Children's home run by Invested Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 1 Registered provider: Invested Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned and managed children’s home provides care for up to four children who experience a range of difficulties, which may include social and/or emotional difficulties. The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved into the home during this inspection period. They visited the home and met with the other children before they moved in, which has helped them to feel welcome. Transitions into the home are managed well and this supports children to settle quickly and develop relationships with the other children and staff. Children who have moved out of the home keep in touch with the manager and staff. This enables the children to maintain important relationships and access support from trusted adults should they need this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children of different ages and can adapt their approach to the needs of individual children. Staff can be playful and tactile with younger children, but also support older children with positive role-modelling and developing independence skills. Children build strong relationships with caring, nurturing staff, which helps children to have a sense of belonging in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate significant events and achievements in children’s lives. This means that the children feel treated as individuals and that they feel valued. Staff take an interest in every aspect of a child’s life and help them to recognise and celebrate progress. Staff encourage children to aim high and follow their interests. One child said: ‘I am much fitter. I attend college and I want to go to university.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of exciting activities and new experiences, including enjoying holidays abroad. Staff support children to access experiences that are individual to them. One child with an interest in music visited a record label and explored different careers in the music industry. Another child has been taking driving lessons and will shortly be doing their driving test. Staff are already thinking about how to celebrate this child’s success. This helps to develop children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are heard through regular children’s meetings, as well as daily chats and discussions. Children can make suggestions on how the home is run, what activities they do and what food they eat. Children said that when they suggest changes, they can see them happen. The registered manager and staff ensure that children can access an independent advocate if they want to. This gives children the opportunity to be involved in decisions that matter to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend their routine health appointments. Staff work hard to encourage healthy eating and work with each child to work towards a healthier diet. Staff encourage children to take regular exercise. As a result, the children are leading healthy lifestyles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Areas of the home need maintenance and repair, with visible damage and general wear and tear. Pictures, lamps and other decorative items have been removed from communal areas to help staff support the needs of one of the children. The other Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 4 children in the home said that this made the home feel less warm and homely. Children also said that the hot water in the bathroom is lukewarm, and that this means they are unable to enjoy a bath. The registered manager has been aware of this issue for several weeks, but no progress has been made. Children are living in a home that needs maintenance and has signs of damage. This means that they may not feel valued by those caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children have access to education or are not making progress from their starting points in education. During the inspection, some children did not attend education despite encouragement from staff. Staff did not offer structured activities throughout the day to offer routine and educational opportunities. Non-attendance in education is having a negative impact on their educational progress and social development.

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

Children say that they feel safe and happy living at the home and there is a proactive approach from staff to safeguard children. There are clear systems in place and staff are aware of safeguarding protocols. If children go missing from home, staff make sure that a local search is undertaken, and friends and family are contacted for information. This helps children to feel valued and cared for.

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

The registered manager and staff use technology effectively to safeguard children who are at higher risk online, or when unsupervised out of the home. Staff work with the children to develop their understanding of how to keep safe online and in the community, but also seek permission from children and their placing authority to monitor online activity and use location trackers on mobile phones. As a result, children are learning how to keep themselves safe online and in the community.

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

Risk assessments are personalised to each child and provide staff with clear actions to follow to manage and reduce risks to children’s safety. The registered manager and staff review these risk assessment documents to ensure that these reflect the most current risks to children, and detail recent incidents of concern. As a result, children are increasingly safe.

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

The manager and staff have good links with safeguarding agencies and other professionals working with children. Staff are proactive in requesting multi-agency meetings if safeguarding concerns are known and put plans in place to help keep children safe. This ensures that care planning in the home includes the views of all relevant agencies.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour. The infrequent use of physical intervention shows that children’s behaviour is managed effectively. Staff take immediate steps to prevent children from harming themselves or others. The manager ensures that arrangements are made to support the safety of all children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the needs of the children and is motivated to achieve positive outcomes for them. The registered manager has good audit processes in place to ensure that children are being supported effectively by staff in the home. The registered manager is supported by a stable staff team. Consequently, the children receive consistent care which helps to develop their relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a clear vision for the future of the home. The registered manager and leadership team strive to make improvements to better support the children. The registered manager is knowledgeable about relationship-based practice and supports staff to further develop their understanding of attachment, trauma and child development. The registered manager and staff team use verbal and non-verbal communication to de-escalate situations. This means that children can learn strategies to better manage their feelings and behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are recruited using procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. Thorough safer recruitment checks take place. Related recommendations that were identified at the last inspection have been addressed. This means that children are cared for by staff who are checked and have appropriate experience and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that all staff receive the training to help to keep children safe. Training and professional development opportunities are available to all staff. The in-house clinical lead supports staff to develop their understanding of children’s behaviours and the registered manager is proactive in supporting staff to access new training in emerging and changing areas of risk. This means that children are cared for by staff who have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that prompt repairs are made to damage within the home. 20 July 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children to sustain or regain their confidence in education and ensure that children are engaged in suitable structured activities if they refuse to attend school. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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, Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 7 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: 2584899 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invested Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Acklam Hall, Hall Gardens, Middlesbrough TS5 7BJ

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Inspectors

Lewis Roberts, Social Care Inspector Sue Atkinson-Millmoor, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2584899 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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