Children's home run by SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd in Sutton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC431807 1 SC431807 Registered provider: SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides specialist care for up to five children. The organisation has its own separately registered school and a therapy team.

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Information about this children’s home

There were five children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 October 2022

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC431807 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2022 Full Good 28/06/2022 Full Inadequate 16/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC431807 3

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outstanding

Children benefit from well-planned care from staff who are attentive and familiar with their needs. Staff have a deep understanding about how to help children to overcome traumatic early life experiences. As a result, children feel secure and cared for, which enables them to make exceptional progress.

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outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for children. Meaningful joint working between the care, therapy and education teams provides an effective wraparound service. Children access specialist therapy on a weekly basis. Children’s attendance and engagement in education improve significantly when they come to live at the home. The progress that children make in relation to their social, emotional, and educational development improves their life chances.

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outstanding

The processes that are followed when children move in to the home are extremely thorough and thoughtful. Managers work closely with other professionals to create plans to ensure that children have the support that they need. This approach creates the best opportunity for moves to go smoothly.

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outstanding

Children’s wishes and feelings are valued and form a significant part of their plans. Highly skilled staff carefully support children to achieve the goals that are important to them. Children thrive because they feel empowered, and they know that their voices are heard.

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outstanding

A restorative approach encourages children to take increasing amounts of responsibility for their decisions. This enables children to learn how to be accountable and teaches them important life skills. Success is recognised and celebrated.

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outstanding

Children have access to a wide range of social opportunities and are encouraged to explore their talents and interests. Staff provide children with the supervision and support they need to access activities in their local community.

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outstanding

Children are treated with dignity and respect. There is a strong ethos of supporting children to celebrate being who they want to be. An inclusive culture that promotes equality and diversity enables children to explore their developing sense of identity and to be happy as themselves.

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outstanding

Children’s safety and well-being are priorities for staff. The stability of the staff team means that all staff members have an excellent awareness of each child’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Effective and open communication within the team and with Inspection report for children’s home: SC431807 4 other professionals further underpins the safeguarding culture and promotes children’s safety.

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outstanding

Staff are deeply committed to ensuring that children become increasingly safe while having a positive experience of care. Positive behaviour is promoted through helping children to develop self-control, resilience, and an ability to learn new coping strategies.

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outstanding

Comprehensive risk assessments reliably inform staff how to care for children and keep them safe. Staff are curious and are adept at noticing when children are struggling. Staff proactively ensure that children are given additional therapeutic and practical help when they need it.

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outstanding

Thorough risk management processes enable children to take age-appropriate risks. Children say that they feel safe in this very settled home. One child said to the inspector ‘there is nothing that I would change’. Children trust the staff, which contributes to their protection and sense of security.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team model a child-centred approach. Children have benefited from consistency because the manager and deputy manager have been promoted from other roles in the home. The deputy manager has continued to be the key worker for one child because they have a particularly strong relationship with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They have made changes to practice to address shortfalls that they have identified. There are plans in place to further improve the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the support that they receive from managers. Retention rates are high. The stability of the staff team helps children to build and maintain reliable, trusting relationships with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, including the management team, receive regular supervision. Staff also make good use of informal discussions and handovers with colleagues in the education and therapy teams. As a result, staff can make sound decisions about children’s day- to-day care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff ensure that children know what is written about them in records, such as risk assessments. Additionally, the daily records are written to children in language that is age-appropriate. Consequently, children’s records demonstrate that they are valued and respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality, specialist training that is relevant to the needs of the children who they are looking after. The manager recognises that some staff would benefit from additional time to complete supplementary training to further their development and knowledge. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431807 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: SC431807 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd

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Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC431807 7 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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