Children's Home run by First 4 Care Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report for children’s home: 2575463 1 Registered provider: First 4 Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider runs this children’s home. It provides care to up to two children with learning disabilities. Ofsted registered this children’s home and the registered manager on 7 December 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living at the home.

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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: 24 January 2023

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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: 2575463 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2575463 3

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outstanding

Living at this home is enhancing children’s life chances. Children receive stability at this home, and they are cared for with love and care that is consistent and predictable. Children’s care is exceptionally well planned and understood by the staff that care for them. Children are helped to make exceptional progress from their starting points. In the time that children have lived at the home, they have learned and sustained many positive achievements which are life changing for them.

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outstanding

Children are growing and developing their skills remarkably through consistent and high-quality care. This exceptional progress includes becoming independent using the toilet, and eating varied and balanced diets with suitable cutlery at the dining table. Children are achieving a healthy and good bedtime routine. They have increased ability to cope with wearing suitable clothing and are building resilience to cope with items and sounds that were previously distressing for them. These developments are significant and sustained for children, thus improving their lives.

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outstanding

The presence and personalities of the children are littered through the home through the decoration and furnishings, the children’s photographs and the vibrant toys that children love and enjoy thoroughly. Children are at ease, feel comfortable at the home and have settled in well. They have built secure and trusting relationships with the staff. Staff’s knowledge of the children is exceptional, and staff anticipate children’s needs and communication effectively.

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outstanding

As a result of children’s progress and their relationships with staff, children enjoy new experiences for the first time. For these children, these experiences have previously not been accessible, and staff have worked hard to make these achievable. Children are now active members of the community where they live, are building relationships with others and are learning new skills.

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outstanding

Children enjoy good health. This is because the staff make sure their health needs are met. The staff work with external professionals to make adjustments to ensure that children’s individual and complex needs are not a barrier to them achieving good health outcomes.

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outstanding

Children enjoy school and are making positive educational achievements. One child has been supported extensively to transition into a suitable school and now attends full time. This was very complex, but staff and the manager worked hard and advocated for the child and their best interests. This led to a positive outcome.

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outstanding

Children are supported to maintain their relationships with those most important to them outside of the home. Staff and the manager have worked exceptionally well to maintain these relationships, despite difficult circumstances. Inspection report for children’s home: 2575463 4 Staff and the manager advocate confidently for what they believe is in the best interests of children. External professionals are also highly complimentary about how well the staff and manager do this.

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outstanding

Staff and managers achieve the right balance between protecting and enabling the children. Despite children’s complex needs and the high levels of supervision needed to keep them safe, children enjoy freedom with little to no restrictions. Staff apply clear and consistent boundaries while giving children choice, space and freedom to express themselves. The staff demonstrate a high understanding of the risks to children’s safety and work proactively to anticipate and minimise risks before these occur wherever possible.

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outstanding

Children have and continue to develop awareness and understanding of their emotions and feelings. The staff provide effective care that defuses and deescalates incidents effectively. As a result, the number of incidents has significantly reduced and stayed low for a long period of time. Staff have not needed to use any restraint.

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outstanding

Staff are aspirational for the children in helping them to fulfil their potential to become independent and learn new skills. Children work towards individualised goals and outcomes, which are embedded well into their day-to-day care. This helps children to take risks and to learn new skills in caring for themselves in line with their level of understanding and development. These are enabling children to become more independent.

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outstanding

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted by staff and recognised through instant rewards. This helps children to understand the relationship between their behaviour and the reward in a way they can easily understand. There is no use of consequences.

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outstanding

Staff make sure that they follow children’s care plans diligently, particularly in relation to personal care. They maintain records well to make sure that children’s lives are accurately recorded and potential safeguarding concerns, such as unexplained injuries to children, are identified and monitored comprehensively. The staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding children, and are confident in raising concerns about children’s safety and whistle-blowing. When a concern was identified, staff action protected children from a potential risk of harm at the earliest opportunity. Children were not affected by this potential risk. The manager took appropriate action to report to external agencies and manage the concern appropriately.

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outstanding

The communication between the staff and external professionals involved in children’s care is excellent. Professionals are kept up to date with children’s needs and any concerns emerging that may impact on the safety or safeguarding of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2575463 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager leads the home by example, showing commitment and strong advocacy for children. He is experienced, qualified and motivational about the aspirations and expectations for the care of the children. Staff feel well supported by the manager and they have a strong sense of teamwork. Staff receive regular training and effective supervision. These make sure that staff have the skills and knowledge needed to provide children’s care effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective oversight of systems and processes in operation. These enable the manager to assess what is working well and take any appropriate action where necessary. There are no significant shortfalls identified in the management of the home. Some of the oversight systems, such as a monthly manager’s report, could be used to greater effect in managing the home and driving improvement in the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When needed, the manager notifies Ofsted of serious events in line with the regulations. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When assessing the location of the home, there is not enough consultation with all relevant people to make sure that the risks to children’s safety are understood and sufficiently reduced. However, this has limited impact on children who are always supervised by staff outside of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although most of the home is well maintained, the bathroom requires work to replace a cabinet and a bath panel. Work is needed to ensure that the home is sufficiently maintained. Inspection report for children’s home: 2575463 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that the home is well maintained so that it feels homely, nurturing and supportive. In particular, the registered person should ensure that any repairs and maintenance work are carried out routinely and promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should make sure that, when assessing the location of the home, there is consultation with all relevant people. Where responses are not received, the registered person should make every effort to obtain information and escalate appropriately so that the location of the home can be assessed to ensure it is suitably located and children are effectively safeguarded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should make sure that the management oversight systems

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Recommendations

are fully effective and used to their potential to monitor the quality of care and drive improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7)

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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: 2575463 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 St. Wilfrid’s Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster DN4 6AA

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Inspector

Honor Hamshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2575463 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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