Children's Home run by Sunflower Children Care Services in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 1 SC449099 Registered provider: Quantum Care UK 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 children’s home is owned by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who have emotional and social needs.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2022 Full Good 10/05/2021 Full Good 12/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 3

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improvement to be good

Children live in a large, detached house. They have their own bedrooms which children are encouraged to personalise. They share bathrooms. The interior is very homely, comfortable, and warm. Rooms are tidy and uncluttered. However, children do not have an inviting outside space to play which is free from risk. The garden is overgrown, and outside storage, which may pose a risk to children, are left unlocked and accessible.

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improvement to be good

Children have been assessed as requiring aids and adaptations to help them communicate and make their views wishes and feelings known. However, staff do not ensure that children always have access to these. This means that for some children they have not been able to effectively communicate with staff.

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improvement to be good

When children lose important people in their lives, such as a therapist, there are delays in finding a suitable replacement. Local authority social workers confirm that the impact for their child has been significant. Furthermore, no direct work has taken place with the child to help them understand this loss.

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improvement to be good

Some children who live at this home have come with poor experiences of formal education. Some children have been out of school for a considerable period. Leaders and managers have ensured that informal play and learning are quickly established. However, for very young children this has meant an extended period away from school.

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improvement to be good

Children who have specific cultural care needs have moved into the home. The manager and staff meet these needs well. When families ask for children to follow a specific eating regime, staff work together with them to meet this need in conjunction with the age and understanding of children.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not ensured that staff are consistently encouraging a healthy lifestyle. When staff smoke, this takes place within the grounds of the home, and in an area that some children access.

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improvement to be good

Family time is well supported. When children can spend time with family, this is now improving. For some family time is through social media. Managers and staff understand the importance of maintaining contact with families for younger children.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to monitor all aspects of the home’s health and safety, in particularly the outside space. Previously identified areas of risk to children, vulnerable because of there age and learning difficulties, have not been made safer. Although this provider has plans to improve the overall safety of the outside space, risks remain, for Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 4 instance no robust barrier to a busy main road, and an unsightly and unwelcoming space for children to relax and play.

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improvement to be good

Children do not have access to a complaints process that is in line with their age and understanding. This means that children, including those who do not use speech as there chosen method to communicate, do not always feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not ensured that when children have an accident which involves a potential head injury, they seek medical advice and guidance. Managers have not ensured that risk assessments always detail what staff must do in such circumstances.

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improvement to be good

Arrangements for the safe administration and recording of medication are generally effective. Staff are trained, and competency is beginning to be checked. However, medication is not always secured and away from vulnerable children.

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improvement to be good

When staff become aware of safeguarding concerns, they have shared these with a manager, without delay. This responsive action has meant that leaders and managers have been able to make decisions about the safeguarding of children. Staff have received safeguarding training, and more recently a team development session on the importance of whistleblowing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Following a period of leadership and management changes, a new manager is in post. They are yet to be registered. However, they are enthusiastic and have an ambitious vision for the home. They are starting to lead a motivated team of staff who enjoy their jobs. They acknowledge and recognise areas for ongoing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not yet developed effective processes to maintain oversight of all aspects of the children’s care. They have not ensured that a system is in place to oversee the health and safety of the homes environment, together with all aspects of the children’s progress and development. Care plans, risk assessments and recording of daily events are not always updated or factual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have now ensured that staff have had regular opportunities for formal supervision. This have provided opportunities for managers to check staff performance, competence, and provide support in navigating the complex care needs of children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff can access a wide range of training courses. This includes safeguarding training and medication. When required, and to meet the children’s specific care needs, further training is provided, for instance Makaton.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

On this inspection five requirements and three recommendations are made. Not all requirements from the last inspection were met within set timescales. Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 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, 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 staff understand and apply the home's statement of purpose; namely that children's moves in and out of the home are risk assessed robustly and there are clear plans in place which allow for children to understand these moves. Additionally, that children have access to a therapist consistently in line with their needs. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to children not having help and support from a registered therapist. This requirement was set at the previous inspection. 1 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The premises used for the purposes of the home are maintained to protect each child. In particular that staff ensure that the gate to the car park and larger garden area is closed at all times and that consideration if given to installing a system which ensures that children cannot access the busy main road from the larger garden/ car parking area. (Regulation 12 (2) (d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to inadequate barriers to stop children, who are vulnerable due to age and understanding, potentially accessing a busy main road. 1 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers not having a regular and effective process to maintain oversight of all aspects of the home. 1 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. Children should be able to access this independently of staff and be assured of a response to any concerns they may raise. 1 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 6 (Regulation 39 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to children not having access to a complaints process that is in line with their age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

The children's views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child's views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home's care. (Regulation 7 (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This is regarding children not having access to aids and adaptations, to help them communicate their views wishes and feelings. 1 June 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. ('Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.15).  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the homes policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a no-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that is helpful to the child. (Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child's day to day health

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Recommendations

and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children's home an environment that supports children's physical, mental and emotional health. ('Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 33, paragraph 7.3). Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 7

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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: SC449099 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Quantum Care UK Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC449099 9 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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