Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. The home provides care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced manager who 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: 11 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/06/2021 Full Good 18/11/2019 Full Outstanding 17/12/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and manager ensure that children receive the right support services when required. As a result, children are helped to make sense of their past experiences and the impact on their behaviour. This helps them to feel secure and have an increased understanding and awareness of themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a warm and nurturing environment. When children decide they do not wish to spend time in the communal areas, staff ensure that they communicate with the children to ensure they are safe and well. Staff know where the children are and that they are safe. Staff are visible and, as a result, children are never isolated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms. The manager has supported one child to decorate their bedroom. This has continued to support their emotional well-being, as well as the development of practical skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage children to engage in education. When children are not receiving formal education, staff support them to engage in education-focused activities. This encourages children to engage in education and helps them make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to undertake activities that interest them. Some children have friendship groups outside the home and spend time with these friends. This supports children to develop a wide range of positive friendships and promotes their social development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When new children move to the home, these moves are planned to ensure minimal disruption for children already living at the home. Likewise, those who are leaving are well supported with plans that are progressed at the right pace for the child. The manager and staff understand the importance of careful planning to making transitions successful. One child who had recently left the home said, ‘All the staff are supportive.’

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

Staff and managers place the welfare and safety of children first. They have good awareness and understanding of the children’s individual vulnerabilities, risks and needs. If children make threats to harm themselves, information is collated, the risk is reviewed and staff are briefed on how to keep these children safe. Children are confident when speaking to staff about their feelings and emotions. This means that children can speak to staff about risk issues. This ensures a culture of openness and transparency in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 4 The manager ensures that any complaints or grumbles from children are followed up and managed effectively. The manager and staff have used the complaints process as a vehicle for encouraging children to communicate with staff and external professionals.

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

The manager has formed good links with relevant external safeguarding agencies. Concerns are shared appropriately with these agencies. When children are missing from care, the managers ensure that there is a coordinated response to locate and bring them home safely. Also, safeguarding is discussed in team meetings. This provides opportunities for staff to have a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities. However, this is not yet fully embedded into the practice of the team. On one occasion, staff did not follow procedures and failed to escalate a potential risk to the relevant professionals.

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

Staff know when children enter and leave their bedroom using surveillance equipment. The manager has not yet obtained consent from the placing authority or the children to use surveillance mechanisms.

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

Leaders have not ensured that a member of staff was recruited in accordance with safer recruitment protocols. For example, there was a poor evaluation of references during pre-recruitment vetting. This does not provide leaders with the breadth of information they may require to be certain of the prospective employees’ work history.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very well supported by the deputy manager. They are both committed to providing children with the best care and strive to ensure that children have good outcomes. The manager is organised and knowledgeable about the complex needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and are positive about their roles. Managers ensure that team meetings take place regularly and are productive through focusing on the things that matter most to children. The current needs of children are discussed in some depth, and staff feel able to contribute to the meetings. Consequently, this helps keep morale high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that staff have access to a wide variety of training and development opportunities. This begins at the staff induction and progresses throughout their career. This means that staff have regular updates to their knowledge and skills. Staff development is enhanced by upskilling staff in understanding the specific needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that temporary staff are not used. The existing staff team cover periods of absence. This prevents unfamiliar adults from caring for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 5 The quality of recording following incidents is not always sufficiently detailed. Records fail to provide clear and accurate details of events. This prevents strong management oversight. As a result, managers cannot assure themselves that incidents have been managed in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that the home has an up-to-date fire risk assessment. However, its recommendations have not been followed. For example, some fire doors are damaged and require replacing. However, decisions have been made to repair the identified doors instead of replacing them. Any repairs will need to ensure compliance with the fire door regulations and ensure the correct level of protection. Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that all fire doors are maintained and repaired or replaced in appropriate timeframes. 1 September 2023

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers embedding monitoring systems in the home to improve the quality of care provided. 1 September 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— 4 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 7 the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that devices are not used on children’s bedrooms doors without the permission of the placing authority and children being informed of the intention.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 1 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 8

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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: 1256061 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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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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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1256061 10 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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