Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2613661 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited 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 an independent provider and provides care for up to two children who experience emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with both children who live at this 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: 2613661 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2022 Full Good 18/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2613661 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress while living in this family orientated home. The caring team of staff have high aspirations for the children they support. They provide individualised care to help children overcome the challenges that they face because of their past experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are invested in the children’s views, wishes and feelings. This is evident throughout the practices in the home. As a result, children have built secure and trusting relationships with the staff. These trusting relationships are the foundations of children’s positive experiences and progress. One child said, ‘Before I moved to [name of home], I didn’t know what trust was. Now I feel like I have a family for life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to overcome barriers that stop them from attending school. As a result, children have exceeded their expected education grades. When children do not attend education, the staff are resourceful and proactive. They provide children with wraparound educational support, such as online courses and focused work. This provides children with a consistent routine and clear boundaries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful consideration is given to the needs of children who move into the home. The staff respond quickly to any outstanding health needs when children arrive. Children are supported to learn age-appropriate life skills that equip them for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with those who are important to them. They understand the importance of relationships with friends and loved ones. Staff are creative in how they facilitate these arrangements, and they ensure that children receive emotional support before, during and after each visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Children help to design and plan the decoration and furniture in the communal areas. However, not all children’s bedrooms are personalised. There are also some outstanding maintenance tasks in the shared bathroom.

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

Risks to children have reduced due to the diligent and resourceful staff. Children no longer go missing from home and there have been no incidents of physical restraint. Staff understand the risks to children and work proactively with children and their social workers to teach children how to make safe choices. One social worker said, ‘The staff are amazing, they are genuinely interested in what the children are doing.’

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

Children say that they feel safe living in the home and that they can talk to the staff about their worries and concerns. One child said, ‘This is the first home where I have felt safe and trusted the staff.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2613661 4 Children have individualised behaviour support plans that provide staff with clear strategies that help children to manage their feelings safely. The staff are responsive to early warning signs that a child is becoming distressed. During these instances, the staff use behaviour support strategies to good effect.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour, kindness and respect. The family orientated ethos in the home extends into the expectations and boundaries that staff have for children. When children do not follow the house rules, staff use consequences that are reasonable and proportionate. One child said, ‘I like the rules in the home, they keep me on track.’

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture in the home. Staff receive regular training, which is led by the children’s needs. This equips staff with the skills they need to identify early warning signs and vulnerability factors that may place children at increased risk of harm. Staff use their skills, training and knowledge to good effect to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created an ethos where care, love and affection are the core values of practice in the home. She has high aspirations for the children, which is evident in the children’s progress. Her approach to children is one of warmth and understanding. The manager’s enthusiasm resonates through the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an effective monitoring system that enables her to understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. She consults with children, staff and professionals about the effectiveness and impact of the care that children receive. She values the opinions of others and uses these to develop practices in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has positive relationships with social workers, education professionals and families. She is a strong advocate for the children and supports children to express their views during meetings. When children’s rights are not being attained, the manager challenges other professionals to ensure that their needs are met in a timely manner. One social worker said, ‘Other children’s homes could learn a lot from the practice and values at [name of home].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal that support their personal development and understanding of their role. Supervision is well received by the staff; it is reflective and shapes staff practice. This promotes a culture of learning and critical thinking.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a clear recruitment and induction programme. This ensures that children receive support from suitably skilled and experienced staff. Not all staff have achieved a relevant qualification. However, all staff are enrolled and are working towards completion. The manager ensures that staff receive regular training to enable them to provide appropriate care and support to children while they work towards their qualification. Inspection report for children’s home: 2613661 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s bedrooms and bathrooms are maintained and decorated to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2613661 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alexander House, Highfield Park, Llandrynog, Denbighshire, Wales LL16 4LU

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Inspector

Beth Forster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2613661 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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