Children's Home run by Mercia Children Services Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 1 Registered provider: Mercia Children 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 operated and registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, there were four children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since May 2022.

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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: 21 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: 2587763 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/09/2022 Full Good 27/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming environment. Each child’s room represents their own character and interests. The presence of pets in the house lends it a homely feel. Renovations mean that children now also benefit from the use of a games room. However, further work still needs to be completed in the gym area to make it suitable for children to use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff. Children all said that they trust staff and feel heard. Positive, supportive relationships with staff have helped children to feel settled. Children are thriving because of the care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are reaching their potential in relation to education, training and employment. One teacher said, ‘[Staff are] very supportive and work hard to ensure [the child] has full access to education and remains engaged.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children well when they move into or out of the home. Preparations for children arriving at or leaving the home are made in plenty of time, allowing big life changes to be made gradually. Staff support older children to gain the independence skills they will need. Children’s experiences of moving into or out of the home are positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Therapeutic parenting approaches are being embedded into the care children receive. Staff receive guidance from an in-house clinician, who is helping staff to develop a better understanding of the reasons behind children’s behaviour. Staff support children to have better mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly have useful conversations with children about important topics. Staff are curious about children’s lives and help them to develop the skills and understanding that they need to make progress.

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

Managers have developed a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff recognise situations that might increase risks for each child. Staff use this knowledge to prevent incidents from occurring. Staff help children to understand their own risks and to make more positive choices.

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

When children go missing, staff know what to do to make sure children are brought home quickly and safely. Staff also try hard to understand the reasons that children go missing and to use this information to prevent future incidents. Staff reduce the risk of children going missing effectively.

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

Staff know how to respond to incidents of self-harm. Staff also regularly have sensitive, non-judgemental conversations with children about their mental health. Inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 4 Staff focus on understanding children’s needs and preventing further harm. As a result, children say that they feel safe and supported.

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

Staff have had to physically hold children to keep them safe. Staff understand when it is necessary to hold a child and only use this as a last resort. However, some records have not included all necessary details about the hold. On one occasion, managers did not speak to staff about the incident within timescales. This could prevent leaders and managers from being able to identify patterns and trends.

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

Managers carry out thorough checks in relation to anyone who wants to work in this home. Children are only cared for by safe adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager leading this home. He supports children to have high ambitions for what they can achieve. One social worker told the inspector, ‘The manager has a strong sense of social justice, and this is a strength which comes through within meetings and supports his ability to advocate on behalf of [the child].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use effective processes to monitor all aspects of care. Managers identify weaknesses and take effective action to improve the quality of care children receive. The manager uses his oversight to cultivate an environment in which mistakes are seen as an opportunity for learning. Staff provide a positive role model for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by leaders and managers. One member of staff said, ‘I feel comfortable to share things with him [the manager], he listens and makes me feel valued.’ A parent commented, ‘[the RI] is all about the children and not about anything else, that shines through from him and down through all the staff… everyone seems to have [the child’s] welfare and best interests at heart, they’re not just turning up and doing a job.’ Children are cared for by a consistent, positive team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a wide range of skills and experience. Staff share their knowledge at team meetings and in their day-to-day work to make sure that children receive the best possible care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager keeps up to date on any legislative changes, relevant research and updates to practice guidance. He shares this useful information regularly with his team. Staff understand the best approaches to care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed strong working relationships with all professionals. One social worker said that staff have ‘a clear focus on his [the child’s] plan and supporting him to achieve the best outcomes for him… their support in encouraging school to see [the child] in a trauma-informed lens has been very important.’ Children are receiving well-co-ordinated care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 5

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Statutory requirement

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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(b)(i)(ii)) 30 March 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all areas of the home environment are fit for use. This includes the garage and games room as the children use them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2587763 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mercia Children Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 7 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or

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Inspector

medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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