Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 inspire Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It provides care for up to three children with complex needs who have experienced trauma and loss.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2022.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2022 Full Good 02/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in this home. This child has been living in the home for nearly two years. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs. Staff provide individualised care that helps the child to develop their confidence and build positive relationships with staff, adults and peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Through using a nurturing approach, staff help children to make progress. Staff support children to increase their independence skills, attend school regularly, and maintain relationships with the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in a range of activities to help them to keep active and socialise, so they feel less isolated. The child told the inspector that they enjoyed a recent day trip to a monkey forest, and how staff were encouraging them to attend a local youth club. The child said that she particularly enjoys watching a range of programmes on T.V.’, although she also takes part in activities such as roller skating. Staff continue to seek out activities for the child. As a result, children learn how taking part in activities promotes a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s views and wishes. Staff are aware of the child’s wish to maintain her connection to her faith and culture, and they have attended church with her to promote this. Staff have not yet identified a church that the child feels a cultural connection to. Staff are good at ensuring that the child has access to foods that she enjoys that are associated with her cultural heritage. As a result, staff continue to seek out culturally linked activities to assist the child to maintain connections with their culture and language.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to remain in good health. Children are registered with local health services, and access health advice and medical treatment when required. Staff encourage the child to attend routine and specific health appointments. As a result, staff promote children’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s décor provides a warm, family-friendly environment. The displays of photos in areas of the home capture positive childhood memories. These, alongside pieces of artwork that acknowledge the child’s cultural heritage, give the child a sense of belonging and pride in her home.

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

The staff have a good understanding of children’s risk management strategies. Staffing ratios are high to provide the required level of support for the current child. This means that when incidents occur staff are able to take appropriate action to protect the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 4 Safeguarding incidents are rare. Staff encourage the child to share any worries and fears they have. On the occasions when the child has left the home without authorisation, staff take appropriate action to follow the child and encourage them to return home. Staff are generally able to address any frustrations that the child has before they escalate. As a result, incidents have reduced and the child feels safe.

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

The manager responds to complaints immediately. If these do occur, the manager and staff prioritise the safety and well-being of children. Leaders progress investigations promptly and share outcomes with children in line with the provider’s protocols. As a result, children feel supported to make complaints when they are unhappy about care they receive.

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

Overall, staff respond well to safeguarding incidents. However, there was one incident when staff failed to follow the provider’s protocol relating to sharps. This placed the child and others at potential risk. Once this breach was known, staff acted appropriately to retrieve the item.

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

In general, staff record incidents clearly. However, some of the terminology used lacks clarity. In addition, some records do not identify the triggers that contribute to incidents escalating. This does not help to inform and improve staff responses in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate, motivated and keen to develop the service. Staff are positive and feel supported by the registered manager. They receive regular supervision sessions, and the manager encourages the staff to reflect on their practice. This, alongside team meetings, new staff’s comprehensive inductions, and training, contributes to staff development and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff work together to provide children with a stable, nurturing, and supportive environment, where children’s needs are met. Children are supported to work towards reaching their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are complimentary of the care that the registered manager and staff provide. A headteacher commented on how supportive the home is of the child, and how the home ‘supports school to work in a trauma-informed way to meet the child’s needs’. The headteacher highlighted the progress that the child had made, and commented that ‘[Child’s name] is now fully engaging with education and has a more positive sense of self, which has increased her confidence. As a result, they are making positive progress at school.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff communicate effectively with professionals. In addition, the manager has good systems in place to keep professionals regularly updated. This means that the child benefits from well-coordinated care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 5 The home is currently short staffed, and the recruitment of staff is being progressed as a priority. As a result, the manager has worked several shifts to support the care of the child. This means that the child receives consistent care from staff who know her well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the manager has good oversight of records and incidents. However, on one occasion, the manager had not updated a child’s risk assessment recording for several months following an incident. Consequently, records used to inform and update staff practice relating to this potential risk were not complete. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff consistently using the provider’s sharps protocol to ensure that potential risks are reduced for the child and others. 31 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that following an incident risk assessments are updated in a timely manner to ensure that staff practice is updated and consistent to keep children safe from harm. 31 May 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 7 information. (‘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: 1256135 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kathryn Scoltock

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Inspectors

Sharon Bourne, Social Care Inspector Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1256135 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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