Children's Home run by Direct Care Children’s Homes Ltd in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 1 Registered provider: Direct Care Childrens Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children. There are currently two children living in the home. This is the first inspection since the home was registered.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023, when the home opened.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This children’s home is newly opened. There are two children currently living in the home, and one child has left. Where possible, staff visit children in advance of their move to the home. The manager writes a welcome letter to the child, and includes profiles of staff so the children know who will be working with them. A comprehensive children’s guide tells children about the home and the local area. Careful planning for the two children living in the home has helped them to settle well. Children enjoy living in a warm and homely environment. Children personalise their rooms, choosing new duvet covers and furnishings. The home’s dining room is a relaxing, communal area, where staff and children spend time together. Children spend time out of their rooms, chatting with staff and getting to know each other. Staff support children to explore the local area, for example through trips out to the shops, or hunting for ghosts. Through the time spent together, staff build and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

develop their relationships with children. Therefore, although children have not lived in the home long, they are comfortable in their space and with staff. Staff support children to lead healthy lifestyles. Both children attend the local gym and go on frequent walks. Staff cook nutritious, homemade meals for children, from the menu designed by the children. Staff support children with health appointments to ensure that they are well. As a result of moving to a new area during the school holidays, neither child is yet attending school. Both children are keen to learn, and receive tuition in maths and English while school places are identified. Staff ensure that children keep a structured daily routine, and provide children with enriching activities. The manager is working closely with the local authority to ensure that it maintains momentum to secure schools for both children. One social worker said that communication with

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

the home is good, and that staff and managers are flexible to meet children’s needs.

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

Children said that they feel safe in the home. Staff build relationships with children. Consequently, children feel able to talk to staff about their lives. One child has shared concerns about their past experiences. Staff take appropriate action to report safeguarding concerns raised as a result of these conversations. A consistent staff team supports children. This stability provides children with a predictable and safe environment, and results in there being few incidents. Restraint has not been used in the home. As children become comfortable and familiar with staff and the area, they are given age-appropriate freedoms. Leaders and managers challenge the local authority to ensure that children have the opportunity to take appropriate risks to promote their development. Staff speak with children when they give consequences for unwanted behaviour, helping them to understand why they Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 3

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

are in place. While the consequences themselves are clearly recorded, the location of these recordings varies, making tracking and monitoring difficult. There have been two occasions when children have been missing from home. When children go missing, staff respond appropriately, notifying the police when necessary. Staff remain in contact with children and encourage them to return. Managers review incidents to understand what has happened and to identify learning. There are plans in place to support one child who might go missing. These plans contain information for staff regarding what to do; however, they do not yet contain all key information, including addresses the child might go to. As such, staff cannot provide police with full information to support a search and reduce risks. Staff use window restrictors due to the risk of children going missing. However, these are not referred to in children’s individual risk assessments. As such, there is no regular mechanism

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

for review. The physical environment is safe and in good repair. Children participate in fire drills to ensure that they know how to be safe in case of a fire.

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good

The manager demonstrates clear understanding of the quality of care in the home. The manager reviews care through observation of practice and auditing. In addition, senior managers provide further oversight. This means there is an understanding of the support children receive, and the abilities of staff to deliver care in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The manager works closely with staff and children, and is able to role-model practice to the team. The manager identifies staff strengths, and opportunities for staff development. Staff receive regular opportunities to explore the care provided in the home, through supervision and team meetings. The manager tracks staff learning and development, identifying additional training needs. The recruitment of permanent staff follows safer recruitment processes. Questions from children form part of the interview process for new candidates. This helps to capture information important to

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good

the children. The manager considers employment gaps during recruitment. However, applicants do not always state full dates of employment, leaving potential gaps unexplored. While they confirm temporary staff have suitable disclosure and barring checks in place, the provider dose not consistently clarify other information, such as employment history. One child has left the home since it opened. This child was the first to move in and lived alone in the home. The child moved due to staff feeling unable to provide a safe home for them. Staff participated in a reflective discussion about this child’s placement, which helped them to explore the emotional impact of the child’s time in the home. This discussion identified the need for better understanding by senior leaders of the impact of the work on staff. Given the findings, it is notable that senior leaders did not participate in the reflective discussion with staff, thereby

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good

limiting the effectiveness of some of the discussions and how they translate to Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 4 actions. The learning from this child’s placement remains to be embedded into practice moving forward. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 5

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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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the required checks have been completed for agency staff and record this. The registered person should also ensure that full dates of employment are obtained where possible to support with identification of gaps in employment. 6 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that plans for when children go missing from home contain relevant information to support agencies to locate the child, such as names and addresses of friends and family members. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.24)  The registered person should ensure that that reviews of placements fully involve senior leaders so that their role can be fully considered in the context of events that have happened. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that there is a consistent process for recording consequences for unwanted behaviour so that these can be tracked and monitored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that a review of the use of window

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Recommendations

restrictors is undertaken, and risk assessments updated if their use is required for specific children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2662567 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Direct Care Childrens Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 4, Paxton Business Centre, Whittle Road, Salisbury SP2 7YR

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Inspector

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2662567 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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