Children's home run by Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 1 Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and cares for up to three children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 7 February 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, they are welcomed with sensitivity. Staff take great care in the planning and transition process, ensuring that individualised direct work is completed. This helps to ease any anxieties or worries children may have and provides them with opportunities to get to know staff individually. As a result, children feel valued and cared for.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to school or educational provision. However, not all children attend education regularly. The manager works closely with schools and other professionals to identify creative strategies to encourage children back into education. When children do not take part in their planned education, they are encouraged and supported to take part in educational activities in the home. This helps to maintain structure and routine in children’s lives, and maintains some learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are strong advocates for children. Children know how to make a complaint and are supported to do so. As a result of this, children feel listened to and that their complaints are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff know the children well and actively promote their welfare. Children have been supported to build trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. The manager ensures that children’s views, wishes and feelings are fully embedded in their support plans. These plans are regularly reviewed and updated in line with children’s individual needs and incorporate actions from care plans and personal education plans. However, the most up-to-date copies of some children’s plans are not available for staff in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s linked therapist visits the home twice every month and provides consultations for the staff. Children are also provided with bespoke direct work that focuses on attachment and trauma. As a result of this regular input, staff’s practice is developing and children are being offered therapeutic care.

p.3

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

Some children have regularly been missing from care. Assessments that are used to manage risks are robust. They are regularly reviewed and updated in line with external guidance from the local police. The manager and staff team are proactive in their response and the missing-from-care protocol is routinely followed.

p.3

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

Some children are involved in risk-taking behaviours when in the local community. Staff are trained in keeping children safe. They have a great understanding of safeguarding practice and can take decisive action when risks have been identified. The manager ensures that there are individual up-to-date safety plans in place Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 4 which support staff to manage and mitigate risks. As a result, risks are reducing for some children. However, for those children whose risks remain high, the appropriate external agencies are involved and additional support is provided.

p.3

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

Staff help children to safely manage their behaviour and feelings. Staff communicate well with children and can support them to self-regulate. There are clear boundaries in place, and children are supported to understand what is safe and acceptable. The manager ensures that positive behaviour is regularly promoted and rewarded.

p.4

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

The manager makes effective use of internal systems to monitor health and safety in the home, including fire safety. Children are aware of how to safely evacuate the home and regularly practise this with staff. However, staff often wedge the fire doors open during the day. This restricts the measures in place to help to reduce the spread of fire.

p.4

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

Staff carry out direct work with children. This often takes place after incidents have occurred. There are occasions when staff carry out planned direct work but the frequency of this varies. As a result, children miss out on opportunities for support from staff, to prepare them for challenges they may face and to make good decisions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a manager who is passionate and inspirational about caring for children. He is ambitious for children and leads by example. He is influential in changing the lives of children who live in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented new audit tools and supported the development of team leaders in the home. As a result of this, management oversight in the home has significantly improved since the last inspection.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff nurture working relationships with partner agencies. This promotes a comprehensive approach to meeting the children’s needs. Feedback from professionals is positive, detailing effective communication and positive relationships that children have developed with staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision takes place regularly and staff find this useful. However, not all supervisions are reflective and they do not always focus on children’s needs. Team meetings take place regularly and the manager uses these as an opportunity to support practice development. As a result, staff are able to discuss the needs of the children and are provided with open forums to reflect on their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that fire doors are not held open using door wedges. 4 July 2023

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place to ensure that when staff receive supervision, this is reflective and structured. Staff should be given the opportunity to regularly reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that planned direct work with children takes place more regularly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)  The registered person should ensure that when children’s care plans and education plans have been reviewed, staff have access to the updated copies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 11.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 6

p.5

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: 2680860 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Warren Bruce Court, Warren Bruce Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1LB

p.7

Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8