Children's home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions 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 privately owned home provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in. The child currently living in the home spoke to the inspector and said they liked living there and also liked the staff.

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improvement to be good

The child receives care from a stable and committed staff team. This has helped the child to build trusting relationships with staff and develop a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Initial assessments of children’s needs are not robust and do not assess or evaluate how the children’s identified needs will be managed. This lack of planning does not ensure that only children whose needs can be met move into the home.

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improvement to be good

The child does not benefit from healthy daily routines, particularly around the use of mobile phones and sleeping patterns. The child is often awake late at night, meaning they struggle to get up in the morning. The child spends considerable time alone in their bedroom during the day. The staff try to promote engagement and offer a range of activities. However, the lack of structure and boundaries has hindered the child’s progress.

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improvement to be good

The child is enrolled at a local education provision. However, their educational progress is limited due to poor attendance and lack of engagement.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s health needs, and the child is registered with relevant health professionals. The child engages with a therapist to support their emotional development.

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improvement to be good

The child has been supported to develop independence skills, including budgeting, cooking, and cleaning. This helps to ensure that they have the necessary skills when preparing to move out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions are effective in supporting the child’s understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff also use this opportunity to gain the child’s wishes and views. The child recently asked for support in having contact with their siblings. The staff supported the child to discuss this request in the review of their care with the placing authority, and also helped to source an advocate. This helps to ensure that the child is listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to see family and friends. They have worked closely with the placing authority to support the child’s planned move back to family. The child’s mother said, ‘All the staff are amazing and are always willing to help.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 4

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improvement to be good

Risk management strategies are not consistent to safeguard the child. The child’s known risks and significant incidents are not assessed effectively as part of risk management plans. For example, the child has known risks around the use of a mobile phone. However, no strategies have been put in place to minimise the risks.

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improvement to be good

There have been a low number of safeguarding incidents. However, when a child made a disclosure to staff, effective action was not taken to keep the child safe. This does not promote the child’s safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand what to do if the child is missing from the home. The staff stay in contact with the child when they are seeing family and friends, and the child returns home within the agreed timeframes. Therefore, there have not been any missing-from- home incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff have completed safeguarding training and additional training in relation to the child’s risks and needs. The staff also understand whistle-blowing procedures.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management strategies have been effective. The staff use de-escalation skills to manage behaviours. There have been no incidents of physically holding the child, as staff understand how to support the child to manage their emotions. This promotes a positive relationship between the child and staff.

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

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. The manager is committed to improving the outcomes for the children in his care, and demonstrates a child-centred approach.

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

The home has a consistent team of staff, who feel supported by managers. Staff are either qualified or are currently working towards an appropriate qualification. Staff have completed all mandatory training. This helps them to understand their role in safeguarding and promoting the child’s welfare.

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

Staff receive regular supervision. However, supervision records do not evidence that staff reflect on their practice or discuss the needs of the child. This impacts the staff’s development, especially for staff who lack experience and are new to the role. This was a recommendation made at the previous inspection and has now been made a requirement.

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

Safe recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that only suitable people work with the child living in the home. However, there was a discrepancy in employment dates, which had not been identified by the manager. The manager took action to rectify this shortfall during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 5 The manager uses various monitoring and review tools. However, the monitoring and oversight of leaders and managers have not identified the shortfalls found during the inspection. This means that action has not always been taken to improve the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers and should ensure that all known risks to a child are identified in order to keep them safe from harm. Additionally, managers and staff should ensure that action is taken when a safeguarding concern is identified. 26 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that routines and boundaries are in place that support children to make progress and promote their welfare. 26 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 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; 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)) 26 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the child assigned to their care. 26 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. In particular, initial assessments should assess and evaluate how a child’s identified needs and risks will be managed. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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 Childrens Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Victoria Road East, Thornton Cleveleys FY5 5HT

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Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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