Children's home run by Enabling Futures Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 1 SC426751 Registered provider: Enabling Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and provides care for up to six children who may have learning or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced and registered manager.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2023 Full Outstanding 02/03/2022 Full Outstanding 18/02/2020 Full Good 13/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a good standard of care. The home is large and comfortable, with a homely feel. When the home was decorated, children’s views were considered. Each child has been able to personalise their bedroom and make their own unique living space that reflects their personality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships between staff and children are extremely positive. Staff want and strive to achieve the best for the children. Sometimes, children’s care needs present significant challenges to staff. Staff are resilient and remain focused on positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have supported children to move on successfully after living at the home for a significant period. Their moves were well planned in a child- centred way. This helps children to successfully settle into their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend education daily, which is helping them to make progress. One child has experienced difficulties in accessing education. The manager has worked closely with the child’s school and headteacher of the virtual school to support the child to attend on a reduced timetable. When the child is not attending school, staff help them to engage in educational activities that support their ongoing learning. Staff encourage children to attend education because they know how important this is for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive appropriate healthcare support and attend routine appointments. This includes more-specialist services when required. Staff work well with other health agencies to ensure that children who move into the home with outstanding health appointments are registered with all health services and their health needs are quickly addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the value of children maintaining links with important people in their lives. The manager and staff work collaboratively with other professionals to enable children to maintain these important relationships. Staff work creatively to ensure that children spend quality time with those who are important to them. This helps to promote and encourage positive relationships in the children’s lives. One parent said, `The home is amazing. The team are great, they know the children well, they understand how important the little things are not just to the children, but to us as parents.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff keep detailed records about children’s lives. The language used is mostly positive. However, staff occasionally use terms that can be construed as institutionalised. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 4

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

The children’s individual risk assessments are of good quality. They demonstrate that staff know the children well and identify potential risks, triggers and the vulnerability of the children. Plans to reduce risks are detailed and effective, which provides staff with guidance on how to keep children safe.

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

Staff have been required to manage several incidents of challenging behaviour from children. The manager has ensured that all staff are trained in how to use physical intervention techniques. There has been one incident where a staff member was not able to use physical intervention successfully and used a non-licenced strategy. All required professionals were notified of the incident, and it was thoroughly investigated. It was agreed this was used as a last resort to ensure the safety of all involved.

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

The manager works closely with children’s families and social workers to advocate on behalf of children. However, not all children have access to an independent advocate. The manager has now made a referral for advocacy services for the four children who did not have this in place at the time of the visit.

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

Medication systems are effective and secure. There are rarely any errors. Storage is safe, and the policy pertaining to medication management has been reviewed. Trained staff follow processes and understand the risks. This helps children to stay safe.

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

The manager has carried out a detailed location risk assessment. To complete this, she canvassed the views of the local police and gained a good understanding of the specific risks to children in the area. The assessment is informative for staff as it highlights specific risks and vulnerabilities for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager are passionate about achieving good outcomes for children. They lead an enthusiastic, motivated team and there is a clear vision, with improving outcomes for children being the main objective. The manager is very experienced and has worked in this home for several years. She has a solid commitment to the children and staff. She is held in high regard by children, staff and involved agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a detailed understanding and awareness of each child’s history and their individual needs. She articulates their progress and how staff support them to continue making progress in all areas of their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Multi-agency working is generally a strength in this home. The manager promotes the full involvement of the professional network around the child. However, there has been an incident that was not shared with the local authority designated officer (LADO). Although the child’s social worker and parents were informed. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 5 The staff team is experienced and knowledgeable. Most staff are either qualified or enrolled on suitable qualification pathways to enhance their knowledge. Not all staff have had Picture Exchange Communication System or eating disorder training. Although some efforts have been made to offer this informally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses monthly independent visitor’s reports and her quality of care reports to regularly assess the difference that the home is making to the children. However, the visitor does not routinely observe interactions or the care provided to children and spend time with children to obtain their views. This reduces the effectiveness of the visits.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision. However, the quality of supervision is variable. Some supervision meetings do not evidence opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and for staff performance to be monitored effectively. This hinders staff development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 6

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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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that information is shared with the LADO when a child has sustained bruises or injury potentially from being physically restrained. 8 April 2024

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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; and

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all staff have the required training to meet children’s individual needs. 8 April 2024

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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. 8 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 7 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 manager ensuring that the independent visitor gathers feedback from children and their families.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support. Where possible, this should be provided by a person who the child chooses. Looked after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s

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Recommendations

policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC426751 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Enabling Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Coach House, Millbrook House Estate, Manchester Road, Hollingworth, Cheshire SK14 8LA

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC426751 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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