Children's Home run by Unique Care Group Ltd in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 1 Registered provider: Unique 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 provides care for up to two children aged between eight and 18 years who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager is suitably qualified and was registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s first inspection since being registered.

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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: 2739062 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home. No other children have moved into the home or left the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have formed positive relationships with the child. The child has become increasingly settled and is making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to explore their feelings and talk about past experiences. This has helped to build the child’s confidence, self-esteem and trust in staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child did not need to change school as a result of moving into the home. Consequently, the child continues to do well in education. Their attendance is good, and the child is aspirational about their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have helped the child to explore new interests and have social opportunities. The child has attended a youth club, goes ice-skating each week and helps at an animal sanctuary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are child-focused and involve the child in as many decisions as possible. Staff encourage the child to make choices about things on a day-to-day basis, such as foods on the menu, activities and places they would like to go to. Staff also support the child to attend their looked after reviews and education meetings. This helps the child to feel valued and listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have helped the child to stay in touch with those who are important to them. This has included taking the child on visits and helping the child to write letters to family members. This means the child feels part of their family despite not living with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child was very keen to talk about the home. They said how much they liked living there and said that it felt like home.

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

Staff at this home keep the child safe. Staff know the child well and have developed plans that identify risks along with the actions staff need to take. As a result, this has helped the child to reduce unwanted behaviours and become safer.

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

Staff respond appropriately in supporting the child’s mental health. When the child is struggling emotionally and has self-harmed, staff have taken action in seeking medical advice and support from mental health professionals.

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

On occasion, staff have had concerns about the child’s online activity. As a result, further safeguards have been implemented, with a parental monitoring app being Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 3 used. However, on one occasion, the phone used to monitor activity had not been charged. In addition, managers have not given guidance to staff about how or when to use the monitoring device.

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

Staff have completed key-work sessions to discuss online safety. However, these sessions have occurred following a concern or following a discussion prompted by the child. Staff have not yet carried out proactive learning opportunities with the child so that the child can understand how to keep themself safe online.

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

Staff use de-escalation skills well. Incidents have reduced in number and staff have only needed to use physical intervention once to help keep the child safe. However, the physical intervention risk assessment does not include risks associated with the child’s health conditions.

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

When the child has raised concerns, the manager has shared the information with other professionals appropriately. None of the concerns have been about staff working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership of this home is strong. Leaders have high expectations of themselves and staff. They are child-focused and want the very best for the child who is living there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders are proactive and know the child well. They are knowledgeable about the child’s previous trauma and health conditions, and the impact these may have on the child. As a result, they have developed an individualised plan that helps staff to support the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strength of the home is the way in which leaders advocate for the child. Leaders are not afraid to challenge other professionals to ensure that children are kept safe and receive the services they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When there are concerns about staff’s practice, the manager has reported and investigated these. When necessary, the manager has taken additional action to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a variety of training that includes child-specific learning. However, one staff member who works part time has not completed first-aid or foetal alcohol spectrum disorders training. As staff work alone with the child, this omission means the staff member does not have the necessary knowledge or skills to care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoken to and who gave feedback were complimentary about the leadership of the home. Staff said managers are supportive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 4 Staff receive regular supervision. However, staff on probation have not received the frequency of supervision as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have monitoring systems in place to monitor the child’s progress and other aspects of the home. However, the monitoring system had not recognised that the placing authority care plan was not current, or the other shortfalls identified at this visit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child’s social worker spoke highly of the home. They said that there is good communication and that the quality of care given to the child is excellent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 5

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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 registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1) (2)(a)) 29 March 2024

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This is in regard to physical intervention risk assessments and equipment used to monitor children’s online activity. Equipment such as mobile phones that are used to monitor children’s online activity should be charged and ready to use, and staff should have guidance as to when and how to use this. In addition, that risk assessments include any risks associated with children’s health conditions. 15 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 6 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is in regard to the registered person having a system in place to request and chase up placing authority documents such as care plans. That staff have the training needed to care for children living at the home. In addition, that staff on probation have supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. 26 April 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure staff support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. Specifically, that staff provide proactive learning opportunities for children to understand how to keep themselves safe online. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 7

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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: 2739062 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: School House, Westbury, Shrewsbury SY5 9QX

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2739062 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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