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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1277304 1 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 provides care and accommodation for up to two children with social and emotional needs. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and was present at the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably qualified manager who registered with Ofsted on 24 August 2022.

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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: 21 December 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1277304 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/12/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1277304 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Following a period of change of managers and carers, the home now has a stable team. They provide a carefully planned and consistent approach to the care of children. Children presenting with complex needs and behaviour related to childhood trauma can progress and succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Plans for children to move into the home and for those moving on are well organised. A formal arrangement to offer ongoing support to a young person moving on has been so useful that this practice is to be adopted across the organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education provision is suitable. Children engage in a range of meaningful activities. During the summer, a child attended a summer camp daily. He particularly enjoys football and swimming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The carers work in partnership with many professional agencies and other stakeholders to ensure progression for children. Work replicated in a school reinforced to the child the seriousness of some behavioural issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare for children is good and is supported by child and adolescent mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and enabled to keep in touch with those important to them. A parent commented: ‘It’s a really good home. The staff are welcoming and friendly, I feel involved, and this is the best communication about my child I have ever had.’

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

Children are safe in this home. Risk is considered and assessed effectively. Children engage in age-appropriate risk-taking activities while being protected from unnecessary risk.

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

Children can make their feelings and wishes known and appear comfortable and happy in the home. They trust carers to act in their best interests. When children object to carers acting to protect them, the reasons are carefully explained.

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

Boundaries and expectations are in place. Carers have a nurturing approach to providing for the child. The use of physical intervention is limited, although some instances could probably have been avoided with the use of effective de-escalation techniques. The manager has discussed all incidents with those involved. This practice is intended to improve behaviour management and avoid the need to use any restraint. Inspection report for children’s home: 1277304 4 Bedtimes can cause some anxiety for a child. In response, the carers read stories and then sit just outside the door until the child goes to sleep. If the child wakes up in the night, the bedtime routine is repeated.

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

Since the previous inspection, there has been just one incident of a child being missing. Appropriate action was taken by carers to return the child quickly and ensure their safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home provides support as described in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has the trust and confidence of the care team and senior managers. Her approach is reflective and forward-thinking. Practice improvements are based on research. The manager has developed practice in this home which has since been adopted in others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Strengths and weaknesses of the home are understood and plans to develop practice on a continual basis are in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records are well kept and up to date. Some of the organisation’s pre-populated forms use stigmatising, institutional language, such as ‘client’ instead of ‘child’, or ‘service’ instead of ‘home’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is supported within a larger organisation with many resources. Several specialist professionals can offer guidance and inform practice. A clinical psychologist is involved in team meetings to help with behaviour management and the understanding of childhood trauma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive the support, supervision and training required to fulfil their roles and responsibilities to children. Bespoke training related to the needs of specific children is readily available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring of practice by the manager and senior staff as well as visits by an independent person, adds to the protection of children. Any shortfalls can be identified and addressed quickly to avoid any impact on children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1277304 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, avoid the use of stigmatising and institutional language in reporting templates. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4 )

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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: 1277304 6

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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

Janice Hawtin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1277304 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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