Children's home run by PBS Care Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 1 Registered provider: PBS Care Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties who may have autism and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2021.

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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: 20 September 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: 2562677 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2022 Full Good 03/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved to semi-independent living. Staff stay in touch with them to provide emotional support and check that they are okay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience well-planned and meaningful moves. Staff understand the importance of children being prepared for changes in their routines. The manager meets with children before they arrive. They tell children about the home in ways that children will understand. Children already living at the home are told when a new child moves in. This helps to reduce children’s anxiety because they understand what is happening.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff show children respect, love and kindness. Children respond well and like to spend time with staff. One child said, ‘I love it here; it’s so nice. The staff are so lovely.’ Staff ask children how their day has been, and they show genuine interest in the children. Photos of children and their achievements are on display. This helps children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. This is because staff use praise and reassurance consistently. One child has started to initiate conversations, which is noted as good progress. One child has learned to tell staff how they feel more appropriately. One child has learned to recognise when they feel anxious and use strategies that staff have taught them to calm themselves. All social workers spoken with agreed that children make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff organise a variety of activities and experiences that they know children will enjoy. Children have been on individual and group holidays and visited large theme parks, activity centres and adventure parks. Children also attend community events and contribute to local celebrations. Staff take photos of these events and create personalised memory books for each child. This helps children to have positive memories while building confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are in education and attendance is good. One child can now travel to college independently. Another child is sitting their mock exams. Staff have helped one child to create their own CV, and they are applying for volunteering roles in the community. Staff understand the importance of children learning new skills and how to be independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children staying in touch with family and friends. They take children to see their family, no matter how far away they live from the home. One child is having their family visit on Christmas day. Staff encourage children to make friends by attending local youth clubs. Children are helped to feel a sense of belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 4 Staff record children’s daily experiences; however, some of the language used is open to interpretation and is child blaming. This means that if children choose to read their records, they may feel a sense of shame and confusion.

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

Staff understand that routine and familiarity are important factors in helping children feel safe. Children said that they feel safe living at the home. Professionals and family members also agreed that children are safe and that staff have the best interests of children at the centre of their practice at all times.

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

Structured and personalised responses from staff mean that children feel reassured if they are upset. There has been a significant reduction in behavioural incidents. This is because staff follow the agreed strategies in children’s plans. Staff are reflective, and when an approach is unsuccessful, they review their strategies without delay. Staff are proactive and help children feel calm and safe.

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

Children’s vulnerabilities are well understood by staff. Plans are detailed and include how staff can reduce any risks to children. One child’s vulnerability to self-harm has reduced significantly because of the staff’s approach. Staff are skilled at listening and talking to children about anything that worries them. Staff also understand the importance of children taking measured risks. Children have experienced rock climbing, sky rope challenges and zip wiring. Staff help children make positive choices and learn how to keep themselves safe.

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

No children have left the home without permission since the last inspection. Despite this, individualised plans are in place in case children choose to leave. These plans have also been shared with the local police force. This ensures that officers are aware of the children’s vulnerabilities and how to communicate effectively with them when they are found.

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

Physical interventions are only used as a last resort and to keep children and staff safe. Staff use de-escalation strategies before using a restraint, and this is evidenced in detailed incident reports. The manager meets with children and staff after any incident. This helps the child talk about their experiences and enables staff to consider alternative approaches.

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

If consequences are used, they are restorative in their nature. This helps children to understand how their behaviour has affected other people. One child has written letters of apology. This has helped them to take responsibility and reflect on how they could have told staff about their feelings more positively.

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

During a physical intervention, a child made an allegation about a member of staff. The allegation was recorded on the incident report. However, the registered manager failed to investigate the child’s concerns or inform the local authority designated officer and Ofsted. This limited the internal and external oversight of the safeguarding concern. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and qualified to manage the home. An experienced and dedicated deputy supports the manager. The responsible individual is proactive in the development of the home. All managers know the staff and children well and have high ambitions for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has employed a diverse staff team, which enriches the children’s lives and experiences. There is a nicely balanced mix of experienced and new staff. Staff said that they feel supported by managers and spoke about the children with pride.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment processes are followed. Staff move through a detailed induction, which includes regular reviews of practice. This helps the manager guide staff and encourage them to reflect on their learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers make certain that staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. Supervisors are skilled at helping staff explore their practice by using open-ended questions. Staff respond well to this approach and become aware of their own thoughts and beliefs. This helps staff to build relationships with children and promotes curiosity and creativity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the importance of staff being trained to meet the needs of children. Specialist training is provided to ensure that staff have the skills required to understand complex behaviour and communication. Staff are either qualified or working towards a relevant childcare qualification within timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good monitoring tools in place. They have good oversight of children’s progress and areas where children need more help. The manager understands the strengths and areas for development and has a development plan in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has met two of the requirements and the recommendation from the last inspection. One requirement has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 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

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 29 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 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: 2562677 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pbs Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 14 Southwold Crescent, Benfleet SS7 5SW

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2562677 9 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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