Children's Home run by Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 1 Registered provider: Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children aged between 10 and 17 years. The aim of the home is to support children with social and emotional difficulties resulting from their early life experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager started in June 2023 and is currently applying to register 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

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: 2596906 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection. One child moved out earlier because staff could not meet the child’s needs or keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain important relationships. One child’s parent frequently visits the child at the home. The staff support this child to have weekend stays at their family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to pursue education. One child returned to mainstream school after a significant period of time out of education. Another child was struggling to stay engaged with formal education. The staff worked with the school staff to develop an alternative plan. This was not always successful, but the headteacher of the virtual school and the school praised the staff’s efforts with both of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have high expectations for the children and try to support and encourage their aspirations. One child is interested in forensic science. The staff actively encouraged this interest with a visit to observe the public criminal court. They have also arranged a college open day for the child to attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-worker sessions are child-focused and support children to talk about their experiences. Following a strategy meeting for one child, it was agreed that weekly key-worker sessions would be held. However, there was a period of several weeks without any sessions taking place. Despite the indication of good quality in key- worker sessions, having a gap of several weeks without sessions means that the guided response to concerns about a child was not followed by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The complaints process in the children’s welcome book does not provide accurate information. To compound this, the complaint’s policy seems to discourage children from making complaints. These factors do not encourage children to make complaints openly and freely to whoever they feel is the right person to hear them.

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

Children have good relationships with staff and can identify staff that they trust. One child referred to a member of staff as a father figure, which he said he had ‘never had before’. Building strong relationships with children helps them to feel safe and secure.

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

The plans for children are clear. They follow a therapeutic approach, demonstrating that the staff have a good sense and understanding of each child. Plans contain easy-to-follow and relevant strategies for staff to help children. This enables the Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 4 staff to offer consistent care. However, some recent information in the children’s plans had not been shared properly with the staff team and relevant professionals. This may make it difficult to tailor support to meet children’s needs.

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

The staff advocate for the children and offer individual support. One child was involved in an incident with the police and felt unfairly treated. The staff contacted the police and challenged what had happened to the child. Another child has made several disclosures since coming to the home. The staff supported this child to talk to the police and access appropriate specialist services.

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

Staff have really important conversations with children about matters such as bereavement, loss, relationships and contraception. 'These open conversations help children to grow and learn, which increases their well-being.'

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

Both children have had a significant reduction in missing-from-home periods since the last inspection. There are good protocols for both children and staff to have an open chain of communication with the local police. This helps to keep children safe.

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

Recruitment processes are efficiently managed. There is a structure in place to ensure that all required checks are conducted and recorded. This reduces the potential for unsuitable people to work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a new manager in post. He started two weeks before the inspection and is completing his Ofsted application. He has the relevant experience and a level 5 diploma. The deputy manager has managed the home in the interim. Combined, they make a strong management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team. Agency staff are not used. Instead, the manager uses known and established bank staff. Having a consistent staff team offers stability to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers challenged the quality of their independent visitor reports at the start of the year, and a new independent visitor has been working alongside them. They keep the quality of this under review. The manager appreciates the learning opportunity that the challenge of good independent visitor reports brings. Creating a culture that is open to learning and challenge helps to strengthen staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers dealt swiftly and effectively with concerns around a staff member’s practice. They used the safeguarding process effectively and acted swiftly to suspend the member of staff, who did not return to the home. These rigorous safeguarding procedures protect children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training offered to staff is generally good. However, the staff do not have sufficient fire safety training. This was picked up by the fire service several months ago and has not yet been actioned. Ensuring that all staff are adequately trained in fire safety helps to protect children and staff in the event of a fire. Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 5 The frequency of staff supervision sessions is poor. One member of bank staff had not received any supervision for six months. This does not make sure that all staff receive support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, provide fire extinguisher training as advised by the fire service. 1 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff supervision is delivered at the frequency outlined in the home’s policy. 1 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. In particular, all relevant information needs to be shared with the team around the child and recorded in their plans. Any specific agreements made to complete pieces of work, such as key-work sessions, need to be adhered to. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. The children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any

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Recommendations

fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements for the registered person to have a complaints procedure. The children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 7 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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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: 2596906 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Indigo Children’s Care Homes Ltd

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Inspectors

Mary Costello, Social Care Inspector Leah Stannard, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2596906 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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