Children's home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 1 Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since June 2024. A new suitably qualified manager has been appointed. The manager has not yet submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy living at the home. The home is warm and spacious. There is a large back garden and games room, which the new manager plans to upgrade for the children. The home has photos of the children on the walls and feels like a family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are enabled to build trusting and secure relationships with staff. They feel able to approach staff and ask for help and support. Staff are nurturing and patient in their approach while still displaying clear and appropriate boundaries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the challenges in management changes, children have experienced stability. There has been a core group of staff who know the children well and who have been proactive in ensuring that their needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. One child, who was socially withdrawn, now has positive relationships with peers outside of the home. Staff are supporting this child to engage in activities outside of the home and to develop positive interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team recognises the value of children maintaining links with the people who are important to them. Staff work proactively with parents and professionals to ensure that children spend quality time with those who are important to them. This helps to promote and encourage positive relationships in the children’s lives.

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

Children feel safe. The manager and staff protect them and keep them safe from harm. There have been limited safeguarding concerns for both children. There have been no incidents of physical restraint.

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

Children can identify a trusted adult they can talk to. One child felt safe enough to discuss their past experiences with staff, which resulted in appropriate action being taken. This child is receiving support from specialist services and feels supported by the staff team.

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

There has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing from home. When there has been an incident, staff have followed procedures and reported to and liaised with the relevant agencies. However, there have been concerns for one child in respect of exploitation following a missing-from-care incident. Concerns relating to the incident were not reflected in the risk assessment and no return home interview with the child took place. Therefore, there was limited opportunity to reflect on the incident and consider lessons learned.

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

Children’s risk assessments are not always reflective of the risks identified for them. This means that the plans in place to reduce the risk of harm are not as effective. Information Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 4 in children’s plans requires updating to capture what is currently happening for the children.

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

There has been a reduction in incidents for one child. Staff know how to de-escalate situations. Staff intervene at an early stage to prevent further escalation of incidents.

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

The manager recruits new staff, using safer recruitment processes. The manager scrutinises pre-employment vetting checks to ensure that those employed at the home are not a risk to children.

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

The management and staff team have been through a turbulent time. There has not been a consistent manager in the home for several months. The new manager has been in post since July 2024. She has started to introduce some positive management monitoring systems and processes in the home. The responsible individual has acknowledged the pressures on leadership at the home and has devised an action plan moving forwards to support the home.

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

Due to the lack of stability in management, staff have not received regular and effective supervision. One member of staff did not receive supervision for seven weeks. Supervision is not recorded effectively, and reflective practice is not yet embedded.

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

The systems in place for monitoring the home have not been adequately utilised. Following incidents, there is a lack of appropriate management oversight. Incidents are not clearly recorded and debriefs with staff and children are not always evident on files.

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

The staff team is still relatively new and needs further development and upskilling. The new manager has a plan to develop and upskill the team. Part of the development of the staff team is to ensure that there is effective and consistent record-keeping.

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

Staff enjoy working at the home. They feel well supported and equipped to carry out their role. The team of staff work well together to support the children. They know the children well and put them at the forefront of their work.

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

The manager and staff team have effective links with local authorities and other professionals. Communication from the home is described as ‘good’. Staff work effectively with families, education professionals and external professionals with the aim of improving outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 5

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments for all children are up to date, accurate and reflect their current areas of risk. Risk assessments must be regularly reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 11 September 2024

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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

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; 11 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all staff training is up to date and that there is a stable workforce in place to meet the children’s needs. Additionally, this relates to ensuring that there are effective monitoring systems in place to improve the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that Ofsted is informed of serious incidents relating to children. 11 September 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person must ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 2688690 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Orchard Children Homes Limited, 2nd Floor, 118 Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent DE13 0UW

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Inspector

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 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 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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