Children's home run by Homes for Support

Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support 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 operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to six children who may be experiencing emotional and/or social issues and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2020, and the manager registered in July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, five 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2024 Full Good 26/07/2022 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a warm and welcoming environment. Staff help the children to personalise their bedrooms, including with pictures and photos.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child lives in an annex to the main house, where he is able to experience some level of independent living. Two children also have access to their own kitchen. This helps to prepare them for real-life experiences such as planning, buying food and cooking their own meals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to explore their favourite hobbies and interests. For example, one child is supported with their hobby of playing chess. This is developing skills for them and is helping them to increase their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their families and people who are close to them. The staff maintain regular communication with parents and carers and keep them updated about children’s progress. This helps children to maintain their identity and continue to see people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s attendance and engagement in education are variable. Some children regularly attend school or another education provision. They are learning and making good progress, considering their starting points. One child’s social worker said that this is the first time their child has maintained 100% attendance for a full academic year. However, when children are not attending education regularly and making good academic progress, there is not always planned informal education or an activity taking place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children say that they have good relationships with staff and key workers. They say that the manager is helpful and supportive, and they would go to the manager if they were unhappy or wished to make a complaint. This demonstrates that children feel valued and listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not always receive relevant plans from children’s local authorities. This compromises staff’s ability to consistently plan children’s care well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

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

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not go missing from home. This is considerable progress for one child who experienced missing-from-home incidents before moving into the home. Children have bespoke missing-from-home plans, and staff are aware of the procedures to follow if children go missing from home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 4 Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting to work at the home. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been an increase in the use of physical intervention. However, it is clear this is only used as a last resort to safeguard children. The frequency of physical intervention decreases as the staff get to know children and develop their individual crisis management plans. The plans help staff to meet the children’s needs without the need for physical intervention.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Physical intervention records lack sufficient detail about incidents. This compromises leaders and managers’ oversight of staff practice and their ability to identify if the use of the measure was necessary and effective.

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good

The home is led and managed by an ambitious and knowledgeable management team. It demonstrates a clear understanding of therapeutic approaches when supporting children with complex needs and ensures that staff implement these in their practice.

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good

Staff attend regular training that helps them to better understand the children’s needs. This helps staff to develop their skills to ensure that they implement good practice and meet children’s needs. Training is reviewed by leaders and managers regularly to ensure that it meets the changing needs of the staff and children.

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good

Partnership working with relevant professionals is a key strength of the manager and staff team. Feedback from professionals is positive. One social worker said, ‘The manager’s communication is excellent.’ One independent reviewing officer reported that their child is making really good progress from their starting point.

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good

Staff receive good-quality supervision from managers. However, supervision is not undertaken in line with the frequency outlined in the statement of purpose and workforce development plan. Staff have regular appraisals; however, appraisals do not always consider the views of professionals or children on individual staff’s practice.

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good

The manager completes a quality of care review every six months. However, this lacks analysis and the voice of the children. This is a missed opportunity to showcase the positive work and feedback gained.

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good

The statement of purpose does not include accurate information relating to the age range of children the home cares for and the arrangements for supporting children’s education. Therefore, the statement of purpose does not contain all the relevant information in line with the Children’s Homes Regulations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person 25 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 6 or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, all incidents of restraint must be recorded with full information to enable a thorough review and analysis to be undertaken by leaders and managers.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that each child’s statutory plans are available for staff to follow and, when they are not available, ensure that there is sufficient challenge to the placing authority. 25 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that supervisions are held in line with the 25 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 7 frequency outlined in the statement of purpose and workforce development plan.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review is evaluative and contains feedback from wider stakeholders. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose complies with Regulation 16 and Schedule 1, and that this document is updated to show when new staff join the team. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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: 2553274 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northern House, 3 Kennerleys Lane, Wilmslow SK9 5EQ

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Inspector

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2553274 9 and inspects to 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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