Children's Home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: SC467115 1 SC467115 Registered provider: Plus One South West Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company which is based in the South West of England. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home was registered by Ofsted in October 2022.

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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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC467115 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/10/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC467115 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living at the home is thriving, having developed good relationships with staff. Staff put the child at the centre of everything they do. Staff take time to listen to the child and have a strong understanding of their needs and wishes. This positively influences how they care for the child. The child has made good progress in all aspects of their life in the two years they have been in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming and meets the child’s needs. A large garden area is used by the child to enjoy barbeques with their family. The child’s bedroom reflects their likes and interests. Parts of the home have been painted by the child in colours chosen by them, for example the child’s games room, which they are proud of. There are photographs of the child on display in several areas of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys a range of activities inside and outside the home to help them build their confidence. Activities include visiting theme parks, a race day experience and trips to London. These experiences, alongside the care and help from trusted staff, support the child to grow socially and emotionally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child independently arranges their own healthcare appointments, which staff support the child to attend. Specific research has been undertaken by staff to help understand the child’s individual healthcare needs and how they can best support the child. The in-house therapeutic specialist supports the child weekly to develop valuable coping mechanisms and enhance their mental well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the importance of education and encourage the child to attend. The child is ambitious about their future and what they wish to do. Staff are motivated to support this by helping the child apply for apprenticeships and colleges to meet this desire.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child spends quality time with family members and has regular overnight stays with them, which the child really values. This supports the child’s identity and their well-being. Staff understand the importance of the child maintaining these relationships and work proactively with family to promote this continuity. In addition, the child has been supported to maintain some indirect contact with the child who previously lived in the home.

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

The child said they feel safe living in their home and trust the staff in the home to protect them and keep them safe. The child feels listened to and said that staff hear their concerns and respond to them appropriately. The child has not gone missing from the home, has experienced no adverse incidents, there are no safeguarding concerns and restraint has never been used. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467115 4 The child said they were happy living in their home. Staff support the child to take age-appropriate risks, develop their independence and learn new skills. This included cooking, and repairing and maintaining items in the home. The child is looking forward to using the train independently to visit family. Staff are supporting this child’s wish and recognise the important part achieving this aim plays in their continuous development and promoting their self-esteem.

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

Staff support the child to manage their feelings safely and to feel secure. Staff discuss with the child, on a one-to-one basis, how the child feels when they get upset or frustrated. Staff explore certain trigger points that identify how staff know when the child may need help to manage their behaviour. The knowledge that staff have gained through this work informs their practice, and has helped keep the child safe by preventing situations escalating to a point where the child could be at risk.

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

The child said the location of the home helped them feel safe. The home is secure and protects the child from harm. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed. However, some assessments are no longer relevant to the child and, therefore, should be removed to reflect the child’s development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a compassionate manager. The home is fully staffed by permanent, consistent and well-trained staff who know the child extremely well and can meet the child’s needs. Staff provided feedback to the inspector that they feel supported by the manager, are provided with necessary training, and benefit from regular team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about ensuring the home is maintained to a high standard. The child was proud of their home. Recent damage to the property was promptly repaired to ensure the home always remains and feels like a family home for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality supervision from the registered manager that focuses on their and the child’s needs. This supports staff’s emotional well-being, learning and professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child’s voice is documented across all their records, which is good. Records reflect the child’s achievements and relate to their future. Leaders and managers monitor the progress the child makes and can evidence the positive impact living at the home has had for the child. However, management oversight of these records needs to be more robust. The regular reviews that take place fail to effectively identify historic information that no longer applies to the child. The manager needs to ensure that records focus on the current needs of the child and their development.

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

Inspection report for children’s home: SC467115 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s records are clearly recorded. Historic information should be removed so that documents reflect only the current needs of the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: SC467115 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One South West Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Ana de Lamo Galletero

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Inspector

Gary Turney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC467115 7 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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