Children's Home run by Autonomy Plus Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263124 1 Registered provider: Autonomy Plus Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities and additional needs. At the time of the inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since December 2022.

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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: 6 September 2022

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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: 1263124 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/05/2022 Full Inadequate 18/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 1263124 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care and support from staff who enjoy their work. Since the last inspection, the team has grown and has more permanent members of staff. Children develop strong and positive relationships with the adults who support them and who are consistently available to them. Since the last inspection, two children have moved into this home. Introductions and visits were planned as much as time would permit. These two children have settled very well, without any significant incidents. This indicates that they feel safe and secure at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social care professionals and a parent report that there are good relationships with the manager and adults at the home and say that communication is good. Managers promote effective partnership working, for the benefit of the children. Family members are welcomed into the home, where appropriate. Arrangements are made to ensure that children keep in touch with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making very good progress. School attendance is very high with children achieving some awards. Children enjoy the many new experiences that are made available to them. A child who was previously restricted in opportunity when out on activities, due to his unpredictable behaviour, has settled so well that he enjoyed a holiday experience in a caravan on a holiday park. Children are supported in developing their independence in the home and out in the community. This can vary from putting socks on without support, cooking a meal, travelling by bus to the shops to purchase food and assisting the maintenance team. Every success is celebrated, and children receive lots of praise. Since the last inspection, children have been given a photo album where the memories are captured of their outings, activities and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to actively participate in the daily decisions made about their care. This can involve the use of communication aids, such as photos as a point of reference, symbols and a feelings chart. Short, illustrated stories which describe social situations are created to ensure that children understand what is going to happen and for them to be able to express their views, wishes and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house has recently been decorated in some areas, the dining room has yet to be finished once the school holidays are over. The presence of a maintenance team ensures that most repairs are attended to promptly. An upstairs office has recently been vacated to create some additional social space for the children, with plans to have some sensory toys in this room. Although the bathroom for adult use has been fitted with a new toilet and basin, the shower tray has been overlooked and looks unsightly with stubborn stains. Adults who sleep overnight at the home should be provided with suitable facilities.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263124 4 Restraint has not been used in this home for the past year. The low level of incidents, compared to previous years, indicates that children are settled in this home and have an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging. One child, without verbal skills, has experienced a significant reduction in the number of incidents. This is due to the adults having got to know him and his needs very well. In turn, the child has developed trusting relationships with those who support him and offer care and affection.

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

Allegation management is understood well by leaders and managers. When children have raised concerns about the adults , children have been listened to and the appropriate external agencies have been informed. No allegations have been founded; the local authority is satisfied that correct procedures are followed each time.

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

Safety plans identify what the adults need to be aware of and how to reduce any potential risk. The change in style of a safety plan is welcomed by staff, who say that it assists in their daily support of the children. Indeed, the adults are not risk adverse and strive to ensure that children are not denied opportunities because of any disability. For example, a child using a wheelchair is supported to plan his first experience of travelling on a train. Children regularly go swimming at a local pool and three children have enjoyed a holiday in unfamiliar environments.

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

Since the last inspection, the provider has introduced a revised behaviour support policy that is suitable. In addition, the oversight of any record of an incident is promptly reviewed with a degree of curiosity by leaders and managers. This area of improvement is in response to requirements made at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection, the manager has registered with Ofsted. He has grown in confidence and values the support from the responsible individual. Together, they have an ambitious vision for the development of this home and high expectations for what children can achieve. Leaders and managers have worked hard to improve this service and they have benefited from some external consultation. The commitment from leaders and managers to raise standards is evident as all the requirements and recommendations are met and there is only one new recommendation from this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults who work in this home say that they are supported well through training, supervision and the manager’s presence. They are very proud of the children’s achievements and of the progress the home has made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring and review of practice and records have greatly improved. Leaders and managers are alerted through the recording system that they are required to review when an entry has been made. The adults have improved access to make records, using tablet computers, which means that they are restricted in front of an office-based computer. The manager has designed his working day to spend the first Inspection report for children’s home: 1263124 5 hour reviewing any safeguarding incidents and reports on children’s behaviour. All reports are signed by a manager and monitored if any actions are identified. This ensures that leaders and managers are fully appraised of what activity is occurring in the home, and if there are any difficulties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have worked tirelessly to recruit suitable adults to care for children. The success of recruitment has led to far less agency staff being used. When agency staff are present, they are usually regular adults who provide some consistency of care to children. Recently, one adult has been recruited from the agency to the permanent team. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263124 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the design of the home provides staff who sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)

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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: 1263124 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Autonomy Plus Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 67 Roundpond, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8EB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Faulkner-Elliott

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Inspector

Clare Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263124 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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