Children's Home run by Children To Prosper Limited in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children's home: 2740871 1 Registered provider: Children to Prosper Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for one child aged between seven and 17 years who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 5 September 2023. This is the first inspection since registration. The registered manager has been in post since September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection that concerns raised about the management of the home had been investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate this, the findings of the investigation and actions taken by managers in response to the concerns, alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection, were considered to inform the inspector’s judgement.

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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: Not previously inspected

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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: 2740871 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide the children with good support to ensure they feel welcomed when they first move to the home. Staff sent a video message to a child who could not visit the home before moving in. This made the child feel comfortable moving to the home because they knew what to expect. As a result, the child settled at the home quickly after only a few days of being there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children personalise their bedrooms with items that are important to them, including photos of their family members and friends. Before moving to the home, staff asked a child what they would like their bedroom to look like, and they bought bedding that suited the child’s interests. The child was pleased about this and said they liked their bedroom. Staff supported the child to go shopping to buy more items to further personalise their bedroom. This attention to their wishes helps the child to have a sense of belonging and an investment in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children tell staff about their views and feelings, including through planned and informal conversations. Staff listen to children and support them to make decisions about their meals, activities they like to take part in and the progress they want to make while living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress at the home. A professional and a family member commented on how well a child quickly settled at the home. The staff have built positive relationships with the child. There have not been any significant incidents because of these positive relationships. The child said that they like the home and told the inspector about the staff they like best. The inspector observed that the child was happy and playful with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children get support with their health and well-being because staff work closely with health professionals to ensure children’s needs are met. Children are encouraged to eat well and to be active. The varied food available for the child included fresh fruits and vegetables to provide the nutrients they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children get good support when moving on from the home. For example, when professionals needed to move a child to another home at short notice, the manager ensured that staff accompanied the child to help them settle at their new home. This reduced the child’s anxiety about moving.

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

Children feel safe. Staff know how to raise concerns and who to contact for support and advice. Staff know the processes they should follow to keep children safe if they go missing from the home. Managers are proactive in working with local shop owners to ensure children are not sold items that can be harmful to them, such as alcohol, cigarettes or vapes. Children’s free time can be subject to restrictions when Inspection report for children's home: 2740871 3 there are serious risks of harm to them. When this happens, children are supported by staff to enjoy many activities away from the home.

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

There have been some concerns raised about the management of the home to partner agencies. Managers investigated this as instructed by the appropriate authorities. They found the concerns were unfounded. However, they recognised that there was some learning from the issues raised. There have been reflective discussions between managers and staff so that their practice consistently prevents harm to children in their care.

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

The manager ensures that staff are recruited safely to ensure they are suitable to work at the home. There are processes to ensure that all the necessary checks are carried out before new staff start to work at the home. However, there was no record to show that a criminal record check was completed before a member of staff started working at the home. Managers recognised this omission, and another check was completed. The manager has advised that they have improved the way they complete checks for staff to prevent this happening again.

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

The registered manager and staff check the home regularly to ensure it is safe and to prevent accidents to the child, staff and visitors. Managers work well with external professionals to safeguard children. Children’s risk management plans are detailed and provide guidance for staff on how to support children safely. A professional said they were impressed about the quality of a report they received about a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager understands what they do well at the home and what could be improved. Managers and staff provide the right support to enable children to make progress. They work with other professionals and advocate for the children to ensure that they get the support they need. This includes referring children for mental health support when needed to learn how to manage their feelings in a safe way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has established effective monitoring systems. Managers regularly assess all aspects of the home. They act on recommendations made by the independent visitor to continually improve the quality of care provided to children. As a result of this monitoring and oversight, managers understand the progress that children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with suitable induction and training. They provide support through supervision sessions to help them to do their job well. Staff are trained to support children using a recognised therapeutic model of care. Playfulness, giving hugs, and time to talk and be listened to by staff are important elements of this approach. Staff are now supported by a therapist to do this well. This ensures children live in a home that is caring and nurturing. Inspection report for children's home: 2740871 4 Positive partnership working with external professionals helps to build trust and cooperation. A social worker was positive about their recent working relationship with the registered manager and staff. They said, ‘The manager is available and communicates well with me.’ This demonstrates a culture of openness that ensures children benefit from meaningful joint working. Inspection report for children's home: 2740871 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31-33. In particular, this relates to ensuring that there are detailed records of checks done for all staff employed to work at the home. This includes keeping records to show that criminal record checks are done before staff start working at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2740871 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children to Prosper Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71 Knowl Piece, Wilbury Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 0TY

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Inspector

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2740871 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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