Children's home run by South West Childcare Services in Plymouth

Inspection report for children's home: SC486167 1 SC486167 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for one child. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for one child who is experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since February 2021 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC486167 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2022 Full Good 25/08/2021 Full Good 30/04/2019 Full Good 01/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC486167 3

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outstanding

Dedicated and dynamic staff support the child’s identity, interest and talents to enable them to achieve their aspirations and to flourish. The child has made significant progress from their starting point in many aspects of their life. One family member said that staff had supported their relative to exceeded their expectations of what they thought they were capable of achieving right from the start.

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outstanding

Staff are committed to ensuring the child enjoys regular, meaningful time with their family. Staff make considerable efforts and persistently advocate for the child to help to ensure that strong family relationships are maintained. One relative commented that the overall care their loved one receives from staff is outstanding.

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outstanding

Staff unreservedly place the child at the centre of everything they do. Staff enthusiastically spend valuable time with the child, inspiring them to fulfil their potential and to experience extremely positive outcomes. The child has formed solid and trusted relationships with staff and has developed a strong sense of belonging. A consultant psychiatrist remarked that staff have provided the child with a stable home where the child feels safe and is able to express themselves. The child’s health and well-being a top priority. They do all they can to ensure the child’s physical and emotional health needs are met. Staff liaise effectively with medical professionals to help ensure the best outcomes are achieved. This has included paying privately for a health appointment so the child’s needs could be met quicker, recognising the negative impact the wait was having on their mental health. A nurse who visits the

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outstanding

home commented that the manager and staff are quick to contact relevant health professionals and are persistent in asking for help to meet the child’s needs.

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outstanding

Great importance is placed on ensuring that the child, who is soon to move into adulthood, has developed all the skills they require to safely live independently. Staff are meticulous in their approach, and through their support, the child has gained an good understanding of how they can best protect themselves from harm. This gives the child the best possible chance to succeed in their future.

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outstanding

The staff team go above and beyond to ensure new children move into the home with minimal anxieties and fears. Staff are innovative, robust and sensitive in their planning. This ensures any new child is welcomed into the home in the best possible and most meaningful way, and it supports the child to have a sense of permanence right from the start.

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outstanding

Inspection report for children's home: SC486167 4 An highly skilled and knowledgeable staff team work tirelessly to ensure the child remains safe and is protected from harm. Staff receive bespoke training tailored to the child’s individual needs, which gives staff the skills they require to provide exceptional support. Through this, staff have gained an in-depth understanding of the child’s complex needs. They know exactly how to manage and support these needs to ensure sustained improvements in the child’s life.

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outstanding

Staff successfully promote positive behaviour and are careful not to be punitive in their approach. Instead, the child is supported to have a voice by highly inquisitive staff who set clear boundaries to help keep the child safe. Staff discuss any incidents that occur with the child, so both the child and staff can learn from mistakes made. Staff engage in purposeful conversations with the child to learn exactly what they need to do for the child in order to de-escalate incidents quickly when they arise. Staff then confidently support the child to manage their feelings safely and feel secure. This strong and protective response from staff has enabled the child to develop coping mechanisms that have helped them to significantly reduce self-harm. The staff’s professionalism has helped ensure that restraint has never had to be used.

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outstanding

There is strong collaborative working between the home and partner agencies. An accomplished registered manager confidently challenges services when appropriate to ensure that the best outcomes for the child are achieved. Risk assessments effectively address all known vulnerabilities, are constantly reviewed and evidence clearly where risks are being minimised. The child’s placing social worker commented that staff do remarkably well in responding to the child’s changing needs and keeping them safe.

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outstanding

Staff support the child well to take age-appropriate risks. Staff are very flexible in their approach and adapt their practice to enable the child to safely fulfil their potential, for example by extending a set curfew time that enabled the child to take part in a music festival. Proactive safeguarding practices by competent staff have enabled the child to develop a strong sense of safety and maintain their identity. The child spends meaningful time with their friends and family in the community without any unnecessary restrictions. This enables the child to thrive in their interests and hobbies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads by example. The manager uses the child’s aspirations and dreams to set a culture in the home that all staff work vigorously to achieve. The highly regarded registered manager is inspirational in their approach. Their strong leadership abilities underpin the whole ethos of the home and ensure that excellent care is consistently delivered to improve the child’s life and enable them to flourish. A family member stated that the manager is amazing and incredible and that staff do everything they can to support their relative. Inspection report for children's home: SC486167 5 The caring registered manager interacts with the child and staff with affection. The child is supported by a consistent staff team that delivers high-quality care. Stable and strong relationships have developed between the child and staff, which has had a positive impact on the good progress the child has made. The child’s placing social

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

worker commented that the manager and staff are tenacious in doing all they can for her child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has continued to improve the home over a sustained period of time. Staff expressed their pleasure at the opportunity given to them to work at the home and showed a strong desire to succeed. They receive motivational supervision that encourages them to go above and beyond in their practice. Staff have regular access to a highly skilled therapeutic team to support their development and enhance their own mental well-being. Training is of a high standard and tailored to meet the complex individual needs of the child. Professionals spoke highly of the skilled staff who provide care to the child and the positive difference they make to enhance the child’s life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has developed cohesive working relationships with partner agencies. A consultant psychiatrist commented that the manager was excellent, second to none, and that the communication between them and the home was of a high quality. However, the manager’s relationships with the local authority virtual school and college that the child attends are not so positive. However the manager has continued to be a strong advocate for the child.

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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: SC486167 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Gary Turney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC486167 7 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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