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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 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 four children who have a learning disability or autism. The organisation’s school, which some children attend, is on the same site. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a change of manager since the last inspection. The new manager has registered with Ofsted and is currently working towards their level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: 16 November 2022

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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: 2595128 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2022 Full Outstanding 24/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and one child has left. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home. Children’s moves into and out of the home are well planned and consider the child’s individual needs. For example, one child who left the home benefited from a very thorough plan of visits over several weeks. This good preparation allowed him to build relationships with the new staff who would be caring for him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff who know them well. Staff are very responsive to children’s individual needs and provide consistent and nurturing care. One child who struggles with moving from one situation to another is provided with social stories every day to help him understand what he will be doing, and this helps to reduce his anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a very good understanding of children’s individual communication. Some of the children have limited or no verbal communication, and staff are able to understand each child’s way of communicating. One child was observed rocking and waving his arms, and staff understood that this was his way of self-regulating after a busy day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand and express their emotions, and staff are creative in finding new ways to help children process what has happened in their lives. Staff have sought external support for one child who had suffered a bereavement, and they have worked in partnership with therapists to ensure that they are supporting the child in the best way. As a result, the child now has a range of strategies to help manage difficult feelings and is getting the support that they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children in the home attend formal education due to issues beyond the home’s control. Staff are proactive in seeking suitable schools for the children, and they are strong advocates for them. Those children not attending formal schooling are engaged in alternative education based around their individual needs. For example, one child who has significant sensory needs enjoys education sessions with a specialist provider who is able to help the child explore the world in a sensory way. Another child who is new to the home has been successfully supported back into their previous school after not attending for several months.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to gain independence based on their individual needs and capabilities. One of the children likes going shopping as he enjoys the self-checkouts at the supermarket. He buys food to cook special meals at home, which he does with appropriate support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 4

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

Children in the home have a wide range of complex needs and behaviours, which staff manage very well. For example, one child wears protective equipment to stop them hurting themselves. There are clear plans in place for how this should be managed, which provides a consistent approach from all staff. The restrictive measures are only used when necessary, and staff are helping the child to reduce the need for them.

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

Children’s plans are clear and comprehensive and help staff to manage risks. Plans are reviewed regularly, and any changes are discussed with staff promptly. This helps staff to adjust the way they care for children.

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

Some children are known to become upset and physical intervention is needed to keep them safe. In most cases, staff’s ability to understand children’s triggers and behavioural cues means that situations can be successfully de-escalated. When physical interventions are needed, they are done safely and are proportionate to the risks posed. The manager’s oversight of the incidents is very good and identifies where practice could have been improved.

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

Children in the home are prescribed a range of medications, and these are administered safely. When errors do occasionally occur, they are identified promptly, and medical advice is sought. Investigations take place, and disciplinary action is taken when necessary. Following one error, the manager identified that staff needed clearer direction about who should be administering the medication on each shift, so a new process was put in place. No children have suffered any harm because of the errors.

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

Investigations take place when concerns arise about staff practice. Children’s social workers are informed. However, managers do not always fully consider whether they should consult with the local authority designated officer (LADO) to establish whether safeguarding thresholds have been met and, if not, take advice accordingly. Managers did take action during the inspection to rectify this issue. In addition, Ofsted has not been notified on occasion about such concerns when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of manager since the last inspection. The new manager had worked at the home for several years as a support worker before being promoted. This has helped create a smooth transition without disruption for children or staff. The new manager is very knowledgeable about the children and is passionate about providing a high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is staffed by a consistent and experienced team that is able to meet the children’s needs. Staff are committed and passionate about their roles and genuinely care about each child. They are a strong team that works together to ensure that Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 5 there are always sufficient staff on shift, and there is a commitment to not using agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are happy working in the home and feel well supported. They benefit from regular supervision and team meetings, and they are supported to enhance their practice. One member of staff said that the support from managers has been amazing, and they could not ask for any more.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work effectively with other professionals and, as a result, are highly regarded by them. When children do not receive external support quickly enough, managers provide robust challenge and do their own research into local provisions. One child had waited a long time for therapeutic support, but the managers did their own research and identified a suitable therapist. They presented the information to the local authority, which helped to speed up securing the support that the child needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a workforce development plan in place, but it does not contain all the required information. As a result, the expectations for staff induction and supervision are unclear, and there is no process shown for managing poor performance. Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the LADO has been consulted when concerns raised about staff involve an allegation and that HMCI is notified of them without delay. It also relates to using monitoring systems effectively to ensure that all notifications have been correctly made. 9 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should:

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Recommendation

- detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training; - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; - detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: 2595128 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Group Limited

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Inspector

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2595128 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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