Children's home run by Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 1 SC479596 Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is run by a private company. It provides care for up to seven children and young people with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home and one has arrived.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/03/2022 Full Good 25/09/2019 Full Good 09/05/2018 Full Outstanding 07/08/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build strong, trusting relationships with managers and staff. This provides them with security and builds their self-esteem. Children feel safe to express themselves. This allows them to accept help and learn to manage their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care is person-centred, and professionals, staff and family members referred to the ‘family feel’ of the home. The staff team is nurturing and supportive. This creates a calm environment for the children. Some children are starting to make friends in the house. The children wrote to King Charles III to express their condolences when Queen Elizabeth II died and were proud to share their reply.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff support them to go to school and college. Learning is complemented by independence skills they learn in the home. Children help one another with communicating. Some children prepared communication cards to help other children who were struggling to communicate effectively. This helps them to understand each other and learn to be considerate to others around them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families and can access advocate support should they wish to do so. This not only helps their sense of belonging, but it also means they have someone to support them to express their views when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are lots of games, toys and equipment in the home so that children can enjoy their leisure time. Photos in memory books and on notice boards show the fun that children have while on outings with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Bedrooms are decorated and equipped to meet each child’s likes and needs. They are light, clean and well decorated as are most other communal areas. However, some areas look worn, damaged and tired. These areas would benefit from repair and redecoration to make them feel more homely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are well equipped to provide the children with the skills which help them to prepare for their next steps in life. However, it is frustrating and can cause anxiety for children when there are no clear timescales for them moving on from the home.

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

Trained staff support the health needs of children competently. Managers and staff advocate for the children to ensure that they receive appropriate medical treatment, checks and reviews. This helps to keep them safe.

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

Staff understand the issues children may face. The staff consider the reasons behind certain unwanted behaviours they observe from the children. The staff are reflective Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 4 and seek to help children to understand their emotions. This supports the children’s emotional well-being.

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

Physical intervention has not been used since the last inspection. Staff understand the training they have received and feel confident to use it. They use de-escalation and other strategies to manage difficult emotions the children may experience.

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

Good multi-agency work helps reduce incidents over time. Staff from the home, local children’s mental health workers and social workers have close working relationships. This provides consistent support to the children.

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

Medication is generally stored and handled safely, but there has been one medication error. This was identified, and the details were shared with the regulator. Appropriate action is taken to keep children safe, with staff following updated procedures. Medication is signed in and out when required, and managers complete weekly stock checks.

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

Risk assessments for children are thorough and are kept under regular review. They reflect the current needs of the children and capture their history while remaining clear about current risks and actions that should be taken. However, impact risk assessments for the young people who remain living in the home have not been completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are held in high regard by professionals, families and the children. Managers are described as caring and nurturing. They are child-centred in their approach, and this reflects throughout the team. Children feel valued because of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff value the workshops that the manager organises specific to children’s needs. Therapists provide valuable input into these meetings. Regular, good and reflective supervision helps to consolidate staff learning and reflection around the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say managers are always available to them and lead by example. Staff feel well supported. Managers are open and transparent, and report concerns appropriately. Incidents are followed up in a timely manner and tracked, with outcomes shared with the team. This promotes consistent working among the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Multi-agency working with local children’s mental health services is strong. Some children have had medication reduced or changed through close liaison with the home. This has improved the quality of their lives and contributed to their sense of well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has had little response regarding transitions from local authorities. The manager has followed this up directly. Various external issues have contributed towards the delays in children moving on from the home. The manager continues to follow this up so that future plans are in place for children and young people. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 5 The home is good at gathering the views of children. The communication needs of the children have changed recently. The staff are exploring alternative communication methods to gather the views of children and incorporate them into the home’s monitoring and review systems. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)) 21 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that damage and repairs are routinely undertaken so that the children’s home is a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should identify the risk and impact of every child and young person living at the home on any children at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’)

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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: SC479596 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Treehouse Care Fostering Solutions Ltd, 107 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby, North East, Lincolnshire DN31 3ER

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Inspector

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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