Children's Home run by Treetops Children’s Homes in Derby

Inspection report for children’s home: 2660783 1 Registered provider: Treetops Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a newly appointed manager who is not yet 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2660783 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2660783 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of this newly registered home. The building is homely and in keeping with a family home. The home is nicely decorated. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their tastes and liking. However, children should be helped to keep their bedrooms tidy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are considered by managers and staff. Children choose their weekly menus and any activities they want to take part in. Staff have regular discussions and key-work sessions with children. One child also has an independent advocate. This provides opportunities for them to share their views, wishes and feelings about their lives in the home. The manager has plans to start regular children’s meetings to further enhance the opportunities for children to contribute their views to the home they live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive outcomes from their starting points on first moving to the home. For example, a child’s previous harmful behaviours and episodes of going missing are now rare. The child now engages in education, which is provided at the home. These changes signify a significant improvement and progress for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into or on from the home are very child-centred. This is a real strength in this home. A new child recently moved into the home and is settling very well and building good relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have developed good professional relationships with key external professional agencies. Professionals speak highly of the home and the outcomes for children. Children like living here. One child said, ‘This is the best placement that I have ever been in.’

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

Staff are developing strong relationships with children. This enables children to discuss their feelings, worries and concerns with those caring for them. Despite it being a newly established staff team, staff know children well and this helps children to feel settled and reduces negative incidents.

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

Staff understand how vulnerable children can be when they use the internet and social media platforms. The manager and staff have good oversight of the use of devices to ensure children’s safety while online. In addition, staff educate children through key-work sessions about the safe use of the internet, preparing them for adulthood.

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

Children are kept safe. Staff have undertaken safeguarding training. Staff know what to do if children go missing from care. Children said they feel safe at the home. The external professionals spoken to said that children are safe and doing well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2660783 4 Risk assessments are not yet sufficiently detailed. Although risks are correctly identified, the risk management strategies to reduce and manage risks are vague and lack robustness. Despite this, children are safe and staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities of children.

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

The home uses a therapeutic approach to support children. This approach is fully embedded into care practice. This means that children not only make progress with their emotional well-being but also that there are very few incidents. There are also clear and consistent rules and boundaries for children. Staff are open and honest with children. This also adds to the child’s strong sense of safety and security.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The newly appointed manager is enthusiastic about her role and in providing the best possible care for children. She is well supported by her manager and the staff team. She has high aspirations for children and knows them well. The manager leads a culture which puts the children first.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported. One member of staff said, ‘It’s the best home I’ve worked in, and management are very supportive.’ Team meetings are used well to share information about children’s emerging needs and to develop strategies to support children. This ensures that staff are fully involved in decision-making and can share their expertise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In addition to receiving their mandatory training, staff have also had child-specific training to meet the needs of individual children, for example, training on gender dysphoria and transitioning, self-harm and suicidal behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff have received good-quality reflective supervision. Supervision is of a varying standard and children are not always discussed. Management oversight of supervisions, risk assessments and safer recruitment checks needs some improvement. There is, however, good management oversight over other aspects of the service. The new manager inherited these issues and has taken immediate steps to improve these areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is reflective, thoughtful and seeks to improve her practice. There is a willingness to accept that things may not work, but also a real desire to get it right for children. As a result, children receive care that meets their current and emerging needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2660783 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to management oversight and monitoring of updates to risk assessments, safer recruitment checks and the quality and frequency of staff supervision. 30 November

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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: 2660783 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Treetops Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Pradip Panchmatia, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2660783 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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