Children's home run by Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 1 SC479596 Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is run by a private company. It provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, four children have left the home and four children have moved in.

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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: SC479596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2023 Full Good 17/03/2022 Full Good 25/09/2019 Full Good 09/05/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported in the home by an experienced registered manager and staff. Staff nurture the children and are consistent, considerate and respectful in the way they communicate with them. The children have also built friendships with each other and enjoy playing games and going out together. This promotes trusting relationships and their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home have positive experiences and are doing well. One child settled quickly into the home and has made significant progress in the past year. Staff are quick to identify children’s needs. One child chose to move in after visiting the home. When the child was asked why they wanted to live in the home, they said, ‘Because of the staff and other children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families or other people important to them when it is appropriate to do so. One child now enjoys relaxed family time, when they all go out together and socialise. Another child’s previous carer regularly spends quality time with them and remains very much involved in their life. Children who move out of the home continue to be visited by staff regularly. This focus on maintaining important relationships promotes children’s emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children understand how to make a complaint, and some children have advocates who visit them in the home. Children enjoy living in the home and, when asked, could not think of anything they would like to change. Some children are developing the skills to communicate their needs verbally. Staff give children choices and encourage them to tell staff what they want. Children are listened to in the home, and staff advocate well for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a listed building, and some areas look tired and worn. Other areas have been recently decorated and refreshed. The home is clean, and some bedrooms have been improved. The children’s bedrooms are decorated in accordance with their preferences. Some flooring is damaged and is in the process of being repaired. Some areas look homely, and others need attention.

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

Children feel safe in the home. Some children only lived here for a short time during the past year. The registered manager identified that their needs could not be met in the home. Plans were immediately put in place to keep all the children safe. Children stayed in the home until a more suitable home could be found, reducing the number of changes the children had to deal with.

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

Some children who come to live in the home have extremely complex health needs, and specialist training for staff is required. The registered manager consulted with all health professionals involved before one child moved in and arranged training for Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 4 staff. Meeting this child’s needs allows them to live as part of the community, remain at their school and spend time with their friends.

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

Risk assessments identify the risks to each child and are based on their individual needs. Children are supported to learn about bullying, fire safety and how to be more independent and remain safe. This gives them important life skills.

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

Staff rarely need to use physical interventions with children in the home and only do so as a last resort. They give children choice and control over their own lives in an age-appropriate way. Staff do not use consequences in the home but encourage the children to be responsible for their actions and help restore any damaged items and relationships. This helps children to manage their own emotions.

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

Children do not go missing from this home, and supervision levels are good. However, the manager has not fully considered all the risks if children were to go missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and respected, with a settled staff team. They are committed to ensuring that children develop and have positive experiences. The registered manager has developed a nurturing and supportive place for the children to live in. Children are happy, and they all make progress in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager and senior staff in the home. The registered manager has an open-door policy. Staff receive regular supervision and an annual appraisal, when their development needs are addressed and they can reflect on their practice. Staff are suitably qualified for their roles and receive specific training to help them meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, reflective learning has taken place around the process for when children move into the home. The whole team engaged in this learning, which was facilitated by an external professional. Lessons have been learned from previous shortfalls and more thorough admission processes are now followed. This ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children before they move in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager continues to challenge others when there is not sufficient education provision for children in place, or when external professionals have not shared essential information. She is well respected by external professionals and works with them to find solutions for children. One external professional said, ‘The manager and staff team are very responsive to the children, and to any requests made. They also highlight promptly if the children need any additional support.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

It is unclear from records how many physical interventions have taken place as some records contradict each other. This stems from confusion over the terminology Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 5 used. Interventions which have taken place have been appropriate. However, not all of the children's records are accurate. This leads to children’s experiences not being understood fully. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential,

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have effective oversight of the accuracy of behaviour management records. 31 March 2024

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all risks relating to children going missing from the home or becoming separated from staff are assessed. 31 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that repairs to any damage are routinely carried out so the children’s home is a homely, domestic environment. (‘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: SC479596 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Treehouse Care Fostering Solutions Limited, 107 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby DN31 3ER

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Inspector

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 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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