Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in West Northamptonshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. The home provides care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed, who is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

The manager and staff ensure that children attend school regularly. When children find this difficult, the manager and staff implement bespoke timetables to help children learn at a pace that suits them. The manager works closely with schools to increase their understanding of children’s needs. This enables them to provide children with the support they need in school and make progress.

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The care of children

Children’s time with their families is encouraged and supported by staff. Children can spend time with the people who are important to them. When family time is not possible, staff nurture the children’s friendships with peers. Staff try to ensure that children do not spend long periods of time in their bedrooms. Staff offer a variety of activities and opportunities to encourage and support children to pursue hobbies. These nurturing relationships with staff lessen any potential isolation children may feel.

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The care of children

Children’s care plans are thorough, individualised and regularly updated. They fully recognise children’s strengths and identities. These help the staff to understand what is important to the children. Consequently, children are cared for by staff who know them well and are emotionally attuned to their needs.

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The care of children

Children live in a home that is kept to a good standard and feels like a family home. Children choose how to decorate their bedrooms, and these reflect their personalities. This has contributed to children feeling settled at the home.

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The care of children

Staff do not yet understand the importance of using non-stigmatising language. Records fail to demonstrate a nurturing approach or responses to children at times. This had not been identified by the manager. Consequently, areas requiring improvement are not addressed and opportunities to make improvements are missed.

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The care of children

Staff support children to express their wishes and feelings. However, there is little evidence of children’s comments influencing how their care is provided or the wider development of the home. Children’s feedback is not always captured, and their views are not always recorded. This limits their participation in how the home develops. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 3

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The safety of children

Risk assessments are thorough and regularly updated. Risks are categorised and reflect the children’s needs and vulnerabilities. They provide practical advice for staff before, during and after incidents. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s behaviours and respond dynamically to risks associated with their behaviours. Staff refrain from shaming children and work to help them to understand why certain behaviours can be dangerous. Consequently, risk-taking behaviours exhibited by children have reduced.

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The safety of children

The manager and staff respond well if children go missing from care. The staff are proactive in searching for the child if they go missing. They ensure that all relevant external agencies are informed. This ensures that the child returns home safely. However, management evaluation of these incidents has not been completed routinely. This prevents lessons from being learned that may prevent reoccurrence.

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The safety of children

Complaints are managed effectively. For example, a child made a complaint, and a further complaint was made on the child’s behalf by their tutor. This has been thoroughly investigated. The child’s complaint has been responded to and discussed with them directly. One very recent complaint from a neighbour in relation to car parking has been addressed by the manager and was quickly resolved.

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The safety of children

The manager has developed a location risk assessment. However, the data contained within the assessment is out of date. There is a lack of evidence of consultation with relevant external professionals or agencies. This is a missed opportunity to reduce risk and to fully review the home’s location.

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The safety of children

The staff promote good behaviour from children through consistent praise and encouragement. When children display behaviour that challenges, the staff use effective de-escalation techniques which are specific to the needs of the child. This has resulted in a decrease in the use of restraint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager is new in post and has led the home through an unsettled period. He is preparing to submit his application to register with Ofsted. He is now being supported by a new deputy manager. They are motivated and eager to make improvements to benefit children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers have not ensured a suitably robust oversight of the home. They have not evaluated all records of restraint, and there have been occasions when missing- from-care reports have not been quality assured by managers. The new management team is implementing systems to strengthen management monitoring systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has experienced some pressures in recent months. These have included staff recruitment and retention and managing staff performance. Senior managers understood the impact of these issues and put additional measures in Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 4 place to support the manager. This has resulted in the home stabilising and these issues have now been resolved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff enjoy working at the home and feel well supported by the manager. There is a strong team identity and staff feel that they can rely on and trust one another. Staff receive a varied induction and comprehensive training programme. Specific training is offered when it is required to enhance children’s care. Children are cared for by staff who are well equipped to understand their experiences and manage their behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision. They have the space to reflect on incidents and share concerns about children. The manager recognises the impact of the work on their well-being, and staff can openly discuss their feelings. Therefore, staff feel valued by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has good relationships with external professional agencies. He is a strong advocate for children. For example, when one child was without an education placement for a prolonged period of time, the manager worked with the team around the child, escalating concerns to ensure that a suitable education placement was identified. The child is now making good progress in education. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/09/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s wishes and feelings are regularly sought and that they are provided with opportunities to give feedback on the home. 10 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers embedding monitoring systems within the home to improve the quality of care provided. This requirement is repeated. 10 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 7 The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that information contained in the home’s location risk assessment is up to date and consultation with the relevant agencies has taken place. 10 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Muchatuta

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Inspectors

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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