Children's Home run by Rising Star Homes Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2664086 1 Registered provider: Rising Star Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to one child with emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2664086 2

p.1

Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2664086 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has good relationships with the staff. The child said that the staff, his room and the house are all ‘calm’. As a result, the child likes living at this home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is central to decision-making. Staff have regular one-to-one sessions with the child. Staff gain the child’s wishes and feelings. The child feels he can discuss prominent issues with staff. Staff record all sessions well and write them directly to the child. This helps the child to feel listened to and included.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s care plans focus on the individual needs of the child. However, the current format, with separate folders covering different aspects of the child’s life, makes it more difficult for staff to quickly access important information. The manager is aware of this shortfall and plans to introduce a new template that brings all the information about the child together. This will make it clearer for staff to see the current plans and ways to work with the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain positive relationships with his family. This includes regular time with family and phone calls. Communication between the staff and family members is good. Therefore, the child maintains positive relationships with people who are important to him.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help the child understand the importance of learning. Staff and managers worked hard to gain the child a place on a college course. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘Staff went above and beyond regarding his education.’ Staff are currently helping the child to identify other options, such as alternative provisions, apprenticeships and employment.

p.3

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

Staff and managers have well-established relationships with the professionals involved with the child. This includes the social worker and a worker from the youth offending service. Communication between them is regular and clear. This ensures that plans are consistent and risks are well managed.

p.3

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

The staff have worked closely with the child regarding substance misuse. Staff discuss the risks with the child regularly in key-work sessions. Partnership work with other professionals and the child’s family is effective regarding this issue. Therefore, the child has consistent support from trusted adults to address this concern.

p.3

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

The manager and staff recognise the risk of child criminal exploitation. There are genuine concerns that the child could be at risk of or subject to exploitation. The staff team has received additional training in respect of this. It has enhanced the staff’s understanding of the subject, their ability to recognise signs of exploitation and their skills in helping to reduce the risks of exploitation. Inspection report for children’s home: 2664086 4 The child’s individual behaviour support plan addresses the main risks affecting the child. The plans identify triggers and provide guidance about how to respond to behaviours. This informs staff of the best ways to help the child remain safe.

p.3

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

Staff record all incidents in detail. There is management oversight of all incidents. The child and staff receive debriefs following all incidents. This helps staff to develop skills to minimise the number and level of incidents moving forward.

p.4

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

The manager needs to strengthen his recording in respect of safer recruitment practices. This will provide clearer evidence that all safeguarding checks have been completed before new staff are employed to work in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated. He knows the strengths of the home and what areas need to be further developed. His ethos is to provide the best possible service to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the manager supports them well and that they like working at this home. The manager ensures that staff receive regular one-to-one supervision. This has created an open working relationship, and staff feel able to discuss concerns with the manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a good working relationship between the registered manager and his line manager. The registered manager receives effective and regular supervision. The responsible individual is regularly at the home and knows the staff and child well.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds regular team meetings. The manager and staff discuss the child and life at the home in detail. There is also regular additional training and guest speakers who attend some meetings. This has included recent training regarding child criminal exploitation. As a result, team meetings are effective for both communication and staff development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has comprehensive quality assurance processes, which include daily, weekly, and monthly checks and audits. The manager regularly observes staff practice. This ensures that the manager oversees the delivery of safe and good- quality care to the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear development plans for the home. The manager is ambitious and seeks to continually develop the staff team and improve the care it provides to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2664086 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 care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that the child has a clear plan that staff can work to, to ensure children are helped, protected, and their welfare is promoted at all times. 1 May 2023

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This is specifically with regards to schedule 2 information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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: 2664086 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rising Star Homes Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 9 Realgar Court, Sittingbourne ME10 5JZ

p.6

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Hazvinei Manyonga

p.6

Inspector

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2664086 7 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.

p.6

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 . 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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7