Children's Home run by Prosper and Enterprise Limited in Surrey

Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 1 Registered provider: Prosper and Enterprise Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to five children. It is owned and run by a private organisation. The home provides care for children who experience social and emotional difficulties. This includes children who may have additional needs, such as autism and complex associated difficulties. There are currently two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 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: 21 February 2023

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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: 2619057 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2023 Full Good 21/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s environment has been praised by external professionals and parents, who describe it as a safe and homely place for children to live. Children’s bedrooms feature personal touches and they benefit from having their own en-suite facilities. There is also a gym room, chill-out space and garden activities, including a trampoline, for the children to enjoy. The chill-out space is equipped with a piano and sensory lighting, creating a space for artistic expression and visual stimulation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with the staff who care for them and are encouraged to try new activities. One child is starting to build their confidence through horse- riding lessons and another has shown creative aptitude for bench-building. The children also benefit from having pets at the home. They enjoy looking after the home’s guinea pig and learning about the chickens. The animals are a source of comfort and companionship, while providing an opportunity for children to learn and take on appropriate responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence skills in a meaningful way. This is something that staff take pride in and are passionate about. One spoke about the benefits of bonding with a child through cooking. They highlighted the progress that the child has made and the confidence that they have developed as a consequence. Independence passports are kept as a way of tracking children’s progress and supporting them to reflect on their learning. Children speak proudly about some of their skills, including their ability to contribute to maintenance jobs and making cups of tea for their visitors or staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have full and varied schedules. The manager has been proactive in finding local resources that provide educational, sporting and therapeutic services. This provides children with a good routine if they are being supported to reintegrate into formal education and also promotes emotional and psychological well-being. One child has shown commitment in attending an alternative provision where learning and sports are combined. The manager is a keen advocate for children and supports them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are times when children’s records are not written in a child-centred or non- stigmatising way. Managers and leaders have been offering guidance to staff and have plans to deliver training around this, with the aim that children can feel good about what is written about their experiences.

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

The home has had some challenges but there has been reflection by managers and staff, and improvements have been made that are beginning to be embedded. The home has welcomed new staff to join the team. Lessons have been learned from challenging incidents, which have informed the support and guidance given to staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 4 Key-work sessions address themes relevant to children’s needs. They sometimes focus specifically on areas of vulnerability for children so they can better understand how to keep themselves safe and seek help in doing so. Children read and contribute to the records made about these sessions, which is a positive example of how staff empower children and build trust in their relationships.

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

When allegations are made by children, there is good oversight and scrutiny by the manager. The manager ensures that there is appropriate liaison with external agencies, including the local authority designated officer. Staff know how to whistle- blow and have a good understanding of how to respond when children make allegations.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and say that they feel comfortable speaking to staff about their concerns. Complaints made by children are responded to directly and are taken seriously. There are occasions when children have made complaints about external agencies. One child was supported to make a complaint to the Children’s Commissioner regarding the arrangements for their education.

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

There are occasions where children go missing from home. Staff understand how to respond effectively to support the safe return of children. Individual risk and behaviour management plans provide staff with clear strategies on how to respond to incidents and help keep children safe. However, there are times when serious incidents have not been notified to the regulator in a way that allows for independent and timely oversight.

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

Consequences for children are always proportionate, but not always restorative in nature. There is also a lack of consistency at times in how staff recognise, and subsequently respond to, children’s behaviours. The provider recognises the benefits of developing staff’s knowledge of how children communicate their emotional needs through their behaviour. Training has been identified specifically for this purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have a clear vision for the home and are committed to building on the skills and strengths of the staff team. The registered manager is now supported by a deputy and staff have taken on more clearly defined responsibilities. There are clearer objectives for staff and the distinguishing of roles has created more stability for staff and children alike.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager takes a pragmatic approach to the home’s development. Her stoic understanding of the changes and challenges that have occurred over previous months are reflected in the plans for the home moving forward. Leaders have meaningfully applied their learning to ensure that staff sufficiency has improved and that referrals are patiently and carefully considered to ensure that staff have the right skills to meet children’s needs. There are robust systems in place to support this and assessments are an area of strength. Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 5 On occasion, staff conduct has fallen below the expected standard. The registered manager has acted promptly to address concerns and taken appropriate action to ensure that children are safe. The manager and responsible individual ensure that there is regular support for staff who may need it and that processes are followed to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is regular. Staff are provided with opportunities to explore any challenges that arise and they discuss possible solutions as a team. Staff report that they receive encouragement and guidance, both during their probation and in their ongoing work lives. They describe positive and respectful relationships with leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In the main, managers and leaders have developed positive working relationships with other professionals and ensure that children receive consistent care. External professionals say that they receive good levels of communication from the registered manager and that there is a transparent approach to working together. However, a minority of external professionals feel that they would like a stronger and more cohesive working relationship with the home. The registered manager has embraced this feedback and is committed to strengthening the professional relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that consequences for children are restorative in nature and that staff are supported to respond effectively and consistently to trauma-related behaviours. 1 May 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notifications must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered manager has a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with other relevant people. These working relationships will also be key to success in delivering the care planning standard (regulation 14). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered manager should ensure that staff record information on individual

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Recommendations

children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 7 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 61, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2619057 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prosper and Enterprise Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 74A Station Road East, Oxted RH8 0PG

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Inspector

Tash Williams, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2619057 9 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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