Children's Home run by Flourish (Gloucestershire) Limited in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 1 Registered provider: Flourish (Gloucestershire) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2022 Full Good 10/12/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/05/2019 Full Good 19/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to move into the home in a positive way. They are encouraged to visit the home and meet with the adults and the children who already live there. This helps children to develop an understanding of what it will be like to live in the home before they move in. The registered manager considers the needs of the child moving in, alongside the needs of the other children. As a result, the registered manager can identify the support that all children will likely need to help build positive relationships and ensure all of their needs are met.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in this home from their starting points. Children are supported to build trusting relationships with the staff, which has helped them to develop their confidence and become more able to express themselves safely. For one child, staff have successfully used the guidance in the child’s sensory profile to improve the way in which they communicate with him.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational outcomes are mixed. One child’s attendance at school has significantly improved since moving to the home. They recently completed their end of year exams, and they are planning to start college in the next academic year.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another child’s college provision has become untenable, and the college provider has ended the placement. Mentoring is being provided for the child to help them to pursue their desired path of study in the future. A third child moved to the home during the school summer holidays and professionals are actively exploring potential education provisions in the local area.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to participate in the activities that they enjoy, including going on ‘Pokémon walks’, horse riding and having holidays abroad. Photo albums and memory books are used to help children to remember the positive experiences that they have shared with each other and the staff. Children said that they share some of their interests with the staff, which means that they get to do fun things together. Children are also supported to see their friends and family, which is led by the views and wishes of the child in accordance with their individual care plans.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children contributed to this inspection and spoke positively about living in the home. They said that they feel safe, and that staff help them when they are worried about something. One child said that moving to live in the annex that is attached to the home has helped to develop their independence skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is warm and homely. It is suitably furnished and nicely decorated, with photos of children on the walls. There is plenty of communal space for children to spend time together playing or watching TV. Children’s bedrooms are also clean and tidy and have been personalised in line with children’s interests. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Restraint has not been used in this home for five months. However, when it has been used, children have sometimes been restrained on the floor, with up to four members of staff being involved in the restraint. The restraint techniques that are used are in line with children’s care plans and the training that staff receive. Restraint records show that during some of these incidents, children have sustained injuries.

p.4

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have reviewed each of these incidents and concluded that restraint was necessary. However, they have not critically evaluated the use of restraint to help them to thoroughly understand the experiences of children or to identify ways to avoid using these techniques in the future. The option to use these techniques remain in children’s plans.

p.4

improvement to be good

When safeguarding concerns are raised, they are shared with the relevant professionals. This allows for appropriate actions and safety plans to be agreed. Children are provided with support from staff and specialist services, which helps children to understand what has happened, and provides them with the strategies they need to help keep themselves safe in the future.

p.4

improvement to be good

When concerns about the practice of staff are raised, leaders and managers investigate what has happened and identify appropriate outcomes to help keep children safe. However, the child or the staff member who raised the concern are not always informed of the actions that have been taken by leaders and managers. As a result, the child or the member of staff cannot be assured that their concerns have been taken seriously, nor are they supported to provide their input or agree with the steps that have been taken.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff follow the agreed safety plans when children go missing from the home. They look for the child in the local area and the places they may go to. They try to contact the child and their friends and family, and they report the incident to the police. When children return home, staff are welcoming and curious about where the child has been and what they have been doing. This helps staff to assess whether there are any further safety concerns that the child may need support with.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff provide children with positive messages and guidance about the topics that are important to them. Staff use resources, which are tailored to the children’s learning needs, to illustrate points and help them to understand and remember the advice that is being given. The registered manager has also received support and guidance from a child’s social worker and therapist to deliver life-story work. The approach used by the registered manager is informed by the child’s needs and includes lots of colourful pictures and diagrams to help the child to better understand their life narrative.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 5 The registered manager has aspirational visions for the home and the care of children. The registered manager challenges external professionals and advocates for children to achieve positive outcomes.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and staff supervision sessions provide staff with the opportunity to identify and explore the children’s individual needs and targets. Staff are supported to reflect on most of the strategies they are using to care for children. In addition, staff are encouraged to consider their own responsibilities and practices, which allows for areas for development to be identified.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training compliance is high. Staff are provided with opportunities to complete training that supports them to meet most of the individual needs of children. However, some newer members of staff still need to complete these courses. The registered manager also uses team meetings as a forum to share learning and guidance to help staff improve some aspects of the care they are providing.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals provided positive feedback about the care being offered to their children and the progress that they are making. They said that the staff are knowledgeable, polite and welcoming when they visit the home. Professionals said that the staff are proactive when they respond to concerns about children’s safety.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sufficient staffing levels are in place. Leaders and managers have experienced some difficulties with the recruitment of new staff. However, they have made several successful appointments following a review of their internal processes. When new staff join the team, thorough safer recruitment checks are performed to help the registered manager determine that staff are suitable to work with children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s induction process for new staff has been reviewed and revised by the registered manager. Staff feel valued and supported by leaders and managers. As a result of the positive feedback received from new staff about their introduction to the home and children, the process has been shared with the provider’s registered managers of other homes. Staff said that they enjoy working in this home. They know the children well and can identify the achievements that children have made. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

p.6

Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child)

p.6

Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

p.6

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the use of restraint is robustly evaluated to identify whether anything could be done differently in the future to avoid its use. 16 October 2023

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any allegation of harm or abuse is addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that when children or staff raise concerns about the practice of staff, they are provided with a suitable overview of the actions and outcomes taken. The registered manager should ensure that children and staff are satisfied with the actions taken and feel protected as a result. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 44, paragraph, 9.17)

p.6

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: 1263571 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flourish (Gloucestershire) Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 27 Westend Office Suites, Westend, Stonehouse GL10 3FA

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Summers

p.7

Inspector

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263571 8 regulates and inspects 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8