Children's Home run by Residential Child Care Community Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 1 Registered provider: Residential Child Care Community 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 owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection, and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 5 September 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/09/2023 Full good 19/07/2022 Full good Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive in all aspects of their lives as they receive exceptional care from staff who want the best outcomes for them. Staff work hard to build relationships with children. These relationships provide the foundation for children to flourish. Staff provide genuine warmth and acceptance to the children in their care. One child said, ‘It is a family away from home, I feel safe and loved.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff listen to the children’s views about their care and respond accordingly. Therefore, children understand how their views have informed decisions made about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide children with a wide range of activities and experiences. This allows children to pursue their own interests and talents. Staff celebrate children’s achievements which helps children to make positive memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make considerable progress with their education. The registered manager takes action to resolve any barriers to children achieving their potential. As such, children who did not attend education, now attend education full-time and are completing their exams. Staff have completed training to become qualified exam invigilators and replicate exam conditions in the home. This means that children who find unfamiliar environments difficult can complete exams at home with trusted adults present.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health improves because of the care that staff provide to them. The registered manager seeks advice from health professionals and embeds this into children’s plans. This provides staff with clear steps to take to meet children’s health needs. One health professional described the registered manager as, ‘Going above and beyond to ensure that children have the best health outcomes.’ This includes making adaptations to the house to support the staff to manage a child’s chronic health condition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff make significant efforts to help children to stay connected and build positive memories with those who are important to them. Direct work and training opportunities are offered to parents. This supports them to improve the quality of children’s experiences during family time. As a result, parents develop their skills to meet their child’s needs and widen their own employment opportunities.

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

Children’s known risks reduce because of the care that they receive from staff. Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Children’s plans capture known risks and provide staff with clarity in respect to the actions that they need to take to keep each child safe.

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

Boundaries for children are clear and positive behaviour is rewarded. Children are involved in identifying their own incentives and rewards. This helps children to take responsibility for their own behaviours. Staff support children to manage difficult feelings safely and as a result unsafe behaviours have reduced. Children are enabled to take risks Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 4 in line with their individual abilities. This helps children to develop their independence skills, confidence, and social skills.

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

Children who go missing from home experience well-coordinated responses from staff. This means that children are located quickly and are safely returned to the home. When children return home, they are given the opportunity to speak to an independent person. This helps staff to understand the reasons why children go missing from home.

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

Searches of children’s bedrooms are completed only when necessary to keep children safe. When this happens, staff support children to understand the need for the room search.

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

Staff hold children to keep them safe as a last resort. Managers ensure that children who are held by staff are given the opportunity to share their views about this. One child raised concerns about how they were held by staff on one occasion. Managers had been unaware of this prior to the inspection. However, immediate action was taken to safeguard the children and investigate the concerns. This helps children to feel listened to and gives staff clear expectations about their practice.

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

The children benefit from a spacious and welcoming living environment. Photos throughout the home of the children with their families and friends add to the homely atmosphere. Children have access to an enclosed garden which is safe. However, the children cannot utilize the garden for their hobbies when there has been significant rainfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team are passionate about providing children with care and support akin to a family home. The registered manager is child focused and has consistently high expectations of staff. The registered manager knows the children well and regularly updates children’s plans to show their needs. Children’s plans are written to them using language which distinguishes between fact and opinion. This helps staff to remain focused on children’s experiences and provides children with a record of their childhood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a clear understanding of the quality of care that children receive and the impact that this has on their outcomes. He takes decisive action to address shortfalls in staff practice. This helps to ensure that children consistently receive an optimum standard of care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high. Staff are overwhelming positive about the support that they receive from the management team. Induction arrangements for new staff are effective. Staff access a wide range of training which gives them the skills to care for the children. Staff feel valued and contribute to decisions made about children’s care. Staff receive regular reflective supervisions. This motivates staff and helps them to remain enthusiastic about their role. Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 5 The registered manager has effective monitoring and auditing tools in place to monitor the quality of care provided to the children. The registered manager proactively seeks out improvements in practice, using research, theory, and tools to aid staff development. This creates a culture of learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has built positive working relationships with partner agencies which promotes a ‘team around the child’ approach. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive. The registered manager delivers appropriate challenge when children’s needs are not met. Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the garden is maintained to be a space that the children can use to pursue their hobbies throughout the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2654782 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Residential Child Care Community Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 843 Finchley Road, London NW11 8NA

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Inspectors

Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Donna Ryan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2654782 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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