Children's home run by Happy Children Home Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 1 Registered provider: Happy Children Home Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider and can provide care for up to six children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced and is registered with Ofsted.

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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: 14 September 2021

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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: 1258894 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2021 Full Good 03/09/2019 Full Good 14/01/2019 Full Good 23/01/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children receive a good standard of care from a highly motivated staff team. When children move on from this home, staff say they continue to offer them support to help them to progress into adulthood. At least one of the children who has moved on has been successful and has their own house and a steady job.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff always cook meals with fresh ingredients. As a result, children eat healthily and learn crucial independence skills from positive role models. Children are encouraged to cook meals and bake cakes under the guidance of staff. When children become older, they have use of a separate kitchen area. Here, they learn how to manage more independently in a safe, semi-independent environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children in their care extremely well. Staff’s conversations at this home are always about the children, about their plans and progress, and about how to overcome problems when they arise. Staff know what approach to use with each individual child. For instance, one of the children responds well to humour, while others need a more cautious approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Cultural awareness is a strong theme in this home. The manager has developed a diverse team of staff. When individual children are following their religious beliefs, such as Ramadan, other children are encouraged to learn about this and to join in where appropriate. For instance, all children have chosen to eat at sundown together. They are also planning to celebrate the end of Ramadan. At other times, children have experienced and learned about new cultures, including cooking and enjoying meals from different countries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Local authority representatives say that they have made the right decision to place their child at this home. Effective partnership working with schools means that children work towards attending school full time as soon as they are able. This means that educational progress and outcomes improve for children at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote and encourage children to become successful young adults. They promote a culture based on a real-life model of care. For example, when children wanted new bicycles, they worked towards this with staff. Other children who follow a football team are working towards going to see their clubs’ grounds.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not consistently challenge older children to develop socially acceptable and healthy ways of living. One of the older children makes cigarettes in the home and uses inappropriate language. Staff have not considered the impact of this on younger and more impressionable children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a well-maintained, spacious home. They have good-sized bedrooms with their own bathrooms. They have a cinema room for relaxing. There is a gym and a good-sized garden with bikes and other play equipment. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 4

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

Staff know the children in their care extremely well. They understand their risks and vulnerabilities. Staff have access to numerous training courses and have regular, reflective supervision. Staff fully understand safeguarding processes and what to do if they are concerned about any child in their care.

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

Local authority representatives say this is one of the best homes they have placed children in. They describe the staff team as risk aware and not risk-averse. This encourages children to have ordinary life experiences. Risks are reduced because staff have developed strong and respectful bonds with children. Local authority representatives say that children’s risk-taking behaviours have decreased.

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

When children go missing from this home, staff follow a clear plan to locate them quickly. Robust and proactive multi-agency working is effective. When children have been missing for significant periods of time, staff work tirelessly to locate and welcome them home as soon as possible. Staff go over and above to locate children, sometimes in their own time.

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

When allegations are made by children about staff practice, managers ensure a comprehensive investigation takes place. An integrated approach to fact-finding and investigation is commonplace. Safeguarding agencies, including the police, are involved. Children and staff are provided with support. This means that children know they are being listened to. Support is given to both the child making the allegation and the person who is subject to the allegation.

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

Children are rarely held using a restrictive intervention. When this is necessary, the least restrictive measures are used to keep children safe. Prior to staff using a physical intervention, several methods to reduce challenging behaviour are tried. These are often successful. This is because of the strong bonds between staff and children that are based on trust and respect.

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

Children’s individual risk assessments are detailed and up to date. This means that staff are aware of each child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments show what action staff must take to reduce further harm. However, not all risks have been minimised for children. For example, children are known to be at risk of starting fires. Risk reduction strategies in this area have not yet been followed as set out in the children’s plans.

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

Managers ensure that fire safety checks are regular and effective. They have arranged for local fire officers to visit this home and provide information to children about the dangers of fire. Some children have also taken a fire safety course. This means that some children have been provided with information on how to be safer in this home. Older children who are preparing to live more independently have learned important fire safety skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is managed effectively by a permanent, suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. He is ably supported by two deputy managers. They lead a well-motivated and experienced staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the manager is there just for the children. They are overtly positive about the manager and say that he is an effective leader. Staff say that when problems arise, the manager is solution focused. Managers at this home are directly and fully involved in the children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have ensured that children are looked after by a consistent and regular team of staff. Recruitment is ongoing to fill some vacancies. However, the core staff group has been stable and is very experienced. When temporary staff are used, children are informed about this beforehand. This means that, wherever possible, children are cared for by staff who they know and trust. Children are notified when a new staff member will be coming to their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that children have several ways of making their needs, wishes and feelings known. Children contribute to weekly meetings. In these meetings, children share their views, plan activities and review their successes and challenges from the previous week. Children know how to make a complaint. When they do, managers act swiftly to deal with the issues. When required, managers share information with stakeholders. Complaints from children always receive a response. Learning from complaints is also embedded in care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undertake several training and development courses. These have included safeguarding children, physical intervention practice and social pedagogy. Additional learning takes place in team meetings. This means that staff are provided with opportunities to enhance their care practice and further enhance their skills and knowledge in working effectively with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are encouraged to develop from the beginning of their employment. After an initial safer recruitment check, staff begin an induction, which gradually helps develop their confidence and competence in their role. Staff supervision is regular. It provides opportunities for managers to check performance and for staff to confirm their knowledge about the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management audits of this home have not always been effective. They have not identified inappropriate games within the children’s communal living areas. For example, younger children have had access to a game they are not old enough to play. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 6

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

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to implementing risk assessments in response to environmental risks, such as fire. 20 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the children’s relevant plans. This specifically relates to staff not challenging smoking and bad language in front of younger children and staff allowing a game rated as 16 years or older to be accessible to younger children. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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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, Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 7 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: 1258894 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Happy Children Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Walk House, 99 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7LF

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1258894 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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