Children's Home run by Resicare Alliance Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2743853 1 Registered provider: ResiCare Alliance Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in September 2023 and is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who have experienced early childhood trauma and have social and emotional difficulties because of these experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is working towards a qualification in leadership and management at level 5.

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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: 2743853 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved into the home since it opened. Detailed planning and transition visits take place before children move into the home wherever this is possible. Children are welcomed into the home and staff buy personalised items for their bedrooms, which helps them to settle in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has only been open for six months and the children are starting to build positive relationships with the adults who care for them. One child said that they are happy in the home and that they know that staff care about them and are trying to help her understand how to manage her emotions in a better way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between the children are generally positive but there can be tension at times. Effective strategies support peer relationships and staff ensure that each child gets the individual attention they need as well as time together. For example, the manager has used mediation to help children when they were struggling to get along.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Neither child attends school. However, they both have clear plans in place for online learning or tutoring, which they engage in well. In addition to their formal learning, staff ensure that each child takes part in an educational activity every day. During the inspection, one child had been to visit the local art gallery.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children are making good progress from their starting points. One child would not go out of the house when they first arrived but will now happily go to the shops with staff supporting them. Another child has made good progress with their personal hygiene.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. Comprehensive risk assessments support staff to manage children’s needs in a consistent way, which gives children a sense of security as they know what to expect from staff.

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

Staff use a therapeutic approach to caring for the children. They receive in-depth training and are supported by the company’s clinician in how best to manage the children’s needs. The clinician is a regular visitor to the home and often takes his therapy dog, which one child has responded very well to. During visits, they go for a walk with the dog and the child is calm, which has helped staff to recognise that the child can manage their emotions if given time and the right support.

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

Staff manage some complex and challenging behaviour. This has resulted in a high number of physical interventions for one child. All staff have received comprehensive training in therapeutic care and behaviour management, and their confidence in this Inspection report for children’s home: 2743853 3 area has grown considerably since the home opened. The number of physical interventions has fallen significantly in recent weeks. All physical interventions have been used proportionately and have been necessary to keep the child and staff safe.

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

Staff have a good understanding about safeguarding children, including the roles and responsibilities of other professionals. They are confident of the action to take if they have concerns.

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

Children are supported to know how to make complaints and there have been several allegations since the home opened. Children are listened to and taken seriously, and managers carry out investigations into what happened. However, they do not record investigations in enough detail with clear outcomes and any required follow-up actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since opening, the home has been managed by one consistent manager. The manager has a very good understanding of the children’s plans and is committed to caring for children in a therapeutic way. She is a very good role model and staff continue to develop their skills as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a new staff team, with several members of staff recruited from overseas. Staff received a comprehensive induction and extensive training before the home opened. The management team works creatively to help overseas staff learn about British values and culture so that they understand what life is like for children in the UK. For example, the team visited local cities and attractions, using public transport, played popular computer games and had weekly cooking sessions, when they learned to prepare traditional British meals. This preparation has helped them to build relationships with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring systems are effective. Oversight of incidents is robust and reflective, and any shortfalls in practice are quickly addressed. For example, from reviewing incident records, the manager identified that two members of staff lacked confidence in knowing when to physically intervene. The manager arranged for them to complete the training again and checked their understanding. As a result, their confidence and competence have grown.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a good advocate for children and will confidently challenge other professionals when required. For example, when one child was repeatedly unable to contact his social worker, the manager escalated this to the team manager. When no response was received from them, the manager escalated the matter further through a formal complaint. This good practice helps children to know that they have adults around them who will ensure that their rights are being met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743853 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s records of any significant incidents include a description of the action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. This specifically relates to preparing a comprehensive report of any investigations into allegations, with details of the outcome of the investigation and any follow-up actions required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)

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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: 2743853 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ResiCare Alliance Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 147 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

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Inspector

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2743853 6 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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