Children's Home run by Semi-independent House Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home: 1259547 1 Registered provider: Semi-independent House Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced and 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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 1259547 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2023 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/02/2022 Full Good 12/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1259547 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved on and one child has moved into the home in a planned and sensitive manner. Children and staff enjoy positive and meaningful relationships. Children and staff enjoy spending time together, and there is lots of fun and laughter. Staff show genuine emotional warmth and understanding to children. This helps children to build trusting relationships with staff, which supports children to feel settled in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well prepared for the school day, and this helps them to learn. Staff work closely with education providers to ensure there is effective partnership working to help children make good progress. Where children are not yet ready to go to school, sensitive steps are taken to help children with their education through home education. As a result, children engage with learning and make clear progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is homely and welcoming. Staff ensure that children develop a sense of belonging and stability. They see themselves as a family around the children, in a family home. However, repairs and improvements inside the home and outside in the garden area are not always completed in a timely manner. As a result, the environment does not always promote the well-being of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s health needs. Children are supported by staff to attend all their medical appointments. Staff liaise with relevant health professionals, and advice and guidance are followed. Staff encourage children to lead a healthy lifestyle and be physically active. This helps to maintain children’s physical and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are most important to them. Children seeing their families is encouraged and sustained by staff. Staff go above and beyond to make sure that the time children spend with family members is positive and maintained where appropriate, even those that live some distance from the home. This contributes to the stability of the children’s placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to explore their interests and hobbies. They enjoy many positive experiences and develop these hobbies and talents. For example, one child has developed skills in drawing. Children access community activities on a regular basis. Children are supported to develop their independence and benefit from having new experiences. Children are motivated to achieve their goals. As a result, they grow in confidence and self-belief.

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

Children have trusting relationships with the manager and staff. Children know they will be listened to and taken seriously. The staff can manage and support children through any worries or anxieties they may have. Children have the stability they need, and this Inspection report for children's home: 1259547 4 helps to keep them safe. As a result, children rarely engage in behaviours that will place them at increased risk.

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

Staff undertake training in safeguarding and child protection, which helps to ensure that children’s risks and vulnerabilities are understood. However, safeguarding is not always discussed in team meetings or staff supervision sessions. This does not provide staff with the opportunities to reflect and develop their practice or discuss specific and wider safeguarding issues. This limits the impact of reflection or learning outcomes on staff.

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

Children are safer because their risk assessments and plans provide clarity and direction for staff. When there is an incident of concern, the manager and staff reflect on the plans and risks, and they adjust plans if required. The children’s plans are also subject to regular review and updating so they accurately reflect children’s risks and vulnerabilities. These plans provide staff with the direction they need to support and protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced and registered manager. She is committed and dedicated to the children. She is highly ambitious for children and staff. She leads by example and is an integral part of the home and its success. This has led to staff being confident in their care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report being happy at work. They are invested in the children’s care. Staff say they feel supported at work and have confidence in the manager. Staff focus on children’s strengths and abilities. Teamwork is fundamental in providing children with the best possible care and support. Because of this, the manager and team have ambitious, creative plans to improve the outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager invests significant time and energy into the home. She shows exceptional commitment, and as a result, the home is a nurturing place for children. The manager is reflective and recognises the strengths and areas for development. She acts quickly to address any shortfalls. She has a clear view of the changes she wants to make, and she remains very focused on bringing about continued progress because she knows that this will benefit children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed good systems to help her to monitor the quality of care and the daily functioning of the home. There is positive engagement with external agencies, which has resulted in a good multi-agency approach to ensure that children’s needs are met to a consistently good standard. However, external scrutiny from the independent visitor does not always support the manager in the monthly review of the home, as information is sometimes inconsistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership work with external agencies is very good. External professionals commended the manager and staff on the good communication and the excellent quality of care provided to children. A common theme in the feedback provided by external agencies is the positive communication, the progress children make and how happy they are living at the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1259547 5

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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 ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that there is no conflicting information regarding children’s location at the time of visit. 25 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and 25 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 1259547 6 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to the interior decor of the home and the external appearance of the home and garden area.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions and team meetings reflect discussion on safeguarding issues, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs and risks of children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: 1259547 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Semi-independent House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Ploverly, Peterborough PE4 6HZ

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Inspectors

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Caroline Coop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1259547 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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