Children's Home run by Inspiration Care Group Limited in Ealing

Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 1 Registered provider: Inspiration Care Group 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 managed by a private provider to care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two children currently living in the home. The inspectors spoke to both children during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home and the manager were registered in October 2023.

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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: 2738599 2 The Inspection judgements

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle quickly into the home. Staff explain the rules and provide the children with clear and consistent boundaries. This helps the children to understand what is expected of them and develop daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved out of the home. The child described the staff as feeling like family. Staff create an album of photos for each child to keep so that they can look back on the happy memories of living in the home and the exciting trips they experience with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with all relevant health services and are taken to their health appointments. Staff promote healthy eating and regular exercise. One child has gradually increased their daily activity, which has helped them to become significantly healthier. Staff praise the children’s efforts and achievements to help them stay motivated and to celebrate their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not always ensure that one child’s medication is administered at the same time each day, as required in the child’s relevant plan. While this shortfall has not posed a risk to the child’s health, it has caused them to worry and assume responsibility for ensuring they receive their medicine.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works together with education professionals to explore and overcome the barriers to education. Staff help the children to prepare for a return to school or college by persistently promoting education and supporting them to study at home. Staff make learning at home fun by incorporating the children’s interests into their studies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The lounge is locked during the weekdays, which prevents the children from using this area of the home. This is in contrast to the other communal areas, which are readily accessible, cosy and welcoming and well stocked with books, games and stationery.

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

Children are consulted when risk management is under review, which helps the children to understand and accept the measures in place to keep them safe. The manager challenges the appropriate local authority effectively when in a child’s best interests, so that risk management strategies remain effective.

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

Children know how to raise any worries or concerns. The manager responded immediately when a child complained. They took the child’s concern seriously and resolved the issue quickly. The child was happy that their views had been heard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 3 Staff lead by example to help children to understand the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. Staff talk to the children about the world, including culture and religion, and support the children to explore their own beliefs.

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

Safe recruitment processes provide assurances that staff have been appropriately vetted before they care for the children.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. Staff alert the police and go out to look for children themselves when missing-from-home incidents occur. Staff stress the importance of the children’s safety to them when they return home. However, the home’s missing-from-home procedure does not fully comply with police protocols for reporting children who are missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has grown her supportive network so that it includes a range of external professionals. The manager draws on the expertise of others, which she uses to review and adapt the measures in place to help to protect the children. This includes when children are in the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented monitoring processes to scrutinise the care that the children receive. The manager supportively challenges staff where she identifies that practice could improve. The manager seeks the views of staff so that improving the standard of care that the children receive is a whole-team effort.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager tracks the progress that the children make and supports staff to identify specifically how they can help each child to make continued progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager explains any changes to the children’s care planning arrangements to the staff, who demonstrate that they are aware of the children’s current needs. However, the manager does not always ensure that children’s records are updated, limiting their accuracy and how useful they are as a source of guidance for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed the organisation’s mandatory training and have ongoing training in the chosen therapeutic model. The manager actively promotes learning and development and ensures that staff have sufficient time to develop the skills they need to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been no incidents in which it has been necessary for staff to manage behaviour by holding children. However, the statement of purpose does not include the training that staff are qualified to use, should it be necessary and proportionate to hold children to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 4

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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 privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 6 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 11 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 5 This specifically relates to ensuring that staff consistently administer medication at the time as recorded in the child’s relevant plan.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s procedures take into account the views of appropriate local services and comply with police protocols for responding to missing person’s incidents in the area where the home is located. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.23)  The registered person should ensure that any restraint techniques appropriate to the needs of the children are defined in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2738599 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspiration Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 123 Wilsden Avenue, Luton LU1 5HW

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Inspectors

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Natalie Marshall, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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