Children's Home run by 1848 Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: 2592531 1 Registered provider: 1848 Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, having moved there in August 2020 and July 2022. A third child lived at the home from April 2021 to July 2022

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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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

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2022

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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: 2592531 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2592531 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive and warm relationships with staff. These relationships contribute to children making good progress at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For example, one child told inspectors that they feel happy at the home and that staff understand and help them to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is in full-time education with good attendance. Staff communicate well with this child’s school ensuring that he receives the support needed to participate fully with his education each day. When children are not in education, staff support them to maintain good routines and engage with home tuition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know children well and understand their interests and talents. Children participate in a range of activities outside the home, including regularly going to the local gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make complaints. When complaints are made, these are investigated swiftly by managers. However, when concluded, individual complaint records are not always closed promptly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with children is done well at this home. Children’s views are recorded throughout their records, and they contribute to the development of their own plans. For example, children speak to staff about strategies that help them to manage their feelings. These strategies are then included in children’s support plans. Children also agree their own monthly targets and incentives with staff. As a result, children feel understood by staff and can see areas where they have made progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and homely. Children personalise and decorate their bedrooms and there are pictures of the children and their artwork on display throughout the house. One child enjoys spending time with animals and the home’s location means they can walk to feed the horses that live in the field next door. The home also has two pet cats, and the child has their own pet hamster who they care for themselves.

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

Children told the inspectors that they have positive relationships with staff. One child said they feel that staff are helping them to make progress.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and risks. For example, staff recognise signs when children are experiencing low mood and intervene to prevent some incidents of self-harm. When children do self-harm, staff respond swiftly and empathetically and in line with care plans and risk assessments. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592531 4 However, the staff team have not always responded consistently in seeking medical advice following incidents. The manager has identified this as an area of need and recently updated one child’s risk assessments to include clearer information in this area.

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

Moves in and out of the home take place in a planned and child-focused way. Leaders and managers have identified that more consideration is needed about determining that this is the right home for children alongside the needs of the current children and skillset of the staff team.

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

Since the previous inspection, six incidents of restraint have been recorded. When restraint is used, it is appropriate and to prevent serious harm. Debriefs take place afterwards for staff and children to reflect, and lessons learned are implemented.

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

Children have gone missing from the home on three occasions during this period. When children go missing, staff follow appropriate procedures, such as looking for children and encouraging them to return home.

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

When allegations are made against staff, appropriate procedures are followed. The manager identifies practice issues around staff following safeguarding procedures and takes action to address these quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home manager is an effective and child focused leader who has a good understanding of children’s needs and risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager regularly reviews incident reports and updates support plans for children when patterns are identified. Where opportunities to improve practice are identified, these are incorporated into risk assessments and daily practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the support and visibility of the registered manager and senior leaders in the organisation. Staff told inspectors that they feel valued by managers, and the staff team is long term and stable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication with external professionals is an area of strength in this home and used effectively to progress plans for children. For example, the manager has sought the input of local health services into one child’s care plan to ensure they receive a consistent response from medical staff when attending hospital.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is positive. They agree that children make progress and receive a good standard of care. Communication is good, and staff advocate strongly for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from a parent is also positive. They commented on the excellent communication from the home and said that their child is making good progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592531 5 Records are regularly updated and of good quality. However, the recording system for incidents can be complex to navigate. Managers accept this and are currently reviewing whether their recording system could be streamlined.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision takes place regularly, is reflective and encourages the development of good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive appropriate and up-to-date training and opportunities for career development. Training specific to the needs of the children in the home is identified and provided promptly.

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 16 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should continue to review the management of self-harm incidents. This should include ensuring that staff understand when they should seek medical advice and that risk assessments and care plans reflect this Inspection report for children’s home: 2592531 6 information clearly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)  The registered person should ensure that complaints are concluded and closed within a set time frame. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s system for recording incidents and safeguarding concerns is clear and accessible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2592531 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Old Bank Buildings, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AJ

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Inspector

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2592531 8 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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