Children's Home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 1 Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four children who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The home is operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was appointed in September 2022, and they have applied to register with Ofsted and are awaiting a suitable person interview. The manager is working towards a level 5 qualification in leadership and management in the children’s workforce.

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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: 1257740 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2022 Full Good 29/10/2019 Full Good 22/08/2018 Full Outstanding 09/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children live in the home. Two children have lived there for a number of years. One child moved into the home in April 2022. One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection., which was an abrupt ending with immediate notice being served. This was due to the staff being unable to meet the child’s mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and has a family atmosphere. Children’s belongings fill the home, books and games are easily accessible and soft furnishings help to create a nurturing environment. Children personalise their bedrooms, which allows them to feel a sense of pride in their home and promotes their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they are happy living in this home and feel safe. One child told the inspector, ‘I love it here. I want to live here as long as possible. I don’t run away anymore.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in important areas of their life. This is because of the close relationships that they have with the staff and the consistent, individualised support they receive from them. Staff respond to children sensitively and with compassion. Children build trusting relationships with staff and are completing life- story work. Staff help children to understand their journey and develop skills that enable them to express their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of education. They work in partnership with schools and the placing authority to find children a suitable provision that reflects their learning needs. This helps children to maintain a daily routine that supports their academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of different activities. This provides children with the opportunity to gain new experiences and have fun. For example, one child has an annual pass for a theme park. Another child has joined the local football team and has been to watch his local team play.

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

Managers and staff place a high priority on keeping children safe. They work in partnership with placing authorities to protect children and promote their safety. The effectiveness of these relationships helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, and they have a good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures.

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

Children living at the home have complex needs and require constant care and supervision. Consequently, there have been no incidents of children going missing from the home and no concerns regarding exploitation. Staff receive regular training Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 4 in safeguarding and discuss their learning and understanding of safeguarding practices in their supervision sessions. This ensures that safeguarding practice is strong and remains a priority of the home.

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

Children have individual risk and behaviour management plans. Staff use de- escalation techniques to support children. The use of restraint is minimal and is always necessary, proportionate and a last resort. The use of restraint reduces over time. Staff work well with children so that children understand behaviour that may present a risk to them. This work has supported children to become increasingly safe.

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

The manager and staff demonstrate a great understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and the potential risks posed to them. Clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow are recorded in written risk assessments. This helps to ensure that children receive the support they require to minimise risk.

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

Staff and children have positive and caring relationships with each other. Managers and staff listen to children’s views. Children know how to make a complaint and feel confident to do so. As a result, children feel listened to and valued.

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

Staff ensure that the home environment is safe for children to live in. A range of health and safety checks are carried out to assess whether there are any hazards that could pose a risk to children. Children take part in regular fire drills and have personal emergency evacuation plans in place to ensure they know how to safely evacuate the home in case of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since September 2022. She is experienced and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. She holds some relevant qualifications for this role and is currently completing the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager keeps children at the heart of all she does. She is passionate and ambitious for the children and ensures that this ethos spreads through the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good knowledge of children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home. She is fully involved in children’s lives. She is clear about the progress that children are making and has high aspirations for what they can achieve. She is enthusiastic in her efforts to be a trusted person for children. This makes her a good role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is high, and they enjoy working at the home. One staff member told the inspector, ‘The manager is supportive; we really respect her. She makes us feel valued for the work we do.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 5 The majority of the staff hold the required level 3 diploma. A small number of staff are currently working to achieve this, and plans are in place to ensure that they complete this within the required time frame. Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems for the home are well established. This comprehensive oversight makes sure that all aspects of care and the running of the home are maintained to a good standard. This better assists the manager to identify concerns and make prompt changes to improve and maintain good standards of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that addresses children’s care and any practice or performance concerns. Team meeting discussions are reflective and provide a comprehensive overview of the progress made by children. This allows all staff an opportunity to discuss children’s progress, generate ideas and have a consistent approach to the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the independent person visits every month. The independent person provides Ofsted with reports in a timely manner. However, they visit when children are not at home, so children do not have an opportunity to share their views with them. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 6

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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 registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the independent person ensuring that children are consulted, by attending the home when children are likely to be there. 1 June 2023

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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: 1257740 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 118 Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent DE13 0UW

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 8 and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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