Children's home run by Homes for Support

Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to five children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (social and emotional difficulties). The site consists of a main house and an annex building that offers a place for quiet education and games.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection on 10 and 11 May 2022. As a result of the inspection, three compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, 13 and 14. In addition, a restriction of accommodation was put in place on 12 May 2022.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was completed on 21 June 2022 to review the progress in meeting the steps of the compliance notices. This visit concluded that insufficient progress Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 2 had been made in addressing compliance notices under regulation 12 and 14, and new notices were issued under these regulations.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A further monitoring visit took place on 2 August 2022 to review compliance notices under regulation 12 and 14. The visit concluded that sufficient progress had been made to meet the steps in both notices. The restriction of accommodation ended on 3 August 2022. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into a foster placement in his home community. This will help the child prepare for independence and be closer to his friends and relatives. Good transition planning ensured that the child had a positive ending from the home, including enjoying a leaving party.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving into the home are supported to do so sensitively, taking into consideration their past experiences. For example, the staff have undertaken specific training to allow them to support the children who have experienced bereavement. The children speak highly of their experiences of living in the home. When asked about the home, one child said, ‘I really love it.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children engage in education, and are attending school or other educational provisions. Children who attend education on a part-time basis are supported to engage with educational activities throughout the day. Staff support the children to attend and to achieve academically. One child achieved positive GCSE results, and other children are in a good educational routine. The manager and staff have good working relationships with schools and other professionals.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children explore their individual hobbies and interests and are supported to participate in after-school activities. One child regularly participates in boxing and basketball, another is a member of a local gym.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health and are registered with local health services. There are clear health plans in place. These plans incorporate the actions from their health assessments. Children who do not attend health appointments are provided with direct-work sessions to discuss the importance of attending health appointments. However, direct-work sessions do not always take place. Medication records are in place and staff document when medication has been administered. However, when children refuse to take their medication, this is not always recorded.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff complete regular planned and unplanned key-worker sessions with the children. Each child has an individualised support plan in place. Each plan contains strategies that staff can use to support children to manage their behaviour. Children have contributed to their individualised plan through discussions with staff. As a result of this, children have developed skills and strategies to manage their own difficulties and feelings.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted regularly, and their views, wishes and feelings are listened to and taken into account. Weekly children’s meetings take place, and all children actively take part in these meetings. The children are supported to suggest changes to the home, or make individual requests by completing ‘you say, we did’ forms. One child told the inspector that they requested a travel pillow for travelling to school in the car and staff provided this for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 5

p.4

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

Some children have been regularly missing from care. The manager and staff team are proactive in their response and the missing-from-care protocol is routinely followed. Assessments that are used to manage risks are robust and regularly reviewed and updated. These assessments work together with individualised protocols for when a child is missing from care. When a child has been missing, incident reports are detailed and include the action that staff have taken to locate the child. Children are consistently provided with return home interviews.

p.5

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

The manager is proactive in addressing behaviours of concern and ensures that regular strategy meetings take place to discuss the risks a child may be presenting. External professionals that were spoken to spoke highly of the manager and the deputy manager. A missing-from-home caseworker said, ‘It has been positive for [name of child]. They provide [the child] with stability and consistency. They regularly send me updated safety plans and keep me involved.’

p.5

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

Room searches are undertaken and are often linked to incidents when a concern has been identified. Room searches are suitably documented and detail what action has been taken. The records detail conversations that have taken place with children and include their views and feelings about why the room had to be searched.

p.5

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

Children can identify a trusted adult that they can talk to about any worries or concerns they may have. Children know how to make a complaint and can identify who to complain to if they were to ever have any concerns.

p.5

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

The manager and staff team know the children’s risks and understand them. Together, they identify and appropriately assess new risks. The manager and staff ensure that there are individual and up-to-date risk assessments in place, share the assessments with other professionals, and take into consideration their views on the effectiveness of the measures to reduce risk. Because of this, risks are managed effectively.

p.5

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

Holding a child to keep them safe is used as a last resort in conjunction with the home’s policies and procedures. Documents are detailed and contain the relevant information. Appropriate debriefs are completed with children, taking into consideration their views, wishes and feelings. The manager ensures that staff are provided with a debrief and an opportunity to reflect on the circumstances leading to a hold. Incidents are thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by the manager.

p.5

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

There is a consequence and reward system in place in the home. The system is used to promote positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour, while supporting children to recognise the effects of their behaviour on themselves or others. The manager evaluates consequences. However, at times, the consequences lack scrutiny, and it is not always possible to tell whether the consequence imposed has been effective in addressing the behaviours. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 6

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example. He is ambitious and has a clear vision for the home. He has high expectations for the staff team and its development. As a result of this, the staff work together to provide a consistent and stable home for the children. Staff speak highly of the manager and openly recognise improvements since he took over the management of the home. One team leader said, ‘I now know where I am at and know where I can develop. I feel that I now have direction and have been given more responsibilities.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has improved oversight of the home and makes good use of the home’s resources and tools available to him. The staff make use of an online documenting and recording system. This gives the manager full access to information about the home and notifies him when tasks have been completed or reports submitted. This level of access allows the manager to monitor information submitted, and to identify patterns and trends.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed effective working relationships with other professionals. When creating plans for children, the manager actively involves other professionals and takes into account their views, knowledge and expertise of the child. The manager regularly shares risk assessments, plans and information to ensure that children are provided with full wraparound care.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive ongoing training that includes mandatory training and relevant online focused training. The manager has also made good use of the team meetings, which occur monthly, to deliver some bespoke face-to-face training to support the development of good practice.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision monthly, and this is in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The supervisions are well planned and structured, and can be individual or as part of a group session. Those who receive supervision do so with a suitably experienced manager or team leader. Supervisors make good use of research and resources to support individual learning and development. The supervisions are reflective and provide a safe environment for staff to reflect on their practice, development or performance.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is clean and comfortable. The manager ensures that routine checks and fire drills are completed, which helps to keep the building safe for children. Children are happy with their bedrooms, which they can personalise according to their interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 7

p.6

What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, record the instances when children have been offered and refused medication. 28 December

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. In particular, to support children to attend their medical appointments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

p.7

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: 2592713 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, Cloister House, Riverside, New Bailey Street, Manchester M3 5FS

p.8

Inspectors

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2592713 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.

p.8

Inspectors

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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9