Children's home run by Total Care Matters Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 1 SC449954 Registered provider: Total Care Matters Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home cares for up to four children presenting with emotional and/or social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is qualified and registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2021

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2021 Full Good 15/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/06/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides children with a good standard of care and a range of positive experiences. Children often live here for several years and make good progress. When children leave the home, they benefit from positive endings and keep in touch. This is testament to the trusting relationships formed between staff and children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with children, giving them opportunities to share their views. Children know how to complain and always receive a thorough response when they do. The manager ensures children understand what has happened as a result of their complaint. This validates children’s opinions and gives them a voice in their care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children attend school and have good attendance. Those who have previously struggled in education make good progress. Staff have a strong educational focus and are ambitious for children. They communicate regularly with education professionals. This promotes improved educational outcomes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff always treat children with respect. They respond sensitively to children’s individual needs relating to gender identity, family history and race. Specialist help is provided for those children who need it through a variety of therapeutic resources. This helps children to develop a positive view of themselves and helps build emotional resilience.

p.3

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

Overall, safeguarding practice is good. However, on one occasion, an investigation into an allegation was not handled quickly enough or in line with statutory guidance. While no direct harm came to the child, support for her was not robust enough. A subsequent notification to Ofsted about this matter was not made in a timely manner. This prevented the regulator from promptly evaluating safeguarding practice.

p.3

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

When children are the victims of bullying, a strong and proactive response reduces the risk of harm. Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and work hard to keep them safe. Regular and effective liaison with placing authorities contributes to good care planning. Consequently, children feel safe and protected from harm.

p.3

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

Any risks associated with children going missing from home are well understood. Clear plans and well-coordinated responses reduce the risk of harm over time. For one child, a revision to their risk assessment and care plan helped them to develop independence while also protecting them. The support provided by staff means children become increasingly safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 4 Behaviour management strategies are very effective. Staff have not needed to use physical intervention to manage behaviour for several years. Staff are skilled in supporting children to regulate their emotions and behaviours. This reflects a settled group of children who receive good care.

p.3

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

Staff appreciate the significance of a child’s online identity. When children make a mistake online, staff are understanding and use this as a learning opportunity. Staff have regular conversations with children about how to keep safe online and make good use of available resources. These well-developed strategies support children to become safer online.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a suitably experienced and qualified manager. A deputy manager is working towards attaining the relevant leadership and management qualification. Staff speak positively about their managers and say they benefit from their open and approachable management style.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers welcome feedback from others to improve the care experiences for children. Managers make regular attempts to ascertain the views of children, families and stakeholders, so that continuous improvements can be made. This enables managers to be clear about the home’s strengths and areas for development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers work proactively with other professionals. They build good working relationships with placing authorities and education providers. They always provide detailed reports to children’s meetings and ensure attendance at important events, such as care reviews and education reviews. This helps to secure positive outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Many of the staff team is new and so professional development has been a priority. This includes accessing a broad range of training. Some of this has been specific to children’s needs, such as gender identity and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children. All eligible staff who have completed probation are now working towards the required qualification.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A small number of children’s files contain institutionalised and stigmatising language. Managers recognise the negative impact this could have on children when they read their files. Assurances were given to the inspector that swift action will be taken to improve this. Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This is with specific regard to the effective and safe handling of allegations. 5 May 2023

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff should be 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)  The registered person should ensure that Ofsted and other relevant persons are notified if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home that the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’,

p.5

Recommendations

page 63, paragraph 14.9) Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 6

p.5

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: SC449954 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Total Care Matters Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 230 Bathley Street, The Meadows, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 2ER

p.7

Inspector

Rachael Sprigg, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC449954 8 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

p.7

Inspector

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8