Children's home run by Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593928 1 Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private provider is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced early childhood trauma and have emotional and behavioural needs as a result of these experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been at the home since it was registered in August 2020. She holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management, and is an experienced registered manager.

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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 outstanding

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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: 9 November 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 children’s home: 2593928 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/11/2022 Full Good 03/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2593928 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are very settled and have been living in the home for several years. They are cared for by a committed and stable staff team. Staff have formed positive relationships with the children. This stability has meant that children are settled, thriving, and making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Prior to moving to the home, some children had been involved in criminal exploitation. Since living at the home, and with support from staff, children have been able to refocus and learn about how they were exploited. As a result, children have not been subject to criminal exploitation since they moved to the home. Instead, they have focused on their education and aspirations for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to understand the importance of education. One child is very committed to their learning and has gained good grades in their mock exams. This commitment has extended to them attending revision classes during the school holidays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For children who are reluctant to attend school, home tuition is made available. In addition, staff support their learning through activities, workbooks, and supporting children to have part-time employment. However, on occasions, there is a lack of clarity around expectations to undertake educational learning when a child is not at work or attending education. This may mean that not all children are in the routine needed to progress in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in supporting children to attend clubs away from the home. Children have attended youth clubs, army cadets, and police cadets. This has helped to develop children’s social skills, confidence, and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to explore their identity and practice their faith. Staff encourage children to attend prayer meetings, undertake independent prayer sessions, and celebrate each other’s cultural identity and religion. In addition, staff make sure that children are supported to participate in religious events that are important to them, such as fasting during Ramadan and Eid celebrations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has made sure that other professionals support children. Children receive ongoing support from the home’s clinical team and the youth offending team. These professionals have formed positive relationships with the children, which have helped children to progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to stay in touch with family and friends when it is appropriate. This includes children having video calls with their family who live in another country, and staff taking children to see family and friends. When relationships are strained, staff help children with those relationships so that they can be rebuilt over time. Inspection report children’s home: 2593928 4

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

Staff know the children well and can pick up on the subtle cues that show that children are unsettled or anxious. Staff use these skills to create detailed plans to support children. As a result, children have, over time, become more settled. There are few incidents at the home and staff have not needed to use physical intervention to keep children safe.

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

Children rarely go missing. When they do, staff take prompt action in reporting children as missing and searching for them. Plans are clear as to the action that staff should take if a child goes missing from the home.

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

Allegations are taken seriously by the manager. All are reported appropriately. The manager investigates allegations and takes appropriate action, such as suspending staff while an investigation takes place. When further action has been needed, the manager has given staff written warnings, and made sure that staff attend further training.

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

Occasionally, children harm themselves. Staff have developed risk management plans and, with the support of health professionals, have developed safety plans. As a result, the incidents of children harming themselves have dramatically reduced over time, with few incidents occurring. However, the plans do not always reflect occasions when room searches are not needed. This could lead to an inconsistency in the approach from staff, following incidents.

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

Staff can monitor children’s movements through the use of bedroom door alarms. The use has been agreed and risk assessed. However, the alarms are still activated day and night to alert staff when children leave their bedroom. The manager agreed that this was not necessary and took action to have them turned off. Up until this point, children were being unnecessarily monitored as there were no identifiable risks.

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

The manager regularly reviews the home’s location assessment. However, not all actions are followed. For example, the gate is not closed, which could result in children being at risk from fast moving vehicles if they were to step into the road. In addition, the grab bag did not have all the items needed. For example, it did not contain a torch, which would be needed at night due to the road not being lit by streetlights.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This home is managed by an exceptional manager who goes above and beyond to ensure that children receive the best possible care. She is highly motivated and sets high expectations for herself and her staff team. As a result, children are settled and progressing very well. Inspection report children’s home: 2593928 5 The manager knows the children well and has formed positive, trusting relationships with the children. Children actively seek her out for support and advice. Children can raise concerns with the manager, and confidently know that she will take action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children living at the home have experienced many traumas in their early lives. The manager has undertaken training and research to help her to understand how that trauma impacts on children’s progress. As a result, the manager has made sure that children receive the support they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A strength of this manager is how she advocates for children when she feels that children are not getting the services they should have. For example, after escalating concerns about a child’s education without a satisfactory response, the manager escalated the concern to the children’s commissioner for advice and support. As a result, action is now being taken to get the educational support the child needs and deserves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager prioritises staff learning. There is a wide range of learning opportunities that can be carried out face to face, virtually and online. In addition, having identified gaps in staff knowledge and skills, the manager implemented research into practice. For example, she found additional learning about children who harm themselves and professional boundaries. This has helped to upskill staff, so they have the skills they need to care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a stable staff team, who receive regular support through supervision and appraisals. Staff have individualised development plans, which target staff’s areas of learning. As a result, staff understand their areas of development, and, for those with career aspirations, the learning and support they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has formed positive relationships with other professionals. Professionals spoke highly of the home and the manager, especially her commitment to children and advocating for them. Inspection report children’s home: 2593928 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet the needs identified in their relevant plans. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that strategies to manage risks are followed. For example, they should ensure that the gate is always closed, and the grab bag is available with all the items needed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that when the home is using CCTV or other monitoring equipment, they should have a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with regulation 24. The use of CCTV is regulated by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and the Surveillance Camera Code of Conduct (Home Office 2013). This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that

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Recommendations

monitoring equipment is not used unnecessarily. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. Specifically, ensure that records clearly tell staff when they need to search a child’s room to keep the child safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff support children who are not in education. Staff should support the child to sustain or regain their confidence in

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Recommendations

education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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 children’s home: 2593928 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 225, 5300 Lakeside, Cheadle SK8 3GP

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2593928 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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