Children's Home run by Flourish Children’s Services Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2674818 1 Registered provider: Flourish Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care to one child who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently one child living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 10 May 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: 1 November 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: 2674818 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2674818 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has secure relationships with staff and responds positively to the nurturing and consistent care they receive. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s additional needs. They are clear about the child’s starting point and have helped the child to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making remarkable progress in their education. Staff advocate for the child to ensure that the right support is in place. The child recently achieved formal qualifications, and there is a plan in place for their post-16 education. Staff are proud of the child, and their achievements are celebrated. This helps the child to be aspirational about their own future education and employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is helped to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, and they are provided with nutritious meals and supported to take part in physical activities. Staff talk to the child about their emotional and mental health. They respond sensitively to the child when they are experiencing difficult feelings and emotions. This gives the child an understanding about how they are feeling and provides them with the skills to develop better coping strategies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is promoted in line with the child’s plan. They are supported to spend time with the people who are important to them, including having overnight visits. One family member said, ‘We previously lost contact, but staff have helped us to reintroduce family time. We could not be happier.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child engages in activities that promote their hobbies and interests, such as arts and crafts, baking and going to the local youth club. The child’s love of horses is embraced, and they enjoy riding and looking after a horse that they have on loan. Taking part in these activities has helped the child to build positive peer relationships in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Involvement in making decisions about the home has helped the child feel like they belong. Key-work sessions help them talk about a range of topics that focus on their care, safety and well-being. Staff ensure that the child is heard, and their wishes and feelings are listened to and considered. Children’s records and memory books detail their journeys and progress. This provides children with a clear picture of their experiences and achievements while they have been living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respond appropriately and sensitively when children use discriminatory language. Staff seek to improve children’s knowledge and understanding of the language they use and the implications of it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s independence. They provide support in line with the child’s abilities and vulnerabilities at a pace the child is comfortable with. However, the Inspection report for children’s home: 2674818 4 placing authority has not been involved in assessing the child’s independence, and there is no plan in place.

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

There is sufficient staffing to ensure that the child receives a high level of supervision. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. When the child is involved in serious incidents, staff respond sensitively and use a restorative approach. Staff use their relationships with the child to manage unwanted behaviours.

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

Risk assessments identify all risks to the child. Staff are clear about the steps they must take to reduce some of those risks. When risks change, staff meetings take place to ensure that information about the child’s plan is shared with staff. While changes to risk are recorded in staff meeting minutes, information has not always been updated in the risk management plan held on the child’s file.

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

Allegations are taken seriously. Investigations are completed, and appropriate safeguarding professionals are informed.

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

This child has not been missing from home. However, there is a detailed and easy to understand plan that provides staff with clear steps to follow if the child does go missing. Staff understand the plan and are clear about their responsibilities.

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

Staff use restraints appropriately and hold the child to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Records provide clarity about the rationale for intervention and why it was necessary and proportionate to protect the child. The manager and staff complete detailed records of each incident and include the voice of the child.

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

Staff are imaginative in their approach when they talk to the child about risks. They use various activities to engage the child. Records show that staff use research- based material to inform the direct work that they deliver to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified. She is a positive role model who is committed to developing the staff team. She sets clear expectations for staff about their role and responsibilities to children. This has created high morale at the home and a staff team that is aspirational about the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child is at the centre of decision-making in this home. The manager and staff regularly consult with the child about all aspects of their care. This home is very much the child’s home, and their personality is reflected throughout it. There is an abundance of photos and canvas prints of the child and their family on display. The child is involved in choosing the decoration of the home, and they have decorated their bedroom to their choice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2674818 5 Staff receive regular supervision that is reflective, and discussions are centred on the children. Team meetings happen regularly, and they provide staff with the opportunity to discuss changes to the children’s plans. Staff feel supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a good range of training. This includes training in areas specific to the child’s needs. Records show that training is kept up to date and under review for all staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s effective monitoring and auditing tools help her track the child’s progress and staff development. These internal monitoring systems, along with the external independent visitor’s feedback, help to ensure that shortfalls are identified quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals involved with the child hold the manager and staff in high regard. One professional said, ‘This is the most settled [name of child] has been. This is because of the relationships they have with staff and how staff respond to them. The manager and staff haven’t given up, despite the challenge.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are safer recruitment procedures in place. However, information about the verification of one reference was not recorded clearly and in detail in one staff’s recruitment file.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child does not have a pathway plan, and their annual health assessment is overdue. The manager has not followed the escalation policy to challenge others to ensure that the child’s needs are assessed and met in line with their plan. Inspection report for children’s home: 2674818 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 involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)) 20 November

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Recommendations

 The registered should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, when there are changes to the child’s risk management plan, written documents must be kept up to date and stored on the child’s file. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and manages potential risks to them. In particular, when steps are taken regarding the verification of references, they should be recorded clearly on the staff’s file. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2674818 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flourish Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 96 Blacker Road, Birkby, Huddersfield HD1 5HN

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2674818 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 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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