Children's home run by Homes2Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire 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 company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It provides care for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2023 Full Outstanding 18/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 3

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outstanding

Children say that they are happy at the home. The staff have created a nurturing environment where children are encouraged to be respectful to the staff and their peers. Children thrive in a culture where staff appropriately give warmth, hugs and reassurance. Children say, ‘It is like living in a family home and the staff team genuinely care about us.’

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outstanding

The manager is fully committed to leading the home. She has worked in the home since it opened and knows the children exceptionally well. She provides a consistent, nurturing and reliable presence for children. The manager and staff team are mindful of the impact of staff coming and going in and out of children’s lives and understands the importance of having a consistent, stable staff team.

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outstanding

Staff encourage children to be themselves, enjoy their childhoods and make wonderful memories along the way. Children enjoy a wide range of activities in the home and in the community, including going to concerts and festivals and having pamper sessions. Children have fun, make friends and enjoy socialising. This helps to develop their confidence and sense of identity.

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outstanding

Children achieve exceptional education outcomes. Staff use their excellent relationships with children to encourage them to progress in education. One child who was previously taught in a pupil referral unit is now attending mainstream education on a full-time basis and is preparing to sit their GCSE exams. The same child also won a ‘Stand-out student of the year’ award at school.

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outstanding

Another child, who had been out of education for a period of time, has been supported to complete a wealth of short courses that provide her with skills and qualifications for employment. The same child also has an independence plan that she works on daily. Evidence is captured to reflect the progress made. This would not have been achievable previously. As a result, both children now have a bright future ahead of them.

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outstanding

Children benefit from exceptionally strong and trusting relationships with the staff team. They absolutely view the home as their home and one child said they wanted to live there until adulthood. The manager and staff team similarly express their commitment to the children. A social worker for one child said, ‘[Name of child] feels really safe there. The stability and nurture she has been given has enabled her to thrive. She has built up really positive, trusting relationships with all the staff.’

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outstanding

Staff are creative in their thinking. They use research and theory to inform their practice. Staff take part in extra training to help them to meet children’s needs. As a result, children experience in-depth personalised support from highly trained staff. This has a positive impact on their lives. Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 4 Staff have an excellent understanding of children’s relationships with their families and other people who are important to them. Staff support children to re-establish and repair fractured relationships with family members where possible. This enhances their support networks in preparation for independence. Staff recognise the emotional distress for children when they are not able to see specific family members as much as they may wish to and support them with sensitive discussions.

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outstanding

There is a clear and proactive multi-agency approach to keeping children safe. The registered manager and staff provide children with consistent and reliable daily routines. Staff provide emotional warmth and understanding. This supports children to feel protected and secure.

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outstanding

Children say they feel safe and happy living at the home. One child, who had previously experienced multiple placement breakdowns, said, ‘This is the best home that I have ever lived in.’

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outstanding

Children have comprehensive risk assessments, which identify their risks and vulnerabilities. These clear plans provide staff with strategies to support children in managing risks. Staff review these plans after every incident. Excellent risk management plans mean that risks have been reduced. This improves children’s life chances and opportunities.

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outstanding

Staff use their relationships with children, as well as their skills and experience, to maintain a positive atmosphere in the home. This helps keep incidents to a minimum. Staff encourage children to reflect and comment on their behaviours, supporting children in taking responsibility for their behaviour. Staff use praise, incentives and diversion techniques to promote positive behaviour in the home. As a result, there have been no physical interventions since 2020, which is further evidence of the stability of the children.

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outstanding

Managers and staff place great importance on preventing risks to children from reoccurring. There is a child-centred approach to the discussions staff have with children about risks. They use innovative and enjoyable ways to engage children in these discussions. This helps children to learn about themselves, their triggers and how to keep themselves safe.

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outstanding

There have been no complaints made by children, which shows that they can talk to staff and raise any concerns informally. The manager has taken steps to establish positive relationships with the neighbours. This includes ensuring that the neighbours are reassured about the stability of the children living in the home and providing an open forum for them to share any feedback or concerns. As a result, the home’s relationship with neighbours has grown from strength to strength.

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outstanding

The children very rarely go missing from home. This was a significant risk for one child at the point of moving into the home. However, there have not been any Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 5 incidents of going missing for over 10 months. Children are given age-appropriate levels of trust to spend time with their friends in the community. Staff have worked with children to teach them about road safety, stranger danger and the effects of substance misuse.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is inspirational. With the support of the deputy manager, she leads a motivated, experienced and confident team of staff. They know the children extremely well and with patience, nurture and resilience ensure that both children receive exceptional care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is very proactive and has developed a culture in the home that sets high expectations. She ensures there is a child-centred approach to care and recognises that children’s progress is unique to them. She is always seeking ways to improve her practice and is a leader in the organisation for her research-informed practice, disseminating this across the homes. As a result, children continue to exceed expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A wide range of quality assurance mechanisms provide the manager with all-round service oversight. The manager’s prompt response to any areas requiring improvement ensures that high standards of care are maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager places a high level of importance on creating an evolving service to fully promote best outcomes for children. Managers set targets for children’s development in detailed and comprehensive plans that include targets from all other plans and assessments. Staff creatively extend this to an interactive improvement plan for each child, setting out how they will support the child to meet each target. A child-friendly monthly care plan is created for children, setting monthly achievable targets, to ensure children are not overwhelmed. The manager’s extensive progress reports demonstrate how these actions and interventions bring about great success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example. She recognises the importance of always being available to talk to staff and children. This practice is similarly used by staff, who help children. The supportive culture that the managers have created ensures that children and staff have the help and guidance they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is influential and highly respected. All professionals feel well informed and hold working alongside the home in very high regard. Feedback from partner agencies is unanimously positive. One child’s social worker said, ‘Staff and managers go above and beyond. I can’t thank the team enough, they are incredible.’ And one child’s independent reviewing officer said, ‘I am incredibly proud and glowing with pride. [Name of child] has made tremendous progress, they really are outstanding.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel supported by the management team. They receive regular, good-quality supervision and yearly appraisals. New staff are supported through mentoring and robust induction processes. Because of this, staff feel confident in their roles, morale is excellent and staff say they love working at the home. One staff member said, Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 6 ‘The manager is incredible, so caring, knowledgeable, and always has time for everyone. She’s the best.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers show children and staff kindness and affection. Staff retention is high. Children enjoy care from a consistent, well-established staff team. Staff know children extremely well. This has been fundamental to the excellent progress that children have made .

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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: 2556340 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Homes 2 Inspire Limited, Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Craig Whitchurch

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2556340 8 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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