which support staff’s learning and development.

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

Managers recruit staff safely. Staff are vetted and assessed before any appointment is confirmed. These safe recruitment procedures help to ensure that children are protected by preventing unsuitable adults from working in the home.

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

The previous manager did not ensure that allegations were followed up appropriately in line with child protection procedures. For example, following allegations of harm made against staff members by a child, these were not investigated by the former manager until highlighted by the new manager of the home. The new manager came across this shortfall during her audits of the home and actioned this immediately, following the correct procedures. Incidents which led to the allegations had been witnessed and no further action was necessary. However, not following due process had the potential to leave children vulnerable to harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager for seven months. A manager was recruited and had applied to register with Ofsted, but left before the process was completed. A new manager has recently been appointed and is now in charge of the home. Staff speak highly of the new manager, and say that they feel supported through supervision and confident in the direction that she is giving them about how best to support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight and monitoring processes are largely good and ensure that standards are kept. Managers have good insight into the home’s strengths and areas Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 5 of development. Audits are routinely completed with clear action plans to drive improvement. When weaknesses have been highlighted, such as not promptly following up on allegations, these have been actioned at once.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of staff hold the required level 3 diploma. A small number of staff are currently working to achieve this and plans are in place to ensure that they complete this within the required timescales. Staff are also provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervisions are regular and are of good quality. These help staff to generate ideas and to reflect on their practice. New staff are supported through a clear, effective induction process. This ensures that children receive high-quality care from skilled and well-informed staff. However, there is one member of staff who has supported other homes in the organisation and has not had supervision for three months. This has the potential for that member of staff to feel unsupported, and they have not been provided with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak positively about their working relationships with staff and the manager at the home. Good professional relationships ensure that children’s needs are met effectively. One social worker informed the inspector, ‘They are brilliant in terms of supporting [child] and have sought additional training to support them. All I can ask is that they carry on doing what they are doing.’ This partnership working results in the children receiving good-quality and coordinated care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is visited by an independent visitor each month, who visits the home and produces a report highlighting their opinion about whether children are safe and their well-being is promoted. The reports are not provided to managers or Ofsted for a period of over two months after each visit. This delay prevents the provider from taking prompt action as necessary and the regulator from having oversight of practice in the home to help ensure that children are sufficiently safeguarded. Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that leaders, managers and staff respond to allegations and safeguarding concerns in line with the organisation’s child protection procedures. 30 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to reports from the independent person’s visit being provided to Ofsted in a timely manner. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC474179 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Haven Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Haven Care Group, Unit 6, Barberry Court, Parkway, Centrum One Hundred, Burton-On-Trent DE14 2UE

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Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC474179 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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