Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2023 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 3

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improvement to be good

The day-to-day experiences for the child vary. This is because the child has not been provided with continuity of care from a stable staff team. Some staff have not always maintained professional boundaries, which has meant that the relationships between staff and the child have not always been positive. The child said that she has secure and trusting relationships with some staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the barriers to the child’s education. The child’s education includes a combination of home tuition and informal learning. There is a multi- agency approach to the child’s education, including a search to identify a suitable provision to meet the child’s complex needs. Staff provide the child opportunities for informal learning which provides them with routine and structure to the school day.

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improvement to be good

Partnership working with mental health professionals means that staff are better equipped to meet the child’s complex and additional needs. There is an identified need for therapy and the child is accessing this support. However, staff do not always ensure that the child’s health is assessed when they have harmed themselves, which means that their health needs are not being fully met.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to develop independence. This is done at the child’s pace and in line with their individual needs and capabilities. This positive approach has helped to reduce some of the anxieties the child is experiencing about planning to move on from the home in the future.

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improvement to be good

The child is involved in decision making about the home and their care. They chose the decoration of their bedroom and other rooms in the home, and they are involved in planning activities in line with their hobbies and interests. There are lots of photos in the child’s memory book, that capture their experience of living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager has implemented a risk assessment that provides guidance for staff to ensure that the conditions of the child’s deprivation of liberty order are met. However, one risk assessment does not provide clear steps for staff to follow in relation to when they should seek medical advice or assessment when a child has harmed themselves.

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improvement to be good

Most staff understand the child’s individual vulnerabilities and the risks, and they are clear about the steps to follow to mitigate some of those risks. However, some staff have not always followed the child’s risk assessment. One staff provided the child with tobacco and another staff left the child unsupervised with a cleaning product which led to the child causing harm to themselves. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 4 Staff understand their responsibilities to children who go missing. The child rarely goes missing, but when this does happen staff respond proactively, they search for the child and report them as missing. The child is provided with the opportunity to talk to an independent person when they return home.

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improvement to be good

When incidents happen that lead to the child being restrained, records show that the measure used has been necessary to ensure the safety of the child and others. Staff and the child are provided with the opportunity to talk about the incident.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are taken seriously they are reported to safeguarding professionals and concerns are investigated by the manager.

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good

There is an interim manager in post who has day to day oversight of the management of the home. She is committed to improving the systems in place to review and monitor the quality of care to the child and she has a clear vision in relation to staff development.

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good

The staff team at this home have experienced instability, this has been due to high levels of staff absence, poor staff retention and a high number of agency staff employed to work at the home. This has meant that staffing has not always been sufficient to ensure that the child received continuous and consistent care.

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good

Shortfalls related to staff practice and conduct have not always been identified and addressed. However, the new interim manager has taken actions to ensure that staff understand professional boundaries and that they understand the whistleblowing policy. Staff have been provided with additional training and the manager has tested staffs’ knowledge in their supervision sessions.

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good

The manager has not ensured that the relevant checks have been completed for staff employed through an agency. This relates to obtaining references and the verification of those references.

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good

The child made a complaint about how staff spoke to them, and they raised other concerns about staff practice and conduct. The complaint has not been investigated and the child has not been provided with an outcome. This does not help the child to feel listened to and valued.

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good

Staff are receiving regular supervision that is reflective and provides them with the opportunity to discuss the child’s plan. Staff meetings happen regularly and are well attended. Staff said that they feel supported, and that the interim manager has helped to improve moral in the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 5 Staff are suitably trained to meet the needs of the child who lives at the home. When the risks to the child have changed, staff have been provided with additional training.

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good

The manager and staff have built positive relationships with other professionals. They work collaboratively with other agencies to ensure a joint approach to risk management and care planning for the child. One professional said, ‘the new interim manager understands the child’s needs and she is committed to the ensuring the child’s emotional wellbeing’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(c)) 13 May 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— that staff—

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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; and

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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)and(v)) In particular, to ensure that risk assessments provide staff with clear steps to follow when a child harms themselves, including when to seek medical advice. 13 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 13 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(d)(e)(f)and(g)(III)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) In particular, this relates to the recruitment of staff through an agency. 13 May 2024

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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: 2605690 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Craig Whitchurch

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2605690 9 regulates and inspects 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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