Children's home run by Support and Sustain Care Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 1 Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 8 June 2023. The registered manager is suitably qualified. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 2

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improvement to be good

Management oversight of the quality of care requires improvement. The registered manager does not yet have a good understanding of the quality of care provided for children. For example, children’s movements around the home have been restricted by staff, which has not been challenged by the manager.

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improvement to be good

Children have recently moved into this new home. Nevertheless, staff have formed warm and nurturing relationships with children. They have been consistent in their approach, which helps children to adhere to the home’s rules and boundaries. Relationships have become more trusting and respectful. For example, children’s use of inappropriate language has reduced.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are sought and listened to. They know how to make complaints. Complaints are appropriately investigated and children are provided with feedback from the manager. However, there is no record of the investigation to show how the manager determined the outcome.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health is promoted. Staff support children to attend routine health appointments. They support children to maintain a good balanced diet and to stay fit and well. One child is eating more fruit and vegetables since living in the home. Staff guide children to make the right choices when choosing food. For example, children are encouraged to eat smaller slices of cake and to reduce their use of sugar. This helps to keep children healthy.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to attend school. For example, staff take children to and from school. Both children attend their school on a full-time basis and are making good progress.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of activities, such as cycling, video gaming, movie nights and boxing. Activities help children gain confidence and improve their self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to stay in touch with people who are important to them, such as their family.

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improvement to be good

Children are, at times, prevented from going into or coming out of their bedrooms. Staff say that their shifts do not start until 7.30am, so they encourage children to go back to their rooms while staff get ready, or children are not allowed into their bedrooms if they are displaying behaviour that staff believe will cause them to cause damage there. One child’s plan states that the child should get up at around 6.30am Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 3 to give them time to get ready for the day, however, this is not consistently practiced by staff.

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improvement to be good

Children have been restrained in their bedrooms and on their beds. The child’s bedroom should be a safe space for them. The manager has not reviewed these incidents and has not commented on the incidents of restraint used in children’s bedrooms. Additionally, when an incident occurred, a member of staff told the child that they were going to call the police. This could have been considered as a threat by the child. This has not been addressed by the manager with the member of staff.

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improvement to be good

The home uses a therapeutic model to support children with their anxieties and when they are angry or upset. This is gradually being embedded in practice. Staff have received training and some feedback through discussions after incidents, that have helped them to better support children’s behaviour. For example, physical intervention has not been effective for one child. Staff no longer use physical intervention for this child because they have implemented the home’s therapeutic model. Incidents for this child have decreased because staff have a better understanding of how to approach him. They know how to help him become calm again. This reduces the need for physical intervention.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not always had discussions with children or staff about incidents they have been involved in. However, this is improving following feedback from the independent person’s monitoring report. As a result, the manager has produced better monitoring forms that she is now using to ensure that post-incident discussions are held. This ensures that staff are aware of shortfalls in practice, and the manager knows the child’s view about what went well and what could be done better.

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good

The manager has not been consistent in her monitoring of the home’s records. As a result, management oversight has not identified or addressed some shortfalls in staff practice. However, the manager has begun to make changes to her monitoring systems because of the useful feedback from the monthly independent person visits and auditing by the responsible individual. These changes are starting to be implemented and practice is not yet embedded.

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good

Some staff have left since the home opened. This has made it difficult for remaining staff to establish routines and boundaries for children. However, a good induction and ongoing training have supported staff to gain the knowledge and skills they require to look after the children effectively.

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good

Eight members of staff have been safely recruited. The manager ensures that applicants are appropriately vetted. As a result, children are protected from unsafe adults working in their home. Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 4 The manager did not ensure that the independent person visited the home in July and August. This impacts on the external review of the home and the regulator’s insight into the operation of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 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

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 12 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 12 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 12 January 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are not routinely deprived of their liberty by being encouraged, without a court order, to stay in their bedrooms before the staff shift starts in the mornings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.63) Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 6

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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: 2730637 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 27 Morrison Avenue, Wolverhampton WV10 9TZ

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2730637 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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