Children's home run by Outbound Care

Inspection report for children's home: 2516349 1 Registered provider: Outbound Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Two children are currently being cared for in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has been registered with Ofsted since 22 January 2024.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2516349 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2023 Full Outstanding 08/03/2022 Full Good 25/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2516349 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled and happy. Children live in the home for significant periods of time. Staff have positive relationships with children. Staff know the children well, listen to them and spend lots of time with them. Children have a sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences moving in and out of the home. Managers and leaders make decisions to ensure that the timing meets the needs of the children. Staff work hard to prepare children for independence and teach them practical skills. Staff have secure and enduring relationships with children, even when they have moved out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the rights of children. They teach the children about advocacy and ensure that they have access to an independent person. Children know how to make a complaint and are confident their views will be acted on. Children feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children are in school or college. Staff help children to identify suitable colleges by researching with them and taking them to open days. When children are in school, they have high attendance and make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated and well furnished. Staff help children to personalise their bedrooms according to their interests, such as football and gaming. There are photos in communal areas of children enjoying activities and trips. Staff ask children their views on how the home should look and act on their views. Children are comfortable and relaxed in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff take children to see their family, even when they are a significant distance away. Staff have excellent relationships with children’s family members and ensure that they are kept updated about the children’s lives.

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

Children feel safe. They can identify trusted staff in the home they can talk to about any concerns they have.

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

Staff understand the risks to children and how to keep them safe. Risk assessments have clear strategies for staff to follow and are updated regularly. Staff understand the needs of children and how best to teach them about risk. The language staff use around risk is non-blaming and child-friendly.

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

Staff help children to show positive behaviour. Staff have clear and consistent expectations and ensure that children understand them. Staff use their relationships Inspection report for children's home: 2516349 4 to encourage children to make positive choices. Children are rewarded when they behave well. Staff teach children to understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others and help them, when necessary, to repair relationships, for example by writing a letter of apology. Children have developed resilience and manage their emotions well.

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

Children do not often go missing from home. When they do, staff make thorough efforts to locate them. When children return, staff explore the missing-from-home episode with them and adapt practice to reduce future risk. Staff liaise effectively with parents and with external professionals to ensure that children are supported to be safe.

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

Staff support children to take risks appropriate to their age and level of understanding. They help children to make plans to keep themselves safe in the community. Staff teach children skills for independence, such as using public transport. Children are developing life skills at an appropriate pace.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked in the home prior to becoming registered. The manager knows the home, staff and children well. The manager has positive relationships with children, who seek the manager out to spend time together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and experienced. Agency staff are not used in the home. Staff vacancies have been filled by internal promotion and by a casual member of staff. Therefore, the children have continuity of care from staff they trust and who know them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has thorough oversight of the home. An independent person visits the home regularly and the manager acts swiftly on their recommendations. The manager completes a review of the quality of care every six months. However, the review lacks focus. A recommendation has been made in relation to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have positive relationships with other agencies. External professionals say the staff team is communicative and responsive. This allows the best possible joined-up care to be offered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. Managers and senior staff have training to deliver it. Supervisions are reflective and focus on staff development. Staff meet regularly in team meetings to discuss the children and share good practice. Staff feel supported to deliver good care and progress in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completes timely appraisals with all staff. However, the appraisals do not contain the views of the children, or of other professionals the staff work with. A recommendation has been made in relation to this. Inspection report for children's home: 2516349 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that annual staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should use their professional judgement to decide what factors to focus on in their review of the quality of care. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery in the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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: 2516349 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Outbound Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Metropolitan Business Park, Preston New Road, Blackpool FY3 9LT

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2516349 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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