Children's Home run by Flourish Children’s Services Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report for children’s home: 2745862 1 Registered provider: Flourish Childrens Services 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 home is operated by a private provider, and provides care for up to one child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and provider were registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection there was one child living in this home.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none. Inspection report for children’s home: 2745862 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child loves living in this home. They feel happy, safe and secure because of the nurture and care that they receive from the staff. This home has a welcoming family feel that is child-focused. Relationship building is a strength of the staff in this home. These relationships give the child a sense of belonging, which helps them to make progress in all key areas of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress in relation to their health, hygiene and well-being. The staff promote the importance of healthy eating and exercise. The child is trying new foods and cooking meals from fresh products. The child’s confidence and self-esteem have increased because they have been encouraged to improve their self-care skills. The staff support the child to attend all health appointments and essential health assessments have been completed. This gives the staff a greater understanding of the child’s needs and how they can continue to be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is helped to understand the difference between right and wrong. The staff are patient with the child and have conversations with the child in a way that they understand. The child can recognise the difference between behaviours that are not socially acceptable and those that are more positive. The child is supported through regular praise, repetition and positive reinforcement. Rewards and incentives are used to celebrate the child’s successes. This approach has seen an increase in positive behaviours for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is helped to increase their social skills and positive interactions with others. These are essential skills that the child can continue to build on. The staff know the value of the child making new connections outside of the home, and they help the child to increase their own support networks. The child is now regularly attending a local youth club and making friends. The child speaks about their time at the youth club and their new friends with pride and enthusiasm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is currently being educated in the home. While staff agree that this is not ideal, they continue to promote a culture of learning inside and outside of the home. The child feels ready to go back to school and has attended a school visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s independence skills, such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and using public transport have improved. The child enjoys fun activities, such as going to the park, recording studios, the cinema and more.

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

The child benefits from reduced incidents, increased self-esteem and improved emotional health. This is because of the patient, consistent and trauma-informed approach the staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2745862 3 use. They take time to understand what has happened from the child’s perspective, and they use curiosity to gain an understanding of what could be done differently. Furthermore, the child feels safe because of the routines and boundaries that the staff put in place.

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

The staff know the child well. They know the child’s risks and understand how their past experiences may be displayed in different ways. The staff consistently work in line with the home’s model of care. They speak about the child with pride and affection. The child knows that the staff are there for them, and are there to keep them as safe as possible.

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

The child no longer goes missing from home. If the child does leave the home, the staff leave with them. The staff educate the child on the potential dangers when out in the community, such as busy roads, climbing and talking to unknown adults. This work is followed up in key-work sessions with the child to ensure that they can keep themself as safe as possible.

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

While the focus for the staff has been ensuring that the child feels safe and settled in the home. The staff continue to promote progression for the child at their own pace. The staff are starting to help the child to take appropriate risks. Direct work is completed on topics, such as online safety, fire safety, healthy relationships and being out in the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example. She does not ask the staff to do anything that she would not do herself. She is a positive role model to the staff and the child, and they all speak positively about her and the support that she provides. The manager is extremely child-focused and ensures that the child is at the centre of all that happens in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes an open culture in the home. All allegations made against staff are taken seriously. Thorough investigations are completed to ensure that all the facts are known. The manager informs all relevant safeguarding agencies to ensure that a multi-agency plan is put in place when required. The child and staff are supported throughout and any actions arising from investigations. Nevertheless, not all staff are aware of the whistleblowing policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has oversight of the home and she uses the various management monitoring tools in place to identify most shortfalls. However, some shortfalls have been overlooked, meaning the damage in the child’s bedroom was not fixed in a timely manner. Furthermore, some conversations with staff have not been followed up after a serious incident. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that the staff have time to reflect on the incidents and how these have made them feel.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend the regular staff meetings. These focus on the child and their care needs. They highlight that the manager and staff all have the same high aspirations for the Inspection report for children’s home: 2745862 4 child. There is a strong focus on accountability and ensuring that everyone is responsible for the child’s continued safety and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation invests in staff inductions and staff training. Training is provided on all of the provider’s mandatory topics, such as trauma-informed approaches and de- escalation techniques. Specialist training, which is well planned, was provided to staff before the child moved in. This provides the staff with the knowledge and skills to provide the child with the best possible start in their new home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2745862 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the staff understand the whistleblowing policy, that the staff are enabled to reflect and act on their own feelings, and that monitoring tools are effective at identifying shortfalls in relation to timely repairs in the home. 4 July 2024

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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: 2745862 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flourish Childrens Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Phoenix House, 96 Blacker Road, Birkby, Huddersfield HD1 5HN

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Inspectors

Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Tenji Wesa, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2745862 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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