Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home was registered in November 2022 and holds a leadership and management qualification at level 5.

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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 outstanding

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff. Interactions were observed to be very warm and caring and there is a lot of laughter in the home. One child reported that the best thing about living at the home was feeling loved. This caring environment helps children to feel safe and well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Both children had poor school attendance before coming to live at the home. One child is now engaging positively in education and is making excellent progress. The other child will start school in September and is engaging well with a tutor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are supported. They attend all routine appointments, and the manager is proactive in sourcing specialist support when it is needed. Children enjoy a varied diet and there have been significant improvements in the food that children are willing to try. This helps children to live a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a therapeutic environment for the children. Staff are all trained in the home’s therapeutic model and use the approach consistently. A play therapist supports the home by helping staff to understand children’s needs and how to respond.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to be involved in decisions in the home. They attend regular children’s meetings and use one-to-one discussion with staff to share their views. Both children have personalised their bedrooms and they have regular input in meal choices and activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s achievements are celebrated. Certificates are displayed in the home and rewards are used appropriately. Incentive schemes help children work towards expensive items they would like to buy. This helps children feel good about themselves and see the benefits of positive behaviour.

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

Children know who to talk to if they have concerns. When children make a complaint, this is taken seriously and responded to sensitively. This helps children to feel listened to and have confidence that the adults around them care about them.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home are managed well. Staff understand each child’s vulnerabilities and follow their plans. Relevant authorities are informed, and children are supported to reflect on incidents once they are home safely.

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

Children’s behavioural needs are managed well. Staff understand children’s risk assessments and know how to respond. Effective debriefs take place with children Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 4 and staff following incidents. Team meetings are used to help staff reflect on children’s presenting behaviours and learn from each other’s ideas about how to manage them.

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

Restrictive physical interventions are rarely used. On the one occasion a physical intervention was necessary, staff acted appropriately. The intervention was used as a last resort to safeguard the child and staff. Staff have received appropriate training.

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

Medication is stored and administered safely and there are effective monitoring systems in place. When controlled medication is required, this is given with additional safeguards in place to ensure that it is given safely. Staff are all trained in how to give and store medication and there is a strong routine in place.

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

Staff recruitment is carried out safely. All appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that only individuals who are suitable to work with children are employed to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by an experienced, qualified manager. The manager has worked at the home since it opened, and he also manages another home. He manages his time effectively so that he can give so that he can give each home the appropriate attention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has sufficient staff to meet children’s needs. If additional staff are required, the home only uses familiar staff from another home within the company or regular agency staff. This means that children are cared for by a consistent team of staff who know them well and are considered as extended family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent monitoring systems in place. A comprehensive range of audits and reports help him to assess the care being provided in the home. Where practice falls below expectations, he is quick to address this to ensure that standards remain high. When the home first opened, some staff’s recording was not sufficient. However, because of the manager’s oversight and action, this has now improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of children’s needs and puts them at the centre of the home’s practice. He promotes a culture of high expectations where staff are ambitious for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager actively challenges other professionals when he feels they are not acting in the best interests of the child. This approach means that children are supported by staff who will advocate for them and ensure that they remain at the centre of decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision that helps them to reflect on their practice. They are supported to have confidence in their own ability and develop their careers. Staff are grateful for the manager recognising their potential, and they feel valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 5 The manager leads a small, dedicated team of staff. He leads by example and is a very hands-on manager. His relationships with the children and staff were observed to be excellent. Staff are inspired by the manager’s practice, and feedback was consistently very positive. This supportive, encouraging approach helps staff to feel happy at work, which results in a happy environment for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive comprehensive training as part of their induction and probation. However, insufficient training has been completed in relation to one child. Staff recognise that they would benefit from training around attachment and trauma. Based on observations, it is evident that staff do have the skills to meet the child’s needs, but the manager should ensure that these skills are underpinned by adequate training. Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have access to training related to trauma and attachment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12 )

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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: 2699924 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2699924 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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