Children's home run by SBL CARE SERVICES (UK) Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2740625 1 Registered provider: SBL Care Services (UK) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home opened. The home is part of a multi-build registration for up to six children living across four children’s homes. This home is owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 6 children living at the home at the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

All settings were visited as part of the inspection and all children spent individual time with inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a qualified and experienced registered manager in post.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2740625 2

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outstanding

Children live in a home with a team of staff who fully support their emotional, safety and learning needs, and help them to make significant progress in their lives. Leaders, managers and staff use their considerable knowledge of outstanding childcare practice to provide personalised, well-planned and effectively reviewed care. There are several examples of excellent practice that are worthy of wider dissemination.

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outstanding

Managers and staff conscientiously support children’s progress, through detailed care planning. Children’s plans are highly individualised, with a significant level of detail to ensure that their needs are met. Staff talk to children about their care plans and targets to ensure that they actively contribute to their progress and experiences throughout their care journey. This approach is supporting children’s self-esteem, confidence and belief that all achievements are a measure of success.

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outstanding

Relationships between children, managers and staff are consistently of an excellent quality. Children have established strong and trusting bonds with managers and staff. Children talked about the support they receive from staff and the high levels of consistent care. Their comments included, ‘The staff really care,’ and ‘We can talk to them about anything’, and ‘Staff really do listen’. A social worker said the staff team consistently provides and promotes a high quality of care that supports children to succeed.

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outstanding

Moves into the home are exceptionally well planned. Transition meetings and risk assessments show that transition decisions carefully consider the needs of each child and the skills of the staff team. Plans are holistic and individualised to capture the views of each child. This reduces children’s anxieties as they move in. Children who have left the home have successfully returned to live with family members.

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outstanding

Children enjoy an excellent range of well-considered activities and experiences. They take part in a wide range of clubs and are supported to be involved with fundraising for a local charity. Activities are planned according to children’s interests as well as developing their self confidence in line with care plans.

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outstanding

Well-organised family time arrangements lead to significant improvements in relationships between children and their families. One social worker said, ‘Distance is not an issue and staff are fantastic and make sure it is right for the child.’ A parent said, ‘I could not ask for my child to live anywhere better. The difference [the staff] have made is significant.’

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outstanding

Staff encourage children to lead a healthy lifestyle. They encourage new activities, new foods and healthy eating, and discourage children from smoking cigarettes. Children attend regular health appointments and staff make alternative Inspection report for children's home: 2740625 3 arrangements for those who find appointments such as going to the dentist difficult. This shows a level of thoughtfulness and ensures that children have access to health services that support their needs.

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outstanding

Managers consistently promote the importance of education for all children. Since moving to the home, all children have returned to education. Reading is promoted on a daily basis and staff listen to children read and read them bedtimes stories. This consistently encourages children’s development. Staff regularly liaise with school staff and attend parents’ evenings and all school events. Children were excited to talk about the staff watching their nativity play and being present when they won awards for ‘Worker of the week’ and for ‘Outstanding achievement in kindness’.

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outstanding

The management team consistently seeks and acts on children’s views. Key-working discussions are child-centred, constructive and nurturing. Staff and children discuss significant aspects of children’s safety and development in the home and local community. Research-informed practice continues to develop from a strong and confident base, making an exceptional difference to the lives and experiences of children.

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outstanding

Each l the homes are maintained to a high standard and are pleasant and homely environments. Each home was decorated for the festive season. Photos of children are displayed throughout their homes, which gives the homes a family feel and a feeling of permanence.

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outstanding

Proactive and creative safeguarding practice means that all children have a strong sense of safety and well-being. Children feel safe and well cared for by the staff. External professionals say that staff provide safe and nurturing care and records of incidents and difficulties children may experience are detailed. This ensures that professionals can assess the quality of safe practice in the home.

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outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff have a strong knowledge of how to safeguard children. Staff have been appropriately trained through a range of multidisciplinary child protection courses. They use this knowledge well to assess the risks posed to individual children and to create strategies to minimise them. When a child made an allegation, managers and staff responded to the concerns swiftly and informed all relevant professionals of the necessary details. Records include a detailed and clear chronology of responses to concerns and the discussions held.

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outstanding

Detailed behaviour management strategies assist staff to respond to behaviours that may put children at immediate risk. All staff receive training in restraint and management of incidents. They record incidents well, in both the home’s restraint log and in more detailed incident records. Discussions with children and the staff involved demonstrate excellent examination of the children’s behaviours and how staff could respond better. Inspection report for children's home: 2740625 4 Consequences are rare and, when used, are based on restorative justice, promoting children’s consideration of their own behaviours and the effect that they may have. Staff and children confirm that there are clear boundaries in place in each home. Managers and staff provide detailed explanations when things happen, so that children understand why the staff make certain decisions.

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outstanding

Incidents of children being absent without permission decrease while they are at the home. There has only been one missing-from-care incident. This was managed well. Managers and staff talked to the child about the incident and the dangers that going missing bring and the need to keep in touch with staff. An independent return home interview was planned. This was an opportunity to ensure that no changes to care practices are required.

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outstanding

Effective monitoring of health and safety ensures that children and staff are safe. Risk assessments regarding the home and the activities and behaviours of the children are thorough and give staff guidance on how to respond to concerns if they arise. Detailed assessments of the locality and of admission to the home support children when they move in.

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outstanding

Leaders and managers employ staff using safer recruitment processes that help prevent unsuitable adults from working in the home. In addition, thorough and demanding induction assessments ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work safely and competently with vulnerable children.

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outstanding

Detailed information about complaints and how to contact a range of independent agencies ensure children are fully aware of how to raise concerns with the home’s staff team and externally, although no such actions have been necessary. An advocate visits the home each month and is readily available to listen to children and to support them to take action if they are unhappy about their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children live in a highly effective and efficiently managed children’s home. Leaders, managers and staff consistently go above and beyond to ensure that children receive the best standards of care, to support their individual needs and promote their safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is experienced. He is an enthusiastic leader who works in close partnership with his deputy manager and responsible individual. They have a shared vision of outstanding care and have high expectations for what all children can achieve. The managers have effective oversight across all the homes within the multi-building registration and they consistently ensure that decisions are always made in children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An enthusiastic management team constantly encourages individual development and improvement in the service. Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. They say that these help them to reflect on their performance. Annual Inspection report for children's home: 2740625 5 appraisals promote critical examination of working practice, encouraging staff to improve. The staff talked positively about the support they receive from the managers and their commitment to operating the homes to an exceptionally high standard as ‘this is what children deserve’. One member of staff echoed the views of others saying,’ I am proud to work here, I love it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff have either completed or are in the process of completing the qualification in residential childcare. One member of staff said, ‘Training is constant. We have discussions in team meetings and supervision about what we can do differently, and we are always improving as a team.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s records provide a detailed picture of their experiences and progress. They include a narrative of children’s daily lives, staff observations of children’s behaviours and an analysis of their progress. These comprehensive records provide an insight into and understanding of each child’s life. Staff develop achievement files with children, including photos, which provide a clear picture of their experiences and achievements while they are living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team is not complacent and uses effective monitoring systems to understand the strengths of their service and to identify any areas for development. They successfully use their development plan to make improvements to the service provided, to ensure that all children receive the highest quality of care.

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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: 2740625 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SBL Care Services (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 St Peters Place, Fleetwood FY7 6EB

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2740625 7 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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