Children's home run by Enabling Futures Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2770840 1 Registered provider: Enabling Futures Ltd

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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 home provides care for up to three children with learning and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager leading the home.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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 outstanding

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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: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2770840 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child receives excellent and child-focused care. The child has fun as they take part in activities and try new experiences. The child’s disability is no barrier for them because staff find ways for them to participate in any activity and have new experiences. All staff are committed and dedicated advocates for the child, which helps the child to make excellent progress in all areas of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

As soon as a child moved into the home, their life chances improved. Children who have experienced poor care and trauma, poor health and education now have an opportunity to develop and grow into successful adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child living at the home has significant and debilitating health conditions. However, the staff are led by a strong and resilient management team, who have challenged health services. As a result of this challenge, the child has received appropriate health interventions, which are improving their quality of life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Every effort is made to ensure that the child is fully engaged in their education. They now attend school. This routine is highly important for them, regardless of barriers to learning. Excellent joint working between staff at the home and school, together with a sharing of resources, has meant that the child is increasing their school time steadily and at a pace they can manage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has varied opportunities to take part in fun activities both within the home and in the community. They have enjoyed going for walks and to a local park. This is significant progress for the child, who has previously experienced social isolation and had limited life opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are exceptional at finding creative ways to communicate with the child. At the home, there are no barriers to communication. If children do not communicate verbally, staff use effective alternative pictorial systems. This is vitally important to the child. They can now give their opinions on the things that matter most in their lives.

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

The child’s care plans and risk assessments are extremely thorough. Staff understand the underlying reasons for difficult behaviour that the child may present. Staff are consistent with the care provided. This means that the child trusts staff to be predictable and adults who they can trust.

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

The child, who has complex methods of communication, is provided with many opportunities to make their needs known. Being able to communicate their views, wishes and feelings reduces the likelihood of the child becoming frustrated and anxious. Managers monitor the child’s behaviour to identify patterns and themes. Staff can now Inspection report for children’s home: 2770840 3 better predict their behaviours and any changes to behaviour and adapt their plans and employ calming strategies. The child’s incidents of more concerning behaviours are reducing.

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

Physical intervention has been required, at times, to help the child to regulate their behaviour. When a physical intervention takes place, managers ensure that a thorough approach is taken in the analysis of interventions. Over time, physical interventions have reduced.

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

The home’s environment helps to keep the child safe. It is maintained to an extremely high standard. The environment has been adapted to reflect the environmental needs of the child. For instance, the rooms are organised to provide a low-stimulus environment, but are personalised to the child.

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

The child has a high number of trained staff to meet their care needs and keep them safe. This means that there are many opportunities for them to take part in ordinary life activities. Managers have ensured that there is an appropriate level of safe care, with the opportunity for them to lead as ordinary life as possible. This means that the child’s world is becoming gradually larger.

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

Managers ensure that only staff who have been through a robust safer recruitment process get to work with children with significant vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational. She is highly dedicated and knows the strengths and areas for development in the home. She is an extremely strong advocate for the child. The manager and deputy manager know the child extremely well. They work effectively with a team of care staff, external specialist health professionals, and the local authority. Together, they form a coherent team around the child. A shared vision means that all staff are working towards the child, who has complex health and learning needs, making individual progress in relation to their targets and aspirations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All external professionals speak highly of the leadership of the home. They know that the focus is always on the welfare and outcome of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers recognise the importance to the child’s progress of having the same staff in their lives. The manager has been highly effective in maintaining a staff team, who are either directly employed by the home or from a care agency, with minimal changes. Managers have ensured that planning has gone into how best to recruit staff, changes to the induction, and how to maintain staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are up to date with their mandatory training. When required, additional specialist training is provided to enable staff to meet the children’s individual needs. Examples of bespoke training have included topics such as communication and deprivation of liberty. Training is delivered by the manager and externally commissioned providers. This means that staff have the right skills at the right time to meet the complex needs of the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2770840 4 Managers have ensured that staff attend a monthly team meeting. Meetings are a structured forum for managers to provide guidance and updates. Supervision of staff is regular. However, these regular meetings do not always provide staff with an adequate opportunity to speak about the child in a structured and reflective way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers and staff provide the child with excellent care and support. The child is thriving in this environment and making consistently very good progress. All the efforts of the managers and staff are focused on the child, and this dedication is making a real difference in the child’s life. Inspection report for children’s home: 2770840 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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 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: 2770840 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Enabling Futures Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Coach House, Millbrook House Estate, Manchester Road, Hollingworth, Cheshire SK14 8LA

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2770840 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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