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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 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 large national charity. It provides care for up to two children. The home cares for children who may have emotional and social difficulties. There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably experienced registered manager.

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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

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: 2667592 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 3

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improvement to be good

Children have made progress while living in this home. However, children’s experiences have sometimes been impacted by poor staff responses to incidents that have led to children being harmed.

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improvement to be good

Both children have bedroom door alarms that are turned on at night, as this is a blanket policy in the home. There is no clear, individualised risk assessment to understand why alarms are needed and what work needs to be completed to no longer need them in place.

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improvement to be good

Health needs, including mental health, are generally understood; however, recommendations from statutory health assessments are not always followed.

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improvement to be good

Before children move in, managers conduct thorough assessments to understand what children will need to make progress. Careful consideration was given when a second child moved into the home. This consideration has supported the children to live harmoniously. The children bring value to each other’s lives.

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improvement to be good

Children have made progress from their individual starting points. One child has benefited from the commitment shown by managers and staff. This supported the child to successfully move on when becoming an adult.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to receive appropriate education. For one child, this was a bespoke curriculum due to their complex emotional needs. The child was able to gain vocational qualifications that met their interests. The two children living in the home attend full-time school and are making good progress in their education.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with family and people who are important to them. Parents feel that they are kept up to date about their children’s lives.

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improvement to be good

The home is well decorated and maintained. This supports children to feel a sense of belonging. Children enjoy living here.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are individual. However, not all risks are included. Risk assessments are not updated as additional risks come to light. This has led to gaps in the risk assessments, which means strategies to manage risks are not clearly outlined. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 4 Incidents of self-harm are generally managed well, with clear multi-agency plans to address and support the reduction of risks. However, there have been times when a child’s plan has not been followed, and this has led to the child harming themselves. Records in relation to self-harm are not always clear about injuries that have occurred.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff usually go looking for them and follow their missing-from-home plans. However, on one occasion, staff did not follow the child. This led to the child, who was extremely vulnerable, being alone in the dark without appropriate support. The provider did challenge this practice; however, not all the recommendations were completed.

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improvement to be good

When children are distressed or are experiencing crisis, staff generally understand how to support them. However, there have been occasions where staff responses may have contributed to children requiring physical intervention. When children are held, this is proportionate to the risks that are present and is for the shortest time possible. Debriefs with staff and children have not always taken place. This has led to several missed opportunities for the manager to address staff practice.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are not always used appropriately, and their effectiveness and purpose are not always considered by the manager. This does not allow opportunities for the manager to consider learning.

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improvement to be good

Managers have ensured that permanent staff have relevant safety checks to work with children. However, relevant checks have not always been completed for staff employed through an agency. When information has been shared, managers have not consistently assured themselves that staff are safe to work with children.

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improvement to be good

The manager did not use the correct process to notify Ofsted of the start and conclusion of a child protection enquiry. This prevents Ofsted from having clear oversight of safeguarding concerns and the action from the home and partner agencies.

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improvement to be good

When a child has been involved in bullying behaviour, staff have sensitively addressed concerns. This supported the child to consider the potential impact of their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Room searches only take place when there are clear, identified risks.

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good

The manager was managing another home alongside this home for most of this inspection period. The manager recognised the impact that managing two homes was having on their oversight. Since February 2024, the manager has only managed this home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 5 The manager’s systems for oversight are not yet effective. Children’s documents are not appropriately quality assured, debriefs with staff and children do not always take place after an incident of physical restraint and poor practice has been missed.

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good

During this period, 14 members of staff have left the home, and 13 new members of staff have started, with another 30 agency members of staff used to provide care for children. This has impacted children’s ability to build and maintain relationships with the adults providing care.

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good

Staff feel supported by managers, and supervision takes place regularly. However, supervision does not always offer time for staff to reflect on their practice or the progress of children. Supervisors do not always use these meetings to address poor practice when this has been noted, such as errors in medication. The manager has failed to record supervision for one member of staff for several months.

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good

The manager’s quality of care reviews do not evaluate the quality of care provided to children effectively. The manager has not sought feedback from relevant stakeholders.

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good

Induction and probation activities do not take place in line with the workforce development plan.

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good

Complaints are investigated and responded to appropriately and sensitively. The manager engages in regular community meetings to proactively manage some of the concerns from the neighbours.

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good

Statutory documents are not always available in a timely manner. The manager requests these documents in a timely way, but there continue to be delays. This is mitigated by staff keeping a clear record of meetings and discussions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and contain all the relevant risks and clear strategies for staff to manage these risks.

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Requirement Due date

This also specifically relates to risk assessments and missing- from-care plans being followed to safely manage the risks that are present. 29 April 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 7 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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager’s monitoring systems in relation to consequences, medication and staff practice, including behaviour management and physical intervention.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the supervision of staff, which is not consistently recorded and does not always consider the child, and staff practice issues, which are not always addressed.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the recording of team meeting minutes, which do not accurately depict what has been discussed or give inaccurate information, and actions are not followed up or reviewed by the manager.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ineffective induction activities that are not in line with the home’s workforce development plan.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 8 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Reg 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring records of physical intervention are reviewed in a timely manner and staff and child debriefs are completed within the required time frame. The manager’s review should consider staff practice as well as the appropriateness of the physical intervention.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that safer recruitment procedures are followed for all staff employed to work with children, including those employed through an agency. 29 April 2024

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 9 concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a) (5)) 29 April 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: 2667592 10

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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

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2667592 11 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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