Children's home run by Happy Group (UK) Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 1 Registered provider: Happy Group (UK) 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

This home is owned by a private provider and is registered to care for up to three children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably experienced.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2024

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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: 1236625 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2024 Full Good 04/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/05/2021 Full Good 18/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled at sensitively building positive relationships with children. Staff work with partners to seek to understand children’s histories and lived experiences. The team delivers nurturing, trauma-informed care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a good record of participating in education. One child has recently taken exams and is in the process of applying to college. Staff ensure they are aware of information in children’s personal education plans and education, health and care plans to support children to make progress. Staff are aspirational for children and celebrate achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health is improving because of better sleep and diet routines. They are supported to attend health appointments. Children are appropriately referred to specialist services, such as those for reducing substance misuse and child and adolescent mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted with about their daily care arrangements and their plans. They are encouraged and supported to try new interests, to continue with hobbies and to choose activities. Staff undertake individual direct work that encourages children to share their preferences, views and wishes. There has been effective work with children regarding their identity, heritage and meeting their cultural needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to and act on children’s views. One social worker said that staff had advocated effectively with school leaders on behalf of a child. This resulted in the child returning to school. One child said he would give the home staff ‘10 out of 10 because they listen and follow things up’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved on from the home in a planned way. Planning meetings included the child’s views and wishes. There was effective communication between the placing local authority, the new placement and home staff to support the child to settle in their new home.

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

Staff work well with each child’s team around the child to know and understand children’s risks, behaviours and vulnerabilities. There are detailed risk assessments and behaviour management plans in place for each child. They are reviewed and updated if there is a new incident and/or new information. Children’s views about what works well and what does not help their behaviour and inform their plans.

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

Staff have training in the use of de-escalation techniques and physical restraints. There have been a small number of physical restraints since the last inspection. They are short interventions used to prevent harm to a child or member of staff. Records evidence that Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 4 children’s views are sought, that each intervention has met the criteria and that staff have had debriefs to consider whether anything could have been done differently. Incidents have management oversight.

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

There have been a small number of missing-from-home incidents and unauthorised absences for some children. Each child has a missing-from-home protocol with essential information to reduce the risk of missing from home and the risks to the child during a missing-from-home episode. Staff are proactive at searching for and recovering children. They report to the police and relevant agencies in a timely way. They ensure children’s safety on their return to the home, and children are supported to settle.

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

Work is undertaken to prevent further missing-from-home episodes. Staff received positive feedback from the police and the placing authority following tenacious work to influence a child not to go to an address of concern.

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

Most children experience reduced risks, such as reduced missing-from-home episodes, criminal exploitation and substance misuse. One child initially responded to consistent staff support and guidance. There was a history of significant risks associated with criminal exploitation. The managers worked closely with the local police criminal exploitation team. There were several multi-disciplinary safeguarding meetings held to assess and manage risks. However, due to external risks and influences, risks for the child increased. Following an incident in the home, a decision was made for the child to move from the home.

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

Managers did undertake reflection with staff in team meetings. Managers said they were able to share helpful information to support the child’s care in future placements. However, there was no robust lessons-learned exercise commenting on the effectiveness of the strategies used. This was a missed opportunity for staff and other agencies to learn from this child’s experiences.

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

Recruitment records were sampled to check if staff had been recruited in line with safeguarding policies and procedures. Records reviewed for one member of staff had conflicting information in the dates in the employment history and the dates in a reference verification. This is being investigated by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the previous inspection, there has been a stable management and staff team. The registered manager has prioritised recruitment, developing and consolidating staff skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have relevant qualifications or are undertaking the relevant qualifying courses. Staff have completed mandatory training and training to meet the needs of the children they are caring for. This includes training regarding the risks associated with criminal exploitation, children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and trauma- informed parenting. Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 5 There are effective, proactive partnerships in place to assess and monitor children’s needs and risks. Children’s social workers receive good-quality, detailed weekly reports. Social workers said that reports and communication are generally relevant and helpful. This demonstrates staff know and understand each child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team, including the safeguarding manager and the independent visitor, monitors and reports on the quality of care in the home. Managers respond to recommendations from this monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said they feel supported by managers and colleagues. They receive regular supervision, and managers are visible and accessible daily. Team meetings are used for reflection regarding children’s needs and behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Unfortunately, supervision records requested for one member of staff were not available. In addition, team meeting records do not always capture child-centred discussions and evaluation of staff practice. This means changes implemented following the previous inspection to improve the impact of the monitoring of quality of care in the home are not yet fully embedded. Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff having supervision records available to them. Leaders, managers and staff should use learning from children’s experiences, such as an unplanned ending of a placement, to inform staff practice and development. 30 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the 30 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 7 individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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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: 1236625 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Happy Group (UK) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Walk House, 99 Princess Road East, Leicester, Leicestershire LE1 7LF

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1236625 9 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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