Children's home run by Homes2Inspire Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company, which is owned by a national charity. They provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022 and is currently undertaking the relevant qualification.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

p.1

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: 2515370 2

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

p.2

Findings from the inspection

◼ Leaders and managers failed to take sufficient action when a child made an allegation against a member of staff, during a physical intervention. While the registered manager debriefed and had oversight of the physical intervention records, the allegation made during the incident was not followed up.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

◼ Ofsted has not been notified of serious events as required by regulation.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

◼ The manager failed to ensure that temporary staff brought in to support a child at the end of their placement had the necessary recruitment checks carried out to ensure that they were safe and had the appropriate skills to work with the children.

p.2

Findings from the inspection

◼ There are shortfalls in the management oversight and monitoring of the home to enable recognition of these failures. This has not enabled effective action to be taken when there is a risk that a child may be harmed.

p.2

The care of children

Children moving into the home have been suitably matched to the skills of staff and the care that the home provides as outlined in the statement of purpose. Since the last inspection, one child moved on, as planned, into adult services, and two children, placed in an emergency, have also moved on from the home. One child has moved into the home and is the only child living in the home at present.

p.2

The care of children

Staff have regular key-working discussions with children that show how staff are building relationships, implementing boundaries and routines, and promoting children’s health, including hygiene.

p.2

The care of children

The child living in the home is positive about their experiences and feels that the staff are loving and caring. The child attributed the care received to preventing them from moving to a place where their liberty would be restricted more than they would want, and said that moving to the home was, ‘The best thing that has happened to me so far’.

p.2

The care of children

There are frequent episodes of the child going missing from the home. There are risk plans to guide staff when this happens. The child told the inspector that staff look for them when they go missing, are always relieved to see them, and provide food and a warm bath when they get home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 3 The child is engaging well in a reduced timetable at school but has not had consistent schooling before moving to the home and is slowly adjusting to the new timetable. The staff and the provider’s education specialist are supporting this transition.

p.2

The safety of children

During a serious incident that resulted in a child’s placement being ended, the child made allegations against an agency member of staff. The registered manager was unable to show that any action had been taken to report and investigate this allegation.

p.3

The safety of children

A further allegation against a member of staff was made and this was subsequently referred to the local authority designated safeguarding officer. The advice was that the matter should be treated as a conduct issue. However, there was no evidence that the registered manager addressed this practice concern as advised. Furthermore, there was no action to investigate this matter with the child.

p.3

The safety of children

There are shortfalls in the recruitment process for external agency staff. No safer recruitment checks were carried out on a staff member who had been brought in to support the end of a child’s placement. This represents a failure to ensure that they were suitably vetted to work with children or that they had the relevant skills to support children living in the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has systems to monitor daily records and the care provided by staff. However, there are shortfalls in the manager’s oversight of records. For example, where children have made allegations against staff, these allegations have not been fully responded to.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager has failed to notify the regulator of serious incidents relating to allegations, as required. This inhibits the regulator’s ability to have oversight of children’s care and the registered provider’s response to serious incidents.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff benefit from regular and supportive supervision. This task is shared with the deputy manager, and the registered manager quality assures records so that all staff are receiving good-quality supervision.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers

All staff have received mandatory training for their role and have been enrolled on the relevant qualification. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2022 Full Inadequate 09/11/2021 Full Inadequate 02/10/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 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— that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)) 28 April 2023

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(g)(ii)(h)) 28 April 2023

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 28 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 6 The registered person may only—

p.5

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 28 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House Valiant Office Suites, Swift Valley, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

p.7

Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2515370 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

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 .

p.8

Inspector

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 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