Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It provides care for up to two children. The home cares for children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced registered manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 14 September 2021

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2021 Full Good 20/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 3

p.2

outstanding

The quality of individualised care and support provided to the children by the manager and staff is outstanding. Children live in a warm, loving home, with a strong family feel. Children feel safe and secure in expressing their views, fears and anxieties. With the support and guidance of staff, children have a solid foundation from which they begin to manage their behaviours and can explore their sense of identity. Children in this home develop emotionally and go on to make excellent progress because of the care they receive.

p.3

outstanding

Children make exceptional progress in education. Those children who have had long periods out of education are now attending and making outstanding progress. There are excellent systems in place to review the progress that children make. Effective partnership working supports children to achieve their full potential. For example, one child had not been in education for two years and now attends school five days a week.

p.3

outstanding

Children are supported to make life-changing improvements to their health and well- being. Staff have supported children to develop healthy lifestyles, resulting in one child losing a significant amount of weight. They have also worked closely with health professionals to implement medication reduction programmes. For example, one child has had their medication reduced, improving their overall well-being. Another child has been helped to manage health conditions that have impacted their day-to-day life. One staff member said: ‘The progress made by children is truly phenomenal.’ This is down to the total commitment of the staff team to always meeting children’s health needs.

p.3

outstanding

The dedicated staff team provides exceptional care. The high-quality care promotes excellent outcomes for all children. The staff use their knowledge, skills, and experience to meet the needs of the children in a nurturing manner. Staff morale is high, and they enjoy their jobs. One staff member said: ‘I love being here. We really are like a family, so it doesn’t feel like work.’

p.3

outstanding

The manager and staff have provided commendable support to help children rebuild relationships with their families. They have also helped children to strengthen new relationships with family members who have become important to their sense of identity. Children regularly stay overnight with their families and staff ensure that they are safely taken to these visits. The progress that children have made in this area is remarkable.

p.3

outstanding

Moves into and out of the home are very child centred. This is a real strength. Staff continue to go above and beyond, supporting one child who recently moved into semi-independent accommodation. This provides an additional support network for the child, ensuring they continue to progress. Should they need help, there is always Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 4 a familiar face available. Another child who lives at the home said: ` I am really happy here. It’s the happiest I have been anywhere. Staff really care about me here and I love it.’

p.3

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

Risk assessments and risk management processes are of a high quality. Staff know children well and identify potential risks and triggers. Plans to reduce risks are detailed and highly effective, providing staff with guidance on how to keep children safe. The therapeutic ethos and culture are reflected in the children’s relevant documents and records.

p.4

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

Children are supported to feel safe and are safe. Children have been carefully and sensitively supported to become more independent. This independence enables children to enjoy time in the community with friends. Over time, children have learned to view themselves as positive members of their community.

p.4

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

Working in collaboration with external professional agencies is a strength. This approach promotes the full involvement of the professional network around the child. For example, there is very good communication between the staff and school, and other professionals. A professional said: ‘They keep me up to date, I never have to ask for anything. They work so proactively; communication is fantastic.’

p.4

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

Members of the staff team use their skills and relationships with children to manage children’s behaviour. They are confident in this area of practice. There are very few incidents and restraint are only used as a last resort. Any incidents of restraint are documented well, and the manager provides a good standard of evaluation. However, one report identified a delay in a full staff debrief being completed. This impacts the ability to identify learning where necessary. Children are safe online. Staff carry out proportionate checks on children’s phones, as any parent would. They also carry out direct work with the children regarding online safety. The manager and staff have shown real persistence with children to help them stay safe when using social media and the internet. The manager has completed a detailed location risk assessment. To complete this, she canvassed the views of the local police and relevant professionals, gaining a

p.4

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

good understanding of the specific risks to children in the area. The assessment is informative for staff in the event of children going missing, as it highlights specific risks and vulnerabilities for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is experienced and highly skilled. She is passionate about providing the very highest standards of care for children. The manager has created consistency and stability, which has steadily contributed to significant improvements over time. Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 5 The manager leads by example and staff describe her as ‘amazing’. Staff feel cared for, supported, listened to and valued. As a result, staff turnover is very low. This means the children have consistency of care and the opportunity to form positive, meaningful relationships. The manager and her newly appointed deputy manager are an inspiration to the staff. They have inspired the team to provide an exceptional standard of care to the children. This has enabled children to flourish and achieve their goals. Children’s lives have been transformed due to the care they receive. The manager has robust monitoring and oversight systems. For example, when they

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

identified shortfalls in the recording of consequences, the staff completed additional training to improve their practice. This has led to a reduction in the use of consequences, with staff implementing a more restorative approach to educate children and enable them to learn from their experiences.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has recruited a diverse staff team. Each person brings their own skills and experience, which have been integrated into a consistent approach. The staff enjoy their work and see their colleagues as a ‘second family’. There is a thorough induction for new staff, and their progress is carefully reviewed. Any shortfalls in practice are met with a rigorous response and difficulties are worked through in a professional and accountable way. As a result, the quality of care for children is sustained over time.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular opportunities for further training and development. Training is relevant to the needs of the children. Team members benefit from regular supervision and appraisals, in which they feel able to discuss the impact of their work. This has helped to maintain a core team of stable staff who work cohesively and display exceptional energy and tenacity, which helps children develop and grow.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers take pride in children’s achievements, and always have time for them. Children who have left the home keep in regular contact with them to share their news or ask for advice, even long after they have moved on. This demonstrates the enduring nature of relationships and attachments that children develop with the managers and staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure records of restraint are kept that enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

p.6

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: 2537252 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Craig Whitchurch

p.7

Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2537252 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8