Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children's home: SC468747 1 SC468747 Registered provider: Idem Living Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A national provider owns this children’s home. The home provides care for up to two children who may have emotional and social needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is vacant. A delegated manager is in post and is in the process of registering 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: 21 September 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: SC468747 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/09/2022 Full Good 09/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/03/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC468747 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home went through an unsettled period three months ago. However, prompt and decisive action by senior leaders ensured that there was no impact on the quality of care provided to children. The home is a well-appointed, warm and welcoming environment. Children are highly respected and valued by staff. Their wishes and feelings are acted on. Children consistently say that the home is a safe place to live and that staff listen to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are successful in building positive, lasting relationships with the children. One child’s move to a new home was carefully planned. It was based on the child’s needs as well as his wishes. The staff continue to offer meaningful sensitive support to this child in his new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

After being out of education for a significant period, children successfully reintegrate into school, with bespoke education packages provided for them. The staff work closely with education providers to give children the best opportunity to learn and develop new practical skills as well as to progress educationally. This is a significant step forward for these children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for children and support them to develop interests and try new activities in the community. Staff encourage children to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. For example, staff have liaised with a local football club to encourage one child’s footballing talents and ensure he can return after time away. The child is using the local gym with a personal trainer to help him improve his fitness, in readiness for a successful restart with his football team. This is very important for this child. It supports development of an active and healthy lifestyle, as well as building the child’s confidence and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop their own targets and learn new life skills. This is helping them to invest in themselves and reflect on how they can achieve their life goals in a safe way. The high level of praise and encouragement staff provide has helped children to develop confidence and feel good about themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to rebuild their relationships with family members who are important to them. They actively promote family time and help children reflect on their feelings about their home area, which helps enhance their sense of identity. One parent commented about their child, ‘He has been transformed since coming here. Staff are helping me to prepare for my boy to come home safely.’

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

Clear and detailed risk assessment and behaviour support plans are regularly updated to help to keep children safe. Staff use these documents to guide individual direct work around each child’s specific vulnerabilities. For example, sessions on Inspection report for children's home: SC468747 4 healthy relationships and online safety help children to reflect and understand how these impact on their well-being and safety. Combined analysis of direct-work sessions by the manager and responsible individual is used to continually refine work with children. This is helping to improve children’s life outcomes and build their independence skills.

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

As a result of this careful oversight of direct-work sessions, children’s lives have become safer. They have learned how to sensibly enjoy using mobile phones and the internet. Children are also supported to enjoy free time to help promote their independence safely.

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

Although children arrive at the home with a significant history of going missing and being at risk of exploitation, they settle as positive relationships quickly develop. As a result, incidents of going missing decrease or stop. This results in reducing risk for children.

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

Regular consultation with the home’s own psychologist helps the staff team to better understand the reasons behind some children’s behaviour. As a result of these consultations, strategies are devised for staff to better support children to manage their own behaviour.

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

Safeguarding concerns are carefully and effectively investigated to ensure children are kept safe. However, on one occasion, the local authority designated officer (LADO) was not contacted when they should have been. The leadership team incorrectly assumed that as no child was living in the home at the time, that this matter did not need to be referred to the LADO. All other aspects of this investigation and the actions taken were appropriate to safeguard children. Practice has now been addressed and lessons learned to ensure this error is not repeated.

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

Safe recruitment practices help to ensure that only adults who have been assessed as suitable to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A newly appointed delegated manager, who was previously the deputy, is making an impressive start and inspiring her team. She is well supported by like-minded directors. The senior leadership team know children well, lead by example and are committed to providing children with the safe, consistent care that they need and deserve. The manager’s passion to provide the best possible care filters down to the staff, who say how much they like working in this home, due to the management support they receive. This includes high-quality relevant training at the right time, and supervision that is supportive but stretches them to improve their practice. Regular team meetings assist the team to understand the range of issues affecting the home and how to respond effectively to their children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Before a child moves into the home, the manager and directors carefully consider whether the team of staff have the right skills to meet the specific needs of each child. As a result, children settle quickly and feel very welcomed. Inspection report for children's home: SC468747 5 Partnership working is a strength. The managers strongly advocate for their children and this ensures that children get timely help and support from other agencies. All external partners, without exception, complimented the manager and staff on excellent levels of communication and effective multi-agency working. This effective partnership working is helping to ensure children make good progress. Inspection report for children's home: SC468747 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all relevant matters are reported to the LADO even if children are not living in the home at the time of the investigation. 31 August 2023

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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: SC468747 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Idem Living Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Stable Court Business Centre, Water Lane, Tarbock Green, Prescot L35 1RD

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Inspector

Joy Howick, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC468747 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 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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