Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home: 1256061 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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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. The home provides care for up to five 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 manager who is registered with Ofsted.

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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: 1256061 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Good 11/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/06/2021 Full Good 18/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 1256061 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on to other placements. Children currently living at the home enjoy positive and meaningful relationships with staff. Children enjoy spending time with staff. 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 safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported and encouraged to make choices and decisions about their day- to-day care, and to have fun and try new experiences. They enjoy many positive experiences and develop hobbies and talents. Children continue to access a range of activities in the region and beyond. For example, two children recently went to London for the first time. This helps to develop children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is a key priority, and they attend education daily. When children are home schooled, they work hard with education tutors. This motivates them to learn. Staff ensure that educational activities are built into each day, encouraging them to learn. Managers have been proactive in ensuring that children’s educational needs are met and advocate strongly for this. The staff recognise children’s potential and children are praised for their achievements. This supports children to learn and develop new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a comfortable large home. It is homely and welcoming with plenty of outside space for them to enjoy. Children are encouraged to decorate and personalise their rooms. Following recent damage in the home, the manager has an extensive redecoration plan, which is progressing well. This helps to maintain a good standard throughout and enables children to develop a sense of belonging and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staff understand and meet children’s health needs well. They support children to attend healthcare appointments and be active. Healthy meals are home-cooked by staff and children. This helps to maintain children’s physical and emotional well-being.

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

Children enjoy the trusting relationships built with the staff. They know they are listened to. They can share their worries or concerns, and these will be taken seriously. This reflects staff’s ability to manage and support children to work through their worries. This supports children to feel safe and secure.

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

There have been incidents of children going missing from care. When this happens, staff have followed missing protocols and procedures well. When children go missing, staff are quick to respond. They go above and beyond to ensure the child returns home as soon as possible. Staff offer children care, reassurance and empathy following episodes Inspection report for children's home: 1256061 4 of going missing. Partnership work with the Police Community Support team is very effective in ensuring assistance and the safe return of children. As a result, incidents of children going missing are managed effectively.

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

Staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention, which is used to prevent children from placing themselves and others at risk of harm. Staff try all other positive behaviour support techniques first, which means that any physical intervention is the last resort for keeping children safe. Interventions are well recorded and there are opportunities for reflection with children and staff following incidents. Staff offer children reassurance following such incidents and the opportunity to discuss what happened. This helps children to raise any concerns they may have.

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

Staff complete the mandatory training required. They also receive bespoke training which is tailored to the needs of the children. Staff discuss safeguarding issues in team meetings. However, safeguarding is not always routinely discussed in staff one-to-one sessions. This limits the opportunities for staff to reflect and develop their practice or discuss specific and wider safeguarding issues. This limits the impact of reflection for staff and their learning outcomes.

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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 adjust plans if required. Plans are also regularly updated, 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 registered manager was away from the home at the time of the inspection. However, the deputy manager has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She speaks with passion about the home and children. She demonstrates a genuine commitment to helping children make good progress in all areas of their lives. Staff benefit from the effective leadership style and clear guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are happy at work. They are committed and invested in the children’s care. Staff say they feel supported and have confidence in their managers. They focus on children’s strengths and abilities. Teamwork is fundamental in providing children with the best possible care and support. As a result, staff are motivated and feel they have a voice in influencing the positive care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have faced some difficult situations. They have had to manage some challenging incidents. Staff receive positive support from the managers and are able to access health and well-being sessions with an external team. Staff feel well supported with supervision and training. They also receive daily support from each other. The staff team is cohesive and has a shared focus on positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality assurance and monitoring systems are effective. The manager monitors and reviews all aspects of each child’s care. Monitoring systems are thorough. The manager Inspection report for children's home: 1256061 5 has developed a document to track monthly progress of the children and to understand the areas that require development. This means the manager has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. As a result, plans are in place to ensure continual development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recruited a diverse team, and each person brings their own skills and experiences. This enriches the quality of care. Some members of the team are new. Structured induction processes ensure that new staff have a well-planned introduction to the home. This supports staff to provide good care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers strive to promote the development of the staff team. Staff are supported to develop and grow. The manager provides a range of bespoke training essential to meeting the individual needs of the children. This includes additional ‘toolbox and learning circles’ which enhance staff’s knowledge. They also receive daily support and guidance from managers and each other. This means that children receive care from a skilled, reflective and knowledgeable team. Inspection report for children's home: 1256061 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions reflect discussion on safeguarding issues which allows staff 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: 1256061 7

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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: Homes 2 Inspire Limited, Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Cherelle Robinson

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Inspector

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1256061 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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