Children's home run by South West Childcare Services in Plymouth

Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 1 SC486167 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services Full 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 provider and offers care and accommodation for one child. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for one child who is experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since February 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the previous inspection, the same child has continued to live 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: none Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/08/2021 Full Good 30/04/2019 Full Good 01/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/07/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives reliable, sensitive and individualised care by staff who are motivated to provide the child with every opportunity to succeed. The child is at the centre of the team’s thinking and planning so that he has a positive experience of being in care. This has resulted in the child making encouraging progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s future in the home is secure until he reaches adulthood; this clear plan enables him to feel settled. The team helps the child to gradually increase his independence and emotional resilience so that he can move on to the next stage of his life. This includes helping him to get a summer job. The manager plans to keep in touch with this child and has done so with the child who used to live in the home. This ongoing contact helps children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since moving to the home early last year, the child has made good progress educationally. His education journey has not been without its difficulties and has involved the firm advocacy of the manager and a motivational, supportive and flexible approach by the team. This has resulted in the child being closer to realising his future career aspirations. He is now on track to achieve the grades he needs to move on to the next level college course.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family and friends are welcomed to the home. The child is supported wholeheartedly to see his family and friends and have positive relationships. Staff do careful background planning and preparation to support these arrangements. Staff enjoy taking the child and a family member on trips away. Family members spoke very highly of the care given to the child, and how well he is listened to and how staff strive to help him do his best.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has good relationships with the staff and knows that they want the best for him. His interests are celebrated and activities he may enjoy are carefully planned, so that they are relevant and interesting to him. He is equipped with everything he needs to pursue his hobbies and college work. A memory book and box are carefully maintained so that the child can remember his experiences in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The social worker and other professionals are confident in the manager and staff’s abilities to provide the finely tuned care that this child needs. The social worker said about the staff that the child is ‘always in their minds’ and spoke highly of the care provided.

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

The child has made big strides emotionally. Staff, through close listening and understanding, have enabled the child to communicate his fears and hopes, something that was not possible initially. The child is supported well by staff in Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 4 helping him to deal with complex feelings and life experiences, and by staff managing the risk of harm to the child. Staff are becoming increasingly confident in their responses to him to reduce this risk. While staff’s approaches follow the manager’s guidance and instruction, those approaches that are particularly successful could be shared more across the team to increase the extent to which the child’s needs are met.

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

The child struggles with the boundaries of being looked after safely and the implications of being in care, and does not want to feel different from children who are not in care. Staff work hard to ameliorate this, although there are some examples, such as appropriate access to Wi-Fi and decision-making about day-to- day tasks, that could be resolved to minimise the child’s frustrations further.

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

Overall, incidents of concern for the child are gradually reducing over time. If the child goes missing, or is in an unsafe situation, staff provide him with the help he needs in a non-judgemental way, so that the child can accept this help. The child feels safe with his team, and it is these relationships that are a significant factor in protecting him from danger.

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

Over and above the core safeguarding training required, the manager ensures that staff have the training, consultation and guidance that are particularly relevant to protect and help the child. For example, bespoke discussions with in-house therapists take place to consider the best way to support the child, and the manager arranges appropriate adult training for staff.

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

Staff are alert to any potential safeguarding concerns and the relevant safeguarding processes are appropriately followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong and positive role model who supports the child and supervises her team well. The manager is organised and proactive, and continually seeks to improve the quality of care given to the child both in and out of the home. She is an excellent advocate for the child and, through her concerted efforts, has helped the child to get the services and help he needs. This positive energy filters through to the skilled staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No members of staff have left the team since the previous inspection, which is indicative of the stability and continuity of care given to the child. Staff enjoy working in the home and are proud of the child’s achievements. They have regular and effective supervision, training and support. Team meetings are held monthly and provide sharing and learning opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment is homely, personalised and welcoming, and has been improved recently through renovation works. The child’s bedroom has been carefully decorated to his taste so that it is a comfortable space for him to relax in. Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 5 Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 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 the registered person provides personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (2)(iv)) The manager and the team should build on ways that they already help the young person by learning from each other regarding the best approaches to meet his needs and review any set practices. 1 August 2022

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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 children’s home: SC486167 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Sarah Canto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486167 8 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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