Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 1 SC489970 Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably experienced registered manager.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2022 Full Good 22/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager has ensured that the home provides a nurturing environment. Children have very positive and caring relationships with one another and the staff. This enables children to express their wishes and feelings in an environment where they feel safe and well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their interests, such as art, and there are photos in their bedrooms and the communal areas of the home. Staff ensure that children’s abilities and talents are encouraged and nurtured, and children take part in a wide variety of activities. Children are encouraged to socialise with their peers. This supports children to develop relationships and build their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff focus on supporting children to have good memories of their time at the home. They consistently ensure that they capture children’s memories, creating well- presented memory books. These are reminders for children about their positive experiences and the progress they make while living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have conversations with staff and share their feelings and emotions. For example, one child was supported to understand their feelings and in discussion with staff they agreed to communicate using a tool to help them to express themselves . This has allowed them to explain how they are feeling and for staff to provide support. Another child was supported to share their experiences in the home and a member of staff surprised them by writing a song. This approach works because staff can support children to feel safe and to understand their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met and they are healthy. Children are encouraged to eat a nutritious and varied diet. Staff work closely with health professionals to ensure that children maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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

Children have developed secure attachments with staff in a relatively short period of time. This has enabled children to talk to staff about any worries they have. This supports the children to feel safe and secure.

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

Staff undertake the required safeguarding training. Safeguarding of children is also discussed during team meetings. This provides the opportunity for staff to have a shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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

Children rarely go missing from care. If they do go missing, it is for a very short period. Staff follow procedures to ensure that children are as safe as they can be and return to the home as quickly as possible. They try to understand where children have been and who with, to help prevent reoccurrence. Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 4 Children have not made any formal complaints and say that if they were unhappy, they would speak to staff. However, children are not aware of the complaints procedure. This could prevent children from receiving support because staff may be unaware of their concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an experienced manager. Together with the deputy manager, she has established a home which is offering good care. The staff say that they enjoy working at the home and have good levels of motivation. This has a positive impact on their relationship with children and the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that when considering new children coming to live at the home, the needs of other children are considered, along with the skills and abilities of staff. The management team supports children to visit the home and they consider children’s experiences and background, as well as speaking to all involved professionals, before any child is admitted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s family members are very positive about the care their children receive. One said, ‘The home is doing a fantastic job, very impressed.’ Another said, ‘I could not think of anything the home could do better at this time.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed all mandatory training. However, not all hold the appropriate qualification for residential childcare. The manager has ensured that rotas are drawn up to ensure appropriate staffing levels. However, the mix of experience and the qualifications of staff are not always fully considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are weaknesses in the management monitoring and oversight. Records completed by staff do not always match written information recorded by the manager. This results in a discrepancy in records and children not always having the opportunity to receive identified support. Leaders acknowledge that improvement is needed and have plans in place to develop their approaches to monitoring and oversight of the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that records of incidents are clear and detailed and demonstrate management oversight, reflection and learning. 2 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home;

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 2 February 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 6 This particularly refers to ensuring that all staff are registered on the diploma and complete the qualification within timescale.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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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: SC489970 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Coach House, Drinsey Nook, Lincoln LN1 2JJ

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Inspectors

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Angela Duffus-Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC489970 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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