Children's home run by Strive to Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 1 Registered provider: Strive to Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated children’s home provides care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home provides care for children from a variety of cultures and ethnicities with varying social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 7 December 2021

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 3

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outstanding

Children receive exceptionally well-planned care linked to the home’s therapeutic model of care. In partnership with external agencies, children’s individual journeys are developed into a highly detailed case study. These studies provide the staff with a greater understanding of the impact of children’s care experiences and how this can manifest in their daily lives.

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outstanding

Children are cared for in accordance with their needs, strengths, personalities and aspirations. Because of this, children thrive and make remarkable progress.

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outstanding

Children form extremely trusting relationships and strong bonds with the staff team. The children engage very well with staff and the professionals undertaking work with them. However, this work could be further enhanced by finding more creative ways for children to review and comment on this work.

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outstanding

Children come to this home with a history of educational disruption. Some children have not attended school for an extended period and have then successfully restarted their educational journey. The staff team works in close partnership with established education providers to develop detailed individual support packages. This level of support enables children to re-establish themselves in the educational environment. As a result, most children’s educational attendance has been excellent and they have good attainment.

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outstanding

Since the last inspection in December 2021, there has been one case where the home found difficulty in securing a suitable education provision for a child. The management team advocated for the child and escalated these concerns to the placing authority and the host authority. During this period, the child received a programme of daily formal tuition, demonstrating the staff’s determination for children to achieve.

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outstanding

Family contact is extremely well supported. The staff team works directly with the children and their families to help to build positive relationships and acceptable boundaries. This has proved to be successful. A family member said, ‘My brother is very happy. The staff help him maintain his faith and get into a good routine. He always has so many good things to tell us. If we have a meeting, the staff make sure there is an interpreter for my parents, and this makes them happy.’

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outstanding

Children’s health and well-being are prioritised in this home. From the point of referral, or when a medical condition is recognised, the management team takes prompt action to ensure that staff receive suitable training to support and manage specific health conditions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 4 Children in the home are from different faith groups. Each has their religious beliefs exceptionally well supported. Staff understand their individual beliefs and children are provided with prayer mats, Arabic prayer CDs and food in accordance with their principles. In addition, staff take time to ensure that children are supported to attend the mosque and take part in additional religious activities, for example Arabic community music groups such as the Darbuka drumming group. A child said, ‘I love drumming and I am very good at it. I have my own drums and practise a lot.’

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outstanding

Children are encouraged and supported to take part in community activities. Some children enjoy boxing and attending the gym, while others enjoy swimming and using the sauna. These activities have provided excellent opportunities for children to make positive and safe friendships in the community. One child said, ‘We get to do lots of things here. It is really good.’

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outstanding

This home promotes positive family values in a supportive, safe and happy environment. Children’s safety is prioritised. Robust risk assessments are created in partnership with children and the home’s clinical psychologist. The assessments provide the staff team with the necessary guidance and strategies to manage children’s individual risks. When concerns arise, staff work quickly to address the issue and minimise any potential risk to the child.

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outstanding

The children are supported by a range of external services. These services help the children to understand about risks relating to drugs and alcohol, knife crime, grooming and negative relationships. The provider has invested in a range of materials to support this learning through key-work sessions. Children engage in these sessions and have demonstrated reduced risks through applied learning.

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outstanding

Since the last inspection, there has been a consistent decrease in children going missing from the home.. In the past six months, there have been no incidents of this nature.

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outstanding

The use of holding children to keep them safe is rarely used in this home. There has been one incident since the last inspection. Extremely detailed records illustrate that incidents are thoroughly reviewed and scrutinised as part of the home’s reflective practice.

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outstanding

Staff work together with external professionals and the in-house clinical psychologist to develop individual children’s case studies. This work looks at the child’s overall lived experiences and how these have served to impact on how they see the world. A staff member said, ‘We can see why some children react or behave in a particular way. The case study helps us to understand how to work with them to get the best from them.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has resigned his position to become the responsible individual. The management of the home is currently being overseen by an acting manager and the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This children’s home provides a caring, supportive and aspirational culture in which children can thrive and grow. The children who live in this home receive informed and consistent high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training and development are prioritised at this home. The majority of the staff have successfully completed the diploma level 3 and are enrolled on the diploma at level 4. Senior staff members have completed the diploma at level 5. In addition, staff receive consistent and targeted training, including clinical input, to assist them in their work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A staff member said, ‘We receive the best training and are fully supported to learn and develop. We use research to aid our learning, and this has helped us develop children’s plans and care. Our children make fantastic progress. We are very proud.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The deputy manager and responsible individual provide regular formal and informal supervision. A staff member said, ‘Supervision is about reflective learning. We are tested on our knowledge and this makes sure we keep pushing forward to do the best for our children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team and children are supported by a clinical psychologist who provides guidance for staff and one-to-one support for the children. This professional input continues to enhance the already excellent work being undertaken with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has a consistent approach to monitoring the quality of care provided in the home and the positive effect this is having on the children living there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The care provided in the home is supported by and organised to reflect the theoretical framework of therapeutic parenting and attachment. Members of the staff team demonstrate that they work closely together to create an environment where children are safe, valued, respected and accepted. This is evident in the exceptional progress and achievements the children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose provides detail on the operation of the home and the services provided. However, information regarding the extent of the needs of children to be cared for in the home should be reviewed to ensure this corresponds with the home’s category of registration. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively encourage children to read their records and add further information to them. Children should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 14.6)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is reflective of the home’s category of registration. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that the person appointed to manage the home applies for registration with Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 12.2)

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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: 2598004 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Strive To Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 3BE

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Inspectors

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2598004 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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