Children's home run by Ilea Palm Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 1 Registered provider: Ilea Palm Care 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

This children’s home is owned by two directors. It is registered to care for up to three children with complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and is qualified to level 5 in health and social care management.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the two children who were living at the home have moved on. One child moved back to their family home and the other to a specialist provision to meet their educational and emotional needs.

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improvement to be good

Two children have moved into the home. The registered manager met both children before they moved in, and their arrivals were well planned and involved relevant professionals, adults and children.

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improvement to be good

One child lived at the home for three weeks. During this time, the child presented behaviours that were not all evident in the information received to inform the plans for the child to live at the home. The registered manager made a risk-assessed decision to give notice on the child’s placement as the service did not have the skills to meet the child’s emotional needs.

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improvement to be good

One child lived at the home at the time of this inspection. Adults talk about the child proudly and are passionate about the child’s future. The child has settled well and made good progress with learning English as an additional language. The registered manager has ensured regular access to a translator. A range of tools, such as flashcards, have been introduced to help the child learn and to express their emotions and views. Adults have also learned some words in the child’s first language and translate everything into both languages, including captions in the child’s memory book.

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improvement to be good

Adults have explored the child’s interests and encourage the child to try a range of activities and games. As a result, the child regularly enjoys swimming, football and basketball. Joining clubs in the local community is also being encouraged. Adults are working with the child to increase their age-appropriate independence skills.

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improvement to be good

The child continues on roll at the school they attended before moving into the home. The child’s school attendance initially improved. However, the child experienced some challenges and currently has a timetable of home learning supplied by the school and two alternative part-time educational provisions. The adults are supporting and encouraging the child’s continued learning. The registered manager is working in partnership with the placing authority and virtual headteacher to access an alternative full-time education provision that can better meet his needs.

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improvement to be good

Adults understand the importance of children spending time with their families, and family time is consistently supported. Where appropriate, adults supervise family time at the request of placing authorities to ensure that these relationships continue to flourish and all involved feel well supported. Consequently, the child continues to have relationships with those people who are important to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 4 The home environment is homely and welcoming. The child’s photos are proudly displayed in albums. They depict happy memories and outings shared with adults. The child’s bedroom is personalised to their taste. During the inspection, the child was busy decorating a new bedroom that they are moving to at their own request. The child was excited and actively involved in making the space their own.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and adults understand the risks children face. They work with children to educate them about risk and the risks posed to them in the community.

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improvement to be good

Increased adult numbers are in place to safeguard them from allegations made by a child. The procedure stipulates that any allegation made will be promptly referred to the local authority designated officer. When there is an allegation about an adult that works in the home the registered manager usually responds appropriately. However, in one case, this did not happen. The registered manager identified this during the inspection and made an immediate referral. Ofsted has not been routinely notified when allegations have been made against adults. Although the recording of referrals of allegations has improved, the lack of a chronology or running record makes it difficult to see what actions have been taken and the outcomes reached.

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improvement to be good

Adults described that the registered manager acted when a child exhibited behaviour that was not known before the child moved into the home. Despite an unanticipated escalation in behaviour, adults prevented the child from going missing from care by appropriately following procedures and strategies. They also stopped the child from causing serious harm to themselves through self-injurious behaviour. The registered manager worked in partnership with the two placing authorities to quickly increase staffing for both children. This enabled the adults to better manage the environment, reduce risks and keep the children safe. The registered manager also accessed the support of mental health services for the child and the adult team. They identified difficulties and gaps, and working with the team helped them to appropriately and safely respond to the child to try to overcome these. A mental health professional

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improvement to be good

described the team as ‘flexible, creative and warm throughout’.

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improvement to be good

After the child moved out of the home, the responsible individual, registered manager and adults had specific supervisions and attended team meetings to debrief, reflect and identify any lessons they could learn moving forward. As a result, the registered manager is looking to commission an emotional well-being package that will be accessible to all adults.

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improvement to be good

Adults know the current child well and understand how past experiences impact on the child’s behaviour. As a result, the child has vastly improved their ability to understand and manage their emotions, and incidents of physical interventions and Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 5 the use of consequences are low. The adults have introduced reward jars, which the child is responding to well.

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improvement to be good

The child told the inspector that they feel safe living in the home. As a result of the nurturing relationships the child has with adults, they are able to share any worries and concerns. When children or neighbours have raised concerns, these are taken seriously by the responsible individual and registered manager. They work together to respond and ensure that lessons are learned.

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good

The registered manager has worked hard to build a stable adult team. He is an experienced manager who promotes a child-centred approach. He cascades this way of working throughout the adult team. Consequently, the adults work well together.

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good

In working hard to develop and support the adult team and children, the registered manager has not ensured that he has completed some safeguarding and management tasks. These have been picked up in the independent visitor’s reports but have not been actioned. These include some consequences that have not been reviewed by the registered person or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so. In addition, the registered manager has not completed and submitted a review of the quality of care in the home to Ofsted.

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good

The registered manager ensures that adults have regular practice-based supervision. As a result, there is a focus on the continual professional development of adults. In turn, this ensures that children receive high-quality care from adults who are equipped to meet their holistic needs. Adults unanimously report they are proud to work in the home and are well supported through good induction and training.

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good

The registered manager has good relationships with external agencies. He uses the expertise of external agencies to improve the care children receive. The engagement of outside agencies helps children to build positive relationships and understand where to seek independent support.

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good

The responsible individual and registered manager continue to reflect on how they will realise their vision for this service and ensure the best outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 6

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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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (1) (2) (3) (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 31 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 31 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 7 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care reviews and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parents of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all safeguarding concerns are appropriately referred and within a timely manner. The registered manager must ensure that all records are completed and accurate. 31 May 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 8 principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: 2718097 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ilea Palm Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 55 Belvidere Road, Shrewsbury SY2 5LY

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2718097 10 regulates and inspects 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 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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