Children's Home run by Arc-HD Services Ltd in Hampshire

Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 1 Registered provider: Arc-HD Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to three children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The staff are referred to as ‘adults’ in this report , as this is the term used by the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager. There is a manager in post who is yet to make an application to register with Ofsted.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 27 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2022 Full Good 27/01/2022 Full Good 04/09/2019 Full Good 18/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress while living in the home. They are cared for by adults with whom they have formed positive, trusting relationships. Adults are child- focused and recognise and celebrate each child’s progress and individual achievements, no matter how small.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults know the children well and provide them with high levels of support and care at times of high anxiety, challenge and upset. Adults help them to make sense of their experiences and personal journeys. Each child has a colourful memory book full of pictures that remind them of their adventures and achievements while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has several chickens which children help to care for, and due to the rural location of the home, children are encouraged to explore and enjoy the surrounding area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children who have recently moved into the home have been well supported in their moves. They were offered opportunities to build relationships with adults and those children already living in the home before they moved in. This also gave the children an opportunity to see where they would be living and gain an understanding about the home before they formally moved in. Children are asked if they would like to live in the home, which gives them some sense of control of the situation. There are clear and detailed processes and plans that enable adults to understand children’s needs and vulnerabilities and consider if they can meet a child’s needs before they are offered a place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults are knowledgeable and provide high-quality and consistent care to children. Detailed assessments and plans provide helpful and insightful information and practical guidance about how to meet the children’s needs. These plans enable the adults to understand children’s experiences. Adults quickly form trusting and secure relationships with children and this enables the children to settle in the home. Children have a trusted adult to confide in when they are worried or upset.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults regularly talk with children and gain their views and thoughts about the care they receive. The impact of this is apparent through the activities that the home offers. However, adults do not record what they have done in direct response to children’s requests or opinions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported well to have their physical, emotional and mental health needs met. Adults have supported children to be brave and seek dental treatment and engage with health specialists, when previously they had avoided this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults are persistent and creative in encouraging children to engage in beneficial and meaningful daily activities and routines. Adults support children to develop their Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 4 hobbies and interests. These include drumming, art and craft activities, their love of the environment, interest in animals and online gaming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have not been in regular education for a significant period. Adults have advocated for children and worked with others to secure education placements and gain an understanding about children’s education plans. However, their challenge to one local authority, to secure the appropriate education provision that meets a child’s needs, has not been successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to maintain safe and appropriate relationships and connections with their family and friends.

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

Children who live in the home feel safe and secure. They regularly seek support from trusted adults when they are anxious or worried.

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

Adults have good knowledge and understanding about risk and potential harm that children may encounter. They formulate a detailed understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and risks, and thorough plans provide clarity about how to manage and minimise risk. Adults provide children with practical advice, guidance and education to help them to understand potential risk and harm, along with learning how to keep safe.

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

Adults have a thorough understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities associated with exploitation and engage regularly with police officers and others to ensure a shared awareness. Detailed multi-agency plans consider how to protect and support children to remain safe. Professionals respond swiftly and collaboratively to safeguard children when they go missing from home. Adults do everything they can to keep children in sight, locate them or remain in touch with them while they are missing. On their return home, adults discuss with children their welfare and well- being, as well as their reasons for going missing from home.

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

When there are safeguarding concerns, including allegations being made, matters are reported and referred appropriately, as required. Records are detailed and provide clarity of the actions taken to safeguard children, and the outcomes. Staff are knowledgeable and inquisitive about possible risk and harm that children may be subject to and have acted appropriately to safeguard children.

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

Children are positively supported to manage their feelings, anxiety and behaviours. Adults are trained in the home’s preferred approach to behaviour management. They use a variety of strategies to support children to calm in times of anxiety and crisis. Adults rarely use physical intervention; when they have done so, it has been at a minimum level for the shortest possible time, in situations when a child may have been at risk of significant harm. Children are always offered an opportunity to explore what happened and any concerns they may have. They are also encouraged to consider how they may manage their emotions differently next time. Adults do not routinely give children consequences; when this has happened, the Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 5 consequences have been linked to their behaviours and are proportionate or reparative. Managers undertake robust review and monitoring of all incidents and

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

gain helpful insight and learning, which then informs how they support children in the future.

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

Children are well supported to remain safe while accessing the online world through their devices.

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

Leaders and managers apply effective and thorough safer recruitment practices.

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

The home is well maintained and presented, which helps to ensure that children are kept safe.

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good

There have been several changes in the home since the previous inspection. The previous manager resigned and left the home in July 2023. The new manager was appointed in December 2023. There have been interim management arrangements in place during the period in which there has been no registered manager. There are some aspects of practice which require further improvement to ensure that all children receive the appropriate support that they are entitled to.

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good

Leaders and managers have partially addressed some of the requirements and recommendations set at the previous inspection of the home. Further action is required to fully address all issues identified and to embed change. Managers have challenged and advocated on behalf of children; however, this has not been sufficiently effective. Suitable education provision is not yet in place for all children in the home.

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good

Managers have a detailed understanding of each child who lives in the home. They have strong relationships with each child, which enables children to talk with them about their hopes and worries. Managers are aspirational for children and support them to achieve the best they can.

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good

There have been some challenges due to the turnover of adults working in the home. Leaders, managers and adults in the home have worked collaboratively to ensure that children continue to be provided with consistent care throughout this time.

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good

Adults are well prepared, trained and supported to fulfil their roles. They have regular supervision and opportunities to reflect on the impact of their practice, which has benefited them in supporting children at times of crisis. There is also a wide variety of training and development opportunities which equip them for their roles. Each adult has their performance appraised at least annually. Newly appointed adults are supported through a robust induction process, which enables them to develop their knowledge and skills. Adults are encouraged and supported to complete the required qualification. However, not all staff have achieved this within Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 6 the required timeframe and action plans are insufficient to ensure that this is addressed quickly.

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good

Managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and have detailed plans which support them to address areas identified as needing to improve. They regularly review, monitor and update these plans. The home continues to provide care as described in its statement of purpose. The home has recently moved to an electronic recording system, which has been adopted well by the adults in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 7

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)) 1 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)) 1 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 1 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 1258831 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arc-HD Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arc-HD Services, Wessex House, Upper Market Street, Eastleigh SO50 9FD

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Inspector

Amanda Maxwell, His Majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Inspection report for children's home: 1258831 10 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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