Children's Home run by Solace for Children Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 1 Registered provider: Solace for Children Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for three children with social and emotional health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on 10 September 2020. The home has a new manager who is in the process of applying for registration.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The two young people living in the home have benefited from consistent care lasting for more than a year. Staff are invested in the young people and work in their best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress with education and are engaging well. This is because staff support young people to recognise the importance of education and learning. As a result, even those young people who have previously had a long history of non-school attendance are making significant progress in their education. One young person has recently completed her GCSE exams. Another young person has sustained a part-time job for over a year and is now looking forward to starting a college course. This good support enables young people to develop confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are developing independence. This is because staff give young people opportunities to develop and improve their independent living skills. This helps young people to gain the necessary independence needed for adult life. One young person’s independent reviewing officer stated, ‘Staff are supporting [the young person] well to achieve what she wants to.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support to young people who are struggling emotionally. They engage well with specialist health professionals to support young people with their emotional and mental health. As a result, young people have been able to reduce self-harming behaviour, and the risks around their safety have declined.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people continue to struggle to maintain positive relationships with some members of staff. However, they can identify an adult within the home who they feel comfortable with and can talk to. The manager completes individual work with young people to help to improve and develop trusting relationships within the home. As a result, young people’s views are taken seriously, and their self-esteem is promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The communal areas of the home are spacious and welcoming, and the home is decorated to a good standard. Plans are underway to further develop the décor of the home. Young people’s bedrooms are spacious and reflect their personalities. Young people have chosen the colour of paint for their walls and items for their bedrooms, such as strip lighting and mirrors. This enables young people to develop a sense of identity and feel comfortable in their own space.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. Self-harming behaviour has reduced over recent months. However, there have been a few occasions since the last inspection Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 4 when young people have put themselves at risk. When this has happened, staff have managed situations well and have responded quickly.

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

Incidents necessitating physical interventions are infrequent. When there has been the need to physically restrain young people, this has been reasonable, proportionate and only used when necessary. Adults and young people involved in restraints receive meaningful conversations afterwards to discuss the incident. This helps young people to manage their emotional distress in a more-constructive way and helps to build trusting relationships between young people and those who care for them.

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

Although staff have a good understanding of young people’s care needs, risk assessments do not sufficiently support them in their role. Risk assessments are not always clear or updated when young people’s care needs change. This is a recording issue and has not had a negative impact on young people to date.

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

The home has a location risk assessment, which is reviewed regularly. However, the review of the home’s location risk assessment is not thorough as it does not detail the risks associated with the nearby railway bridge or include feedback from police and other relevant people.

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

Staff recruitment procedures help to ensure that staff working at the home are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is approachable and child focused. The current young people enjoy the company of the manager and will seek her out to spend time with her.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring of the home are effective. The manager has a clear understanding of the progress that young people are making and the challenges they face. She has good oversight of the running of the home and takes effective action when required. This oversight promotes the safety and well-being of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are motivated and receive a wide range of training opportunities. This ensures that they have the necessary skills to be able to care effectively for the young people in the home and meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported in their role. They receive effective supervision that develops their practice and is tailored to the needs of the young people. However, the manager has not had the same level of support. She has not received regular supervision to develop in her role as a new manager. The organisation has recently put measures in place to ensure that she is adequately supported. However, wider management oversight of the running of the home has been compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team have developed good and effective working relationships with placing social workers and other external professionals. They have Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 5 worked closely with health professionals and social workers to ensure that young people’s medical and emotional needs are understood and addressed. External professionals spoken to during this inspection were positive about the home and the quality of care given to the young people in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 8 September 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the supervision of the manager. 8 September 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 7

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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: 2600541 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solace for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tadcaster House, Kempton Road, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 2TA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Howard Woolfenden

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Inspector

Suzanne Young, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2600541 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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