Children's home run by Anchor Care and Education Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2742503 1 Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for four children.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2742503 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, well presented, warm and comfortable. The child has access to a wide range of age-appropriate toys and art and craft materials. There is plenty of space for the child to relax and enjoy privacy. The child’s bedroom is spacious and has suitable furniture and soft furnishings that are age appropriate. The child was able to choose and buy items for their bedroom before moving into the home. The child said that they like their bedroom. There are enclosed grassed and separate paved areas for children to play and enjoy the outdoors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff provide a range of enjoyable physical activities to support the child to maintain a healthy lifestyle and develop skills appropriate for their age. The child has learned to ride a bicycle and swim. The child said that they love being taken to a trampoline park, museums and local places of interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has been pivotal in ensuring that the child has the education provision to meet their needs. The manager and staff have worked effectively with external professionals to ensure a robust transition plan to support the child’s move of school. As a result, the child is attending school on a full-time basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff use a range of creative ways to help the child to express their wishes and feelings. The manager has ensured that staff are provided with theoretical therapeutic models of care. Therefore, staff have a good understanding of the child’s emotional and psychological needs. Arrangements are in place for direct therapeutic support from an art therapist. This has helped the child to become more settled, and incidents of the child being unable to manage their emotions have decreased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are warm and familiar in their care and interactions with the child, providing a good level of care and support. The child accepts cuddles and comfort from staff when relaxing. The child has been supported to develop their self-care skills and is now able to shower and brush their teeth independently. The child enjoys trips to get their hair cut and is taking an interest and pride in their appearance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff use creative visual aids to help the child to understand their care plan. This also supports the child’s identity and understanding of the wider world. There is good communication with the child’s family, and the child is supported to maintain their relationships with their family.

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

Managers and staff know the child very well. They understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are comprehensive and regularly reviewed. A broad range of child-centred methods are used to support the child to express their views about the care and support they receive. A good example is the use of a scrapbook with Inspection report for children’s home: 2742503 3 photos of staff and other key professionals in the child’s life. This visual aid allows the child to communicate their views, wishes and feelings. The child has expressed they feel safe in the home and have trusted adults who they can talk to.

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

The manager and staff have good links with the placing local authority and key external safeguarding agencies. The manager is confident to challenge other agencies where needed. This ensures that good communication is maintained in the team around the child. Staff at the home and external professionals collaborate well to ensure that the child has access to all the services they need to remain safe and make progress.

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

The child is supported well by staff to manage their emotions and behaviour. They are provided with a range of ways to express themselves. Staff are attuned to the child’s triggers and are proactive with their support. They intervene in a timely manner, using distraction and de-escalation methods grounded in a therapeutic approach. This approach has resulted in a reduction in the use of physical intervention. The manager has ensured that all staff are suitability trained in physical intervention techniques.

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

Staff ensure that the child is always supervised due to their age and stage of development. As a result of this good level of supervision, there have been no incidents of the child going missing from home or engaging in antisocial behaviour. The manager ensures the safe recruitment of staff and continually monitors their suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, very ambitious and a strong advocate for children. She has high expectations of staff and the development of the home. She has been successful in developing good relationships with neighbours and the wider community. This has fostered a sense of belonging for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs. They are proactive in their care and future planning of care and support. Planning is carried out in conjunction with key professionals. As a result, the child is having some time being the only child in the home. This has proved successful as the child has become more settled and better able to manage their emotions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example and understands the strengths and areas of development of her new staff team. She uses this information to deploy them appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are receiving effective one-to-one supervision sessions and team meetings. The manager uses these forums to develop staff’s knowledge and skills, utilising research- informed practice. Therefore, staff are supported to develop their understanding of theoretical models of care and childcare practice. The manager uses an individual plan for all staff which identifies their competencies, skills and experience levels. This information is used to support staff’s practice, progress and career development. Staff speak positively about the manager and say that she is very supportive and approachable. Staff say that they enjoy working at the home. The manager is supported Inspection report for children’s home: 2742503 4 by an equally committed and enthusiastic responsible individual. She is also supported by the managers from the other homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a good range of tools to keep a clear oversight of the home. This includes the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the home. This ensures a homely, safe and secure environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742503 5

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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: 2742503 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Saxon House, Moseleys Farm Business Centre, Fornham All Saints, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6JY

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Inspector

Angela Duffus-Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2742503 7 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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