Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2591708 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It provides care for three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022 and is suitably experienced.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 3

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outstanding

Three children live in the home. All children have been living in the home for a considerable amount of time. Children receive exceptional care from a passionate and dedicated staff team. Staff are knowledgeable and attuned to each child's needs. Staff provide children with a stable, warm and loving home. Every child has made substantial and sustained progress from their original starting points. They are attending education, have improved relationships with family, and incidents have dramatically reduced.

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outstanding

All children say that they like living in the home, and that they are happy and safe. They are extremely positive about the staff and how well they are cared for. Staff and children are proud to celebrate their individual and shared successes. These positive relationships and experiences have resulted in children living in the home for some time. This supports children to feel safe and secure and develop a sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Staff persistently encourage children to try new things and develop hobbies and interests. Children have tried indoor skydiving and water zorbing. One child is attending cadets and church weekly. They have recently been baptised. This child told the inspector that these activities have helped her to make friends in the area. Another child said that they had been on ‘the best holiday ever’ with staff. Sharing activities enables children to grow in confidence and improve their self-esteem. They also help to build relationships with carers and support them to improve their social skills.

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outstanding

Children are supported to be successful and make considerable progress in their learning. Staff’s approach to children’s education and learning is highly effective. Staff have high aspirations for children. They ensure that children have access to education that is appropriate to meet their individual needs. When children are unable to attend school, staff are proactive in securing an alternative provision. All children are now in education. One of the children is thriving with a specialist education provider. Their attendance has improved, and they now enjoy going to school.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are well managed. The support that staff provide to children to maintain their physical and emotional health is excellent. Staff work with external agencies to meet all children’s care and health needs. One child who did not like to attend medical appointments and had never been to a dentist, now attends regularly. Staff support children to access mental health services. Health plans are comprehensive, detail key information and provide staff with clear guidance on how to support children’s physical and emotional well-being. This approach enhances positive health outcomes for children. Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 4 Staff understand the importance of children’s voices being heard. Children’s views are highly valued by staff and managers. Children have many opportunities to have their say through general chats, children’s meetings, and extensive key-working sessions. The manager has made the complaints procedure easier and more

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outstanding

accessible for children. Children are aware of the complaints procedure and were able to reflect on times where staff and managers had acted when they have raised concerns.

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outstanding

Staff provide children with opportunities to influence the care and support that they receive. They also have the space to share and talk about their achievements and reflect on and learn from incidents. This means that children feel valued and listened to, and they are supported to build trusting relationships.

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outstanding

Staff go above and beyond to promote positive relationships between children and their families. They understand that these relationships are integral to supporting positive outcomes for children. For example, when a local authority was considering moving a child far away, the manager advocated to keep the child close to their family. This tenacity has resulted in the child now working towards a reunification plan with family. A member of this child’s family informed the inspector that the communication is ‘excellent’ and they have a good relationship with the staff. They said that the manager is ‘amazing’ and that the child has ‘come on leaps and bounds’. This level of support ensures that children maintain positive relationships with those who are close to them.

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outstanding

Managers and staff have positive regard for the safety and well-being of children. Children’s written plans are comprehensive and kept up to date. Detailed behaviour support and safety plans provide staff with clear guidance and strategies to support children. The oversight of managers is highly effective in ensuring that staff always have up-to-date guidance.

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outstanding

Staff are clear about their responsibilities to protect children. When there are safeguarding concerns, staff and managers take immediate action. They are diligent and follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures to keep children safe. Collaborative working with professionals is highly effective. Information is shared swiftly to avoid delay and ensure that children are protected from harm. Safeguarding records are thorough. They detail the outcome of any concern as well as any further action needed.

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outstanding

Children are safer and risks have significantly reduced since they moved in to this home. Staff are extraordinarily successful in supporting children to reduce their risk. Children have gained a good understanding of risk, which has helped them to mature, build emotional resilience and keep themselves safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 5 When children go missing from the home, staff respond quickly. Staff follow robust protocols. Staff thoroughly search for children, working with police and professionals to ensure that children are promptly found. When children return to the home, staff are caring and supportive. They talk to children to find out the cause and look at ways to prevent a reoccurrence. Return-home interviews are completed by an independent person. Staff work with children extensively to understand the dangers associated with going missing from home.

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outstanding

Staff’s approach to behaviour management is excellent. Physical intervention has not been used in the home. Staff use de-escalation techniques well to diffuse situations. Staff and the manager have extensive knowledge of the children and their risks. They use this alongside their experience and understanding of children’s behaviours to work restoratively with children. The manager has thorough oversight of incidents and ensures that staff and children reflect on all incidents. This creates a culture of reflection and learning for all. It supports children to feel safe, secure and more confident in their relationships with staff.

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outstanding

Staff support children to take appropriate risks to develop their social and independence skills. One child is working on managing budgets and household tasks. This is getting them ready for moving onto semi-independent accommodation when they will receive less staff support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since November 2021. The manager has created an open and inclusive culture that places children at the centre of practice. She has an excellent knowledge of the children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an ambitious and inspirational leader. She leads by example, providing highly effective leadership. She has created an environment where everyone can succeed. She has high aspirations for both children and staff, and will go above and beyond to help them to reach their potential. This leadership inspires staff to provide exceptional care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent oversight of the quality of care that children receive. There are robust monitoring systems in place. The manager completes regular audits to scrutinise the performance of the home and children’s outcomes. She uses these extremely well. She also uses independent person assessments and child- centred development plans to continuously develop the service and ensure that staff’s practice consistently exceeds the standard of good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that children have a stable and skilled team of staff, who can meet the needs of the children. She supports the staff team extremely well, valuing the importance of staff development. Staff receive high-quality supervision and annual appraisal. The manager ensures that staff have personal development plans in place to help them achieve. Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 6 Team meetings are regular and reflective. During team meetings, the manager will often complete imaginative tasks with staff to help staff to gain an insight into how children are feeling. This enables staff to understand children better. Staff value this approach. One staff member told the inspector that they have never worked under a manager they can approach so easily and have never felt so supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager takes responsibility for her own learning and development, including keeping up to date with new initiatives. She understands that the quality of children’s relationships with staff is integral to the progress children make. She has researched and introduced systemic practice to support staff to gain a better understanding of family relationships and how these impact on children's behaviours. This has made an exceptional difference to the lives of the children. They are now benefiting from improved relationships with staff and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and the manager work closely with other professionals to ensure that the care provided to children is well coordinated. The manager will challenge those who are not meeting children's needs, or when she feels decisions are not in the best interests of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is good. Social workers were extremely positive about the progress that children have made since living at the home. Everyone who spoke to the inspector said that the communication is excellent. The care afforded to children is exceptional. They were highly complementary of the manager. One social worker told the inspector that the staff were the best professionals they have worked with. They said that (Name of child) has made amazing changes and that (x) views and feelings are at the heart of everything they do.’ Another said that staff are creative around education, and that when the child was missing, staff went ‘above and beyond’ to look for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is a home that staff are proud to work in and that children are happy to call their home. Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 7

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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: 2591708 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2591708 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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