Children's home run by Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 1 Registered provider: Happy Futures Support Specialists 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 run by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home may provide care for a child with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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requires improvement to be good

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection on 12 and 13 January 2024. Compliance notices were issued under Regulations 12 and 13. A monitoring visit was carried out on 23 April 2024 when the compliance notices were judged to have been met.. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 3

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the child’s well-being, working hard to understand and meet their needs. However, there are delays in the delivery of training on identified communication tools. As a result, not all communication tools are available to support staff in fully understanding the child’s wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

The child has been supported to make progress in education. The staff actively encourage and support the child to increase their attendance at school. The staff are patient and flexible with the child to ensure that the child feels ready for the school day. Regular communication between the home and the school benefits the child as the school staff can support the child in school.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand the value of making memories and having fun. The child is encouraged to take part in different activities that they enjoy. These include going for a drive, going to see the sea and the woods, playing on the garden swing or playing in muddy puddles when it has been raining.

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improvement to be good

While some improvements are evident in the home, the home improvement plan is still ongoing. The home is clean, most damage has been repaired, and the walls have been repainted. Nevertheless, there is still some damage to the kitchen cupboards and the lounge flooring.

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improvement to be good

The child is helped to understand some of what is happening in their world. The staff help the child to know what is happening now and what is happening next. However, not all information is consistently recorded in line with the child’s care plan. For example, it is not clear how the child has been helped to understand important information such as puberty, growing up and sexual health.

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improvement to be good

The child is helped to form positive relationships with others and increase their social skills. The child benefits from trusted relationships with the staff. The child is comfortable in the presence of the staff and clearly feels relaxed around them. The child is supported to spend lots of time with their family and people who are important to them. These are important skills that the child can continue to build on.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand that the use of physical intervention is the last resort and is only used to keep the child and others safe. The staff are given time to discuss any intervention and reflect on what could have been done differently. Nevertheless, this is not consistently followed through with the child. While it is not always appropriate to Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 4 directly discuss what happened with the child, there are, missed opportunities to gain an understanding from the child’s perspective.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding procedures have improved. New recording systems have been put in place to ensure that accidents and self-injurious behaviours are clearly recorded. Daily body maps are completed to help the staff to identify if there are any new injuries to the child and to ensure that they are healing correctly.

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improvement to be good

While there is a new children’s guide in place, it has not been shared with the child. This guide includes important information, such as how the child can make a complaint. Not all necessary actions have been taken to ensure that the child can make a complaint or share their concerns. Positively, the child is visited each month by an independent advocate.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are concise and easy to follow. They include all possible risks and how the staff can support the child to reduce these risks. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. Some risks have been reduced because of the patient and consistent care from the staff. This is helping the child to feel safe in the home and when out in the community.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Staff recognise and regularly celebrate the child’s achievements. They demonstrate care and a genuine desire for the child’s well- being, resulting in the child feeling more valued in the home.

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

The manager has made progress since the last inspection. She knows the strengths of the home and has plans for continued development. The manager reflects on the findings of the last inspection. She has worked hard to move forward with the development plans for the home and the team.

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

Professionals share that improvements can be seen in the home. They say that communication has improved between them and the staff. This approach helps professionals feel more confident in the quality of care that is provided to the child.

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

The manager completes regular supervision sessions with the staff; these are supportive and include regular checks on staff well-being. However, the manager does not consistently follow up on all actions agreed on in the supervision sessions. For example, issues raised are not always discussed in team meetings as agreed.

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

New staff to the home speak positively about the support that they receive. The manager completes probation reviews and ensures that new staff feel confident in the role. New staff feel welcomed into the home and part of the team. This approach ensures that staff feel happy at work. In turn, this benefits the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 5 The manager has developed new management monitoring tools. These tools are still in their infancy and yet to be fully embedded in the home. These management monitoring tools are helping to identify shortfalls that the manager acts on. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 6

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

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Requirement Due date

Take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home. (Regulation 7(1)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are given the best chance of communicating their needs with the correct tools in place and that the children know how to complain. 18 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 7 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.

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff are inducted into the home, that actions identified in staff supervision sessions are followed up and that all management monitoring tools are effective in identifying shortfalls and providing an overview of the quality of care provided in the home. 18 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. The registered person should ensure that all maintenance needs are acted on in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that effective care plans are in place and followed. Agreed interventions in the child’s local authority plan should be evidenced as delivered in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2).

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 8 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: 2712049 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Andrews House, 11, Dalton Court, Commercial Road, Darwen, Lancashire BB3 0DG

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Inspector

Jo Birtwhistle, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 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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