Children's Home, Residential special school run by Thornleigh Camphill Communities Limited in South Gloucestershire

Inspection report children’s home: 1226971 1 Registered provider: Thornleigh Camphill Communities Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to 12 children aged from six years old. Some children stay until they are 19, as part of their care plan. All the children have a wide range of special educational needs and/or disabilities and education, health and care plans.

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Information about this children’s home

Care is currently provided in two homes, which are located near the school. At the time of this inspection, two children were living here.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2021. His plan is to return to his previous position of responsible individual once the new manager is registered 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: 9 September 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 children’s home: 1226971 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/09/2021 Full Good 10/03/2020 Full Good 09/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1226971 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a committed and nurturing team of staff who understand their needs and behaviours well. Staff ensure that children’s views are captured in their records through individualised communication approaches, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System, choice boards and picture cards. Staff advocate for children about their likes and health needs. They help children to spend time with those who matter to them most, such as parents and siblings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are sensitively written with input from several health and education professionals to meet children’s diverse needs. Children’s plans clearly identify their achievements as well as areas for development. Children make progress with their confidence, independence skills and anxious or aggressive behaviours because of the help and consistency of care from staff. However, some children’s intimate and sexual behaviour plans need further clarity about how staff will support children so that their privacy is consistently prioritised, and staff clearly understand what their role is. Staff also need to ensure that they evidence meetings with parents and professionals and record their agreement to these plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a comfortable and clean home environment that they have helped to decorate. Staff make sure that children eat healthily. They buy mostly organic foods to promote children’s overall well-being. Children benefit from the park grounds surrounding them, where they enjoy camping and spotting wildlife.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move from the home, staff carefully consider plans that help the children to make the move as comfortably as possible. For example, children are helped to slowly adapt to their new home surroundings at a pace suitable for them with the support of staff. Staff take children for lots of visits, encourage them in new activities and celebrate their time at the home when they leave.

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

Staff ensure that children are safeguarded at this home through the robust support and oversight of the designated safeguarding lead. Staff receive regular safeguarding training that helps to remind them of their responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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

Since the last inspection, no children have been missing from the home and no allegations have been made against staff. If parents have concerns, managers ensure that timely and thorough responses are provided in line with their complaints policy.

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

Risk assessments are very comprehensive and identify risks for children in the community and as a result of their behaviour. These detailed assessments help staff to reduce potential harm to children. Incident records are of a high quality and Inspection report children’s home: 1226971 4 consistently capture the views and feelings of children through ‘reflective discussions’ and the use of social stories to help them understand what has happened and so that staff know how they feel. Staff use restraint as a very last resort and use the least restrictive method of intervention as possible. Records are completed well and there is good manager oversight of these records.

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

If concerns arise about staff as a result of action in their private lives, managers take immediate action to ensure that children’s welfare is prioritised. This includes notifying the local authority designated officer, suspending staff and initiating investigations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a strong understanding of the quality of care provided at this home and strive to make improvements for children. The registered manager and staff team work flexibly at times of crisis to ensure that children are provided with staff who know them and can respond appropriately to put them at ease when upset.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly experienced and has the required qualifications for the role. Staff speak highly of the skill set and commitment of the registered manager. Staff enjoy working at this home and work closely as a team, using their different skills to achieve the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment processes are strong, and this includes for those agency staff who work at the home. Reasons for leaving and gaps in employment are meticulously checked. This helps to ensure that the workers are properly vetted before working with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is captured in detailed recordings. Managers help staff to reflect on their practice and identify training needs and possible areas of improvement to strengthen the care provided to children. Managers ensure that children’s progress and needs are a strong focus during supervision to maintain a good standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy weekly team meetings to discuss any issues and strengthen working arrangements where needed. Professionals and parents speak highly of the skill set of staff, the frequent communication and standard of environment provided. Inspection report children’s home: 1226971 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ix)) 2 September 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: 1226971 6

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thornleigh Camphill Communities Limited

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Inspector

Anna Gravelle, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1226971 7 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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