Children's Home run by Central and Southern Homes Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 1 Registered provider: Central & Southern Homes Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager is not registered with Ofsted. They have resigned and plan to end their employment at the end of May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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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: 15 November 2022

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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: 2611536 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2022 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/11/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress while living at the home. All children engage in education and are doing well. One child does not currently go to a school; they have a personal tutor who comes to the home four days a week. The child has made excellent progress and now enjoys learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make positive friendships and socialise in their community. They learn healthier ways to manage their emotions and deal with conflict. Disagreements have occurred within the home between the children. These are managed well by staff and reconciliation meetings take place to repair relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and from the home are well managed. Since the last inspection, one child reached the age of 18 years and moved to supported accommodation. Despite the home receiving limited information from adult services, they sensitively helped the young person prepare for the move. Moves into the home are well planned, and children know what to expect when they arrive. The children told inspectors they felt welcomed and knew what to expect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between children and adults are a key strength of the home. There is evidence of warmth, compassion and patience. Children trust adults in the home to be honest and look out for them. The inspector saw children laughing and joking with carers, seeking affection from them and discussing their concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented and has a lovely atmosphere despite being an unusual layout. There are lovely spaces for children to chill out, exercise, study and socialise. Children’s rooms are decorated to their liking. The rooms where staff sleep are clean and functional but could be more comfortable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s identity needs are well considered by the team. Staff seek the child’s view of their culture and identity so that there is a clear understanding of their needs. Staff have thoughtful conversations with children to explore their uniqueness and help them understand differences.

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

Risks to children are well considered and managed in the home. Children’s plans and risk assessments are detailed and clear, and they provide good strategies for staff to respond effectively to children. Staff know children well and understand their behaviours and triggers.

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

Restraint has been used 13 times with one child to prevent them from injuring themselves or others. These are used as a last resort when talking and distraction have not been effective. The team engages in fortnightly therapeutic reflection with a clinical psychologist to help them find other ways to respond to the child and Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 4 reduce incidents of restraint. The effectiveness of staff responses to the child is being well monitored to help reduce the severity of the incidents and how frequently restraint is used.

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

The home has safe practices in place to facilitate the storage and administration of medication. There are robust auditing processes in place to check accuracy and competency.

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

Staff have access to a variety of training that they report to be helpful in developing their skills. They also receive regular support from a psychologist. During these meetings, staff discuss their queries and concerns in relation to the care they provide children. Staff spoken with by the inspector said that they found this invaluable, and it had helped them develop new strategies and gain confidence in their role.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. There are clear policies and protocols in place to safeguard children that staff understand and know how to follow.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has made steady progress since the previous inspection. Leaders and managers have taken action to build on the strengths and identify any vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work well with other agencies to provide plans for children that are tailored to their needs. They challenge external professionals when plans are not working for a child or the resources are not made available. When they experience resistance from other agencies, they support the child until more appropriate solutions are found, or they help to make moving on as smooth as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has safe recruitment practices in place that mean appropriate adults are employed to work with children. One member of staff has left since the previous inspection. The home has not had a registered manager for over a year. The current manager has withdrawn their application to register with Ofsted as they have resigned from their position. They are due to leave at the end of the month. Leaders recognise that this will have a significant impact on the children and staff, as they are well respected and will be missed. A manager from a sister home, who is known to the children, will be temporarily taking over responsibility while efforts to recruit a suitable replacement continue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has received one complaint from a parent since the last inspection. Leaders responded to this effectively, speaking with the individual and working with them to reach a resolution.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that staff receive regular, reflective supervision that supports their well-being, monitors practice and drives improvements. Team meetings are used to Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 5 share information and new ideas. Staff said that they loved working at the home and feel valued by leaders and managers.

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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: 2611536 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Central & Southern Homes

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pitmaston House, Malvern Road, Worcester WR2 4LL

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Inspector

Penelope Kutz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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