Children's Home run by Utopia Children’s Services Ltd in North Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 1 Registered provider: Utopia Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post and registered with Ofsted since the home registered in June 2016.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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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 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. The three children living in the home have done so for between 18 months and three years. They are supported by a stable team of staff who know the children very well. As a result, the children have developed a good sense of belonging and have formed trusting and positive relationships. One child told the inspectors that they love living in the home and said that it is the best home they have ever lived in because they can be themself.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspectors observed warm and friendly interactions between the children and the staff. Staff demonstrate a particular strength in encouraging and supporting the children to engage in activities and new experiences. For example, the children have experienced their first summer holiday in Spain, going to sports events, and visiting their friends and families without the supervision of the staff. Professionals and a parent who contributed to the inspection are overwhelmingly positive about the children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When moving into the home, all three children found engaging with education a challenge. In response to this, the manager and the staff have advocated well for the children. As a result, the children attend college or work placements, and these are in part successful. For example, one child successfully completed a GCSE in photography and now has a part-time job. Staff recognise that some of the children continue to struggle to regularly attend college. When this happens, they make determined efforts to support them, and they work with others in finding alternative opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Individualised plans support staff to help the children to learn the necessary skills to live independently and to keep themselves healthy. All three children are actively engaging with learning in how to be more independent. However, the inspectors noted that one child continues to struggle to engage with health appointments. Plans to support this child’s mental health do not provide sufficient strategies to inform and guide the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a home that is comfortable and mainly homely. Some continued refurbishment is planned, and the manager is considering how the room that is used as an office can be made more homely and inviting.

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

The registered manager and the staff know the children well and identify potential risks and triggers. Plans for reducing these risks are detailed and effective. Since the previous inspection, the risks for the three children have significantly reduced.

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

Consistent and personalised responses by the staff mean that the children’s behaviours are managed well, and there is no use of physical intervention. Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 4 Inspectors observed compassionate and proportionate responses from the staff, which are also evidenced in the records. This has resulted in the children learning from their experiences.

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

Since the previous inspection, the three children enjoy a greater sense of freedom and unsupervised time away from the home. For example, they visit their friends and families, have sleepovers and make good use of public transport, all of which is risk assessed and managed safely.

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

All professionals who contributed to the inspection are confident that the children are appropriately safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and manages the home well. He has remained a stable influence in the home since it registered in June 2016. He has a strong commitment to improving the outcomes for the children and leads a team that is equally as dedicated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good presence in the home and supports the staff team well. Staff speak positively about the support, training and supervision they receive. They told the inspectors that they feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains quality relationships with all the professionals involved with the children. An independent reviewing officer spoke highly of the registered manager’s communication, which results in them feeling well informed about the children’s needs and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspectors found evidence of the role the manager and the staff have played in advocating for the children. For example, they have sourced employment for one child and found a local garage to support a child’s interest in mechanics.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring of the home takes place, and the records seen by the inspectors are mainly up to date and comprehensive. The manager routinely seeks feedback from professionals and incorporates this, alongside the views of the children, into the home’s development plan. The shortfall recognised by the inspectors that relates to a child’s health plan is noted by the manager, and he plans to improve this document. Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the children’s health plans are kept up to date. In particular, they must include strategies to help the staff to support the children to attend all necessary health appointments. 3 January 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression of the home. This relates specifically to the room that is currently used as an office. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 6

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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: 1236916 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Utopia Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 9, Wheatstone Court, Waterwells Business Park, Davy Way, Gloucester GL2 2AQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Louis Stuart-Kelso

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Inspectors

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1236916 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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