Children's home run by ARRONBETH LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 1 SC000802 Registered provider: Arronbeth Ltd 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 company. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties. Staff deliver care in line with the provider’s therapeutic model. The parameters of this model are set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2007. The manager holds suitable qualifications for this role.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Good 29/04/2021 Full Outstanding 05/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting, positive relationships with the adults who care for them. Children have progressed since their starting points and this view is supported by family and professionals. One child said: ‘I have come a long way since I came to live here and that is down to the help I get from staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is seen as important by the staff. This helps the children have clear boundaries and expectations around education attendance and this has resulted in progress for the children to varying degrees. The children have ambitions for life after school and are supported to achieve their goals by the adults advocating on their behalf.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moving into and out of the home is a positive experience for children due to the clear planning and decision-making by the management team. Children develop resilience while living in the home that enables them to return home or live independently. The two children who have moved on since the last inspection are still in touch with the adults who cared for them. Children moving in are supported to settle in by the ethos of the care provided. This develops relationships with children before helping to address the previous trauma and presenting behaviours. A professional commented that the adults are ‘very child-centred’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to deal with previous trauma by the adults, who follow the model of therapeutic care adopted by the organisation. Children are given time to process their feelings in a safe way and are helped to learn to manage their emotions. The families and professionals spoken to said that the consistency of approach seen in practice has helped the children progress. A professional commented that ‘The relationships with staff have been key to [name]’s recovery.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions are carried out by all staff in the home depending on what needs to be talked about with each child. These sessions link to the care plan and are ad hoc. However, for one child there were no recorded sessions with the key worker, only other adults. When discussed with the key worker, he stated that sessions had taken place but not recorded as a session. This is a central relationship for the child and when looking back at his history it will be difficult to see where that relationship fits without such recordings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to spend time with those that are important to them. The support takes many forms, from transport to going and staying with the child to see people, or having those people come to the home. This gives children a sense of safety to explore these relationships and develop them to be a support network in adulthood. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 4

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

Risks to the children are known and understood by the staff. The introduction of an online system of recording risk assessments and care plans ensures that the most up-to-date information is available to assess current risk. Clear strategies are recorded to help the staff mitigate future risks.

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

The staff have introduced a digital passport that they complete with children which outlines, depending on individual risks, what can be accessed and what checks on devices such as phones and tablets will take place. This helps children to manage their safety online.

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

Children going missing from the home is rare. There have been no episodes since the last inspection. However, there are clear protocols in place should this occur. In discussions, the staff were able to say what they would do in such an event and who they would inform.

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

Incidents are clearly recorded, as are strategies to help children deal with emotions in a different way. However, one incident involving a child that was serious and out of character was not reported to Ofsted. This prevented Ofsted from ensuring that all steps were taken to protect a child in such circumstances. In this case, all relevant steps were taken to protect the child at the time and strategies were in place to prevent further occurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong, effective leadership team in place that provides support and guidance. Supervisions are regular and time is given for reflection about practice and the personal impact of dealing with the trauma work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are regular and provide a place for focused discussions and information-sharing. The manager has introduced a new self-evaluation tool and it is hoped this will help staff to develop as individuals and in turn improve the lives of the children. The psychologist linked to the home offers individual sessions to staff to support them as well as training in the adopted model of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive training programme in place that covers mandatory and specialist training. One of the staff is currently being supported to attend university by the organisation, while working, to strengthen the team’s development in the future in therapeutic childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The locality risk assessment is updated yearly but not when a new child comes to live at the home. This will assist the team in managing any risks to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a system of auditing in place and this, along with the reports of the independent person, enables him to have good oversight of practice. The manager is clear about the strengths and weaknesses within his team and uses supervision and appraisal to address any learning needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)) 30 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that he receives all the necessary documentation to help care for a child. Where the local authority is not maintaining this all steps should be taken, including escalation through to senior management, to receive the documents in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 11, paragraph 2.3)  The registered person should ensure that those caring for children should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. They should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4) With reference to key-work sessions.  The registered person should, under regulation 46, review the appropriateness

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Recommendations

and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 6 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.1) With reference to when a child moves into the home.

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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: SC000802 7

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Inspector

Susan Atkinson Millmoor, Social Care Inspector (OI) Inspection report for children’s home: SC000802 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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