Children's home run by Within Reach Services Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2668747 1 Registered provider: Within Reach Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by a private provider. The home provides care for three children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022, when this home was registered.

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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 inspector 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: 2668747 2

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The care of children

Since the last inspection, two children have successfully moved on from the home, with good support from the staff team. One child has moved to adult accommodation owned by the provider, and the staff who were supporting them have moved with them to ensure consistency. Only one child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. Their flat has been decorated since the last inspection, and the child was involved in decisions about the themes and colours of the flat. The manager has reviewed processes for reporting maintenance issues. The staff team ensures that these are now identified more promptly and the manager ensures that they are responded to as a priority.

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The care of children

One child was due to move to the home shortly after this inspection. Staff have taken time to make arrangements for the child’s move to ensure that the move was well planned, and that the child was able to visit and meet with staff. The child’s flat has been redecorated and refurnished to a high standard, taking into account the child’s colour choices and interests. Staff were preparing the flat for the child’s arrival, making sure that everything was set up ready. A bespoke welcome pack was prepared and left in the child’s room ready for their arrival. The manager and the key worker have worked closely with all the agencies supporting the child to ensure that their move to the home was prepared for well. This planning acknowledged areas of risk, and allowed for last-minute changes to the child’s flat to ensure that it best met their needs.

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The care of children

Children form good relationships with the staff team around them and staff support children to talk about any concerns that they may have. Staff get to know the children well, and staff reflect this well in the detail of the children’s plans. Staff promote children’s views and advocate on their behalf. It is evident that children are listened to, and their wishes acted on when appropriate. The provider has supported one child to increase their engagement with education and the child is now spending more time with their tutor. The provider has also taken decisive action to find appropriate education for the child due to move into the home.

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The care of children

The staff team works closely with health professionals to support children in their care. These professionals spoke highly of the staff and what they achieve for the children.

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The safety of children

Following the last inspection, the manager reviewed records and introduced a new process and forms. This new process provides better evidence of oversight, review and challenge. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2668747 3 There have been five incidents of restraint recorded since the last inspection. Records of restraint are held in files with records of the incident and the debrief of children and staff. With the addition of the manager’s form, there is now a comprehensive record of each incident, and any review and evaluation.

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The safety of children

Detailed children’s records describe how staff will support and promote children’s health and well-being. Risk assessments are in place as required, and behaviour management plans describe how children communicate anxiety and distress in a clear and helpful way that supports staff to reduce intervention. It is evident that debriefing of children and staff, and the manager’s oversight, have allowed staff practice to be developed to better meet the children’s needs. This has included improvement in procedures for room searches and clarification about the use of police to support children when they are in distress or have left their flat without permission. The manager has introduced a system to monitor the use and involvement of police during incidents. The manager is also completing a learning review of all incidents when children have been missing from home to look for themes or trends that could improve practice.

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The safety of children

Concerns about staff practice are shared with the local authority designated officer as required. There have been no allegations since the last inspection. The manager now has records of all safeguarding concerns, allegations and complaints held together in a single file. The records evidence the action taken. The manager reviews the incidents and when she has identified themes or trends in practice concerns, has put in place appropriate actions to ensure that staff practice is kept under review and improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has changed how they have oversight of the home since the last inspection. While the manager has always reviewed all of the records, they could not demonstrate this sufficiently well at the last inspection. The manager introduced a manager’s oversight form to correct this. This is a helpful tool for leaders and managers to record how they have reviewed incidents, restraint or other records, and then record conversations with staff and children and their subsequent conclusions and evaluation or actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

A daily log has been introduced for each child. This allows all information to be brought together in one record. This log records significant events in the child’s life and also celebrates positive experiences. Staff write these records as if they are writing to the child directly; children’s social workers have praised this style of recording. When staff advocate for a child, or follow up requests with other agencies, staff now record this in a timeline so that it can be better monitored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider intends to introduce an electronic recording system. However, while this is being developed, the action taken by the manager has improved the current record-keeping in the home.. The records seen were comprehensive and provide an Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2668747 4 excellent overview of the child’s time at the home. The most recent manager’s report, as required by regulation 45, has also been updated to include an evaluation of what the home is doing well and what could be done better; these points have been used to develop actions for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staffing arrangements continue to meet the needs of the children living in the home. Staff training is monitored by managers and is updated as required. Children’s records reflect how much they trust and value those staff who have supported them consistently. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2668747 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2668747 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Within Reach Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham GL50 3AT

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Inspector

Kerry Fell, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2668747 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 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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Inspector

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