Children's home run by Support and Sustain Care Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 1 Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 8 June 2023. The registered manager is suitably qualified.

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Inspection date: 26 March 2024

Date of last inspection: 13 November 2023

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Inspection date: 26 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 26 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are happy at the home and are making progress. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home. One child has recently moved into the home. The move was well planned and, as a result, the child has settled quickly.

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Findings from the inspection

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. High-quality soft furnishings, toys and games help to create a nurturing environment. Children have been supported to personalise their bedrooms and rooms have been decorated to a high standard. However, children do not always have access to communal areas of their home and some staff are unclear about guidance in relation to locking some doors. For example, one staff member said that the lounge and kitchen are locked overnight. Another said that they lock the back door to the garden until children have completed their morning routines. The manager has a plan to ensure that staff know what the expectations are about locking doors and that children have access to all safe areas of their home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand children’s risks and the steps that they need to take to keep them safe. They carry out direct work with children around areas of need. Staff build positive relationships with children and support children well with difficult experiences. As a result, incidents are decreasing for all children and children say that they have people to speak to and feel safe at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort to keep children safe, and incidents of physical intervention are reducing. Records of physical intervention are clear and the manager speaks to staff and children after each incident. However, the manager has not always spoken to staff involved in incidents of physical intervention within appropriate timescales.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to reflect after incidents and discuss how their actions can impact on others. When consequences have been used, these have been proportionate to the behaviour. For example, one child was encouraged to help clean up a mess that they had made. The manager has not always discussed consequences with staff. This means that an opportunity to reflect on the measures with staff is missed. The manager has a plan to improve this.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is visited regularly by an independent person. Reports by the independent person are suitably evaluative and set clear actions. The manager acts in response to recommendations. As a result, there is ongoing development and improvement in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 3 The manager responds well to complaints made by children and ensures that investigation takes place and children receive a response and an outcome. The manager investigates all allegations and listens to children and their views. A child who was frequently raising concerns is now happier in the home and allegations have significantly reduced. Allegations are recorded in a chronology and shared with children’s social workers. However, the chronology does not capture all actions the manager has taken. Furthermore, the manager was unsure whether to notify Ofsted and the local authority designated officer about an allegation, based on the outcome

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Findings from the inspection

of an initial investigation. This practice was reviewed and the manager is now notifying all relevant professionals of all allegations made against staff in the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 4

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 5 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff debriefs for physical intervention are recorded within timescales and that all consequences are recorded in line with the regulation.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that children are not locked out of the garden when it is appropriate for them to access it and that staff understand what guidance is in place around locking doors and the importance of children having access to all safe areas of their home. 29 May 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child, including records relating to allegations, must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 6 (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should notify Ofsted and the local authority designated officer if there is an allegation of abuse made against a person who works at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 27 Morrison Avenue, Wolverhampton WV10 9TZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Rollings

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2730637 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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