Children's home run by We Care Bespoke Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2734115 1 Registered provider: We Care Bespoke Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties, and who may have a sensory impairment, physical disability, learning disability and a mental health condition.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home was registered in July 2023. The manager was also registered in July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector was able to see the child briefly.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2734115 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s move into the home was a thorough and planned process that was done at the child’s pace. Staff developed relationships before the child moved in by visiting them. This helped to reduce the child’s anxiety, helped the child settle well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is well cared for by a dedicated and committed staff team. Their individual complex needs and vulnerabilities are well understood by staff. The staff respond in a way that supports the child’s significant needs. This helps the child to manage their feelings in a more positive way. Robust routines help to make sure that the child’s day is predictable. Adaptations to the home’s environment ensures that the child is not overstimulated. As a result, their quality of life has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team helps the child to fulfil their real potential. Staff use their skills to find resources to use in the home or out in the wider community to provide positive experiences. Thought goes into what the child might like and benefit from. The child has many more opportunities to enjoy positive experiences, including sensory walks, baking and playing. This has helped them to enjoy childhood experiences and expand their world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to go to school full time. Currently, they are learning apart from the other children, but there are plans to help the child to join their peers for short periods of time. This is significant progress for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In the short space of time that the child has been living at the home, they have made good progress. Social stories are being used for the first time. This helps prepare the child for things that will happen, for example appointments or seeing new people. Staff also use ‘now and next’ strategies to provide reassurances, which helps to manage the child’s anxieties. Even when things do not go according to plan, the child’s attempts are praised by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Through using a consistent approach to care for the child, staff help them build their confidence. They take time to understand the best ways of communicating with the child. This is an ongoing process. The approach has helped the child to increase their verbal and non-verbal communication. This allows the child to be involved in decisions and choices, which is a new experience for them. Staff celebrate the child’s achievements to help them to understand the progress they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family remains fully involved in the child’s life. There is ongoing daily communication with staff so that the child’s parents find out what they have been doing at school and at home. The family members join in walks or go to the home for visits with their child. Staff recognise the importance of supporting these important relationships, which will be ongoing through the child’s life.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2734115 3 The individualised risk assessment, behaviour support and care plans are tailored to the child’s needs. Staff take time to understand what each of the child’s behaviours look like, for example when they are calm or when they are upset. Sometimes, the child can hit out due to their impulsivity. The staff consider the triggers, which has helped the team devise the best way to support the child during these times. This helps the child to manage their impulses alongside keeping them safer.

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

The staff’s approach to safety is child centred. Two staff are always with the child, which is essential given their needs. Staff stay alert so they can act quickly when needed, for example keeping the child safe when near the traffic.

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

Staff sometimes need to guide or hold the child to keep them and others safe. Staff use their positive relationships to distract and redirect the child’s attention. Sometimes, this is successful, and any physical intervention is only done as a last resort and in the child’s best interest.

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

Staff’s recording of incidents is clearly written and has appropriate oversight from the leadership team. Although some of the information recorded is brief, support has been provided for staff to increase their understanding about what level of detail they need to write. Staff reflect when the child has struggled to manage their emotions or behaviours. Staff try to understand what caused the build-up, what the child’s feelings were at the time and what could have been done differently in terms of staff involvement and management of the situation. This discussion makes sure that learning opportunities are not missed.

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

The child has some medications prescribed to manage their health needs. The manager has created a protocol specifically to help the child with this process. This involves staff explaining to the child what they are doing and telling them when they are administering medication. This preserves the child’s rights to refuse. When this happens, staff follow the advice from medical professionals to ensure that the child’s medication regime is safe.

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

There has been one complaint since the home opened. The manager took this seriously and resolved it. This makes sure that the relationship with the local community remains positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is enthusiastic about what she does. She makes sure the child has the care, support and attention they deserve. She is a good advocate for the child and her child-centred ethos filters down through the team and she leads by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the child well. This is because she is with the child and staff daily, which has been necessary to develop the new team. She has taken time to ensure that the care provided by the staff supports the child’s needs. However, this has taken her away from some of her managerial tasks, such as reviewing paperwork and establishing the monthly auditing tool. Inspection report for children’s home: 2734115 4 The staff share the manager’s enthusiasm for changing the child’s life. This will enable the child to thrive. Staff support the child to build resilience, to enjoy learning and feel valued. Reflection on practice is actively encouraged through discussions, team meetings and supervisions. The focus is on the child’s experiences, ensuring that the team is evolving and gelling together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good support in place for the staff team. This starts with a full induction and training program to make sure that staff have the same starting knowledge to care for the child. The manager uses her skills and experience to inform practice in order to ensure that staff who are newer into the role have the support they need to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a plan to develop the staff and their practice further. An independent visitor goes to the home monthly to provide recommendations on how to improve. The manager finds these visits helpful. However, the independent visitor has not met the child yet despite them living in the home for four months. This has denied the child the right of meeting with someone independent from outside of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has successful relationships with all members of the social care team involved with the child. Together, they create an environment that is nurturing, consistent and stable, which is essential for the child. One professional said, ‘I felt reassured [name of child] was going to a very safe place.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2734115 5

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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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the independent visitor seeing the child. 31 March 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2734115 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: We Care Bespoke Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 164A Front Street, Chester-le-Street, County Durham DH3 3AZ

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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2734115 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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