Children's home run by Formations Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2668482 1 Registered provider: Formations Care Services 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 and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. Two children are currently living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led and managed by an acting manager who has applied to register as a dual registered manager for this home and a sister home located nearby.

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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: 12 September 2023

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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: 2668482 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 25/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2668482 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home and another child has moved in. In each case, effective planning and support helped children to successfully settle in their new living arrangements. One social worker commented that the transition to the home for one child had been ‘very thorough’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are receptive to the guidance of staff on health matters. This has a positive impact on the health choices that children make. For example, with support from staff, one child has increased their weight in a sensible way, and another has stopped vaping. Children’s good health is further promoted because they engage with health professionals and take the medication prescribed for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional and psychological health is supported through the therapeutic parenting employed at the home, and the specific key-working interventions of staff. As a result, children enjoy improved health and well-being during their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children arrive at the home with a mixed history of engagement in education. To address this, the manager works closely with educational and other professionals to help bridge the gap in children’s learning. One professional noted that the manager has listened to a child and ‘has been really good at advocating on their behalf for education’. Children are, therefore, able to feel confident to plan ahead to attend college and embark on training for their chosen careers.

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

Children are protected because staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities of the children and respond to any concerns swiftly. Children’s plans and risk assessments are comprehensive and give insight into their needs and risks and how these are to be managed. This ensures their safety and well-being both in and outside of the home and has resulted in a reduction in risk-taking behaviours.

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

When children go missing from the home, the manager and staff take effective action to ensure that they return safely, including actively searching for them in the community. Staff ensure that children are offered return home interviews, and discuss these incidents with children to better understand how to support them to make positive decisions and stay safe. As a result, missing from home incidents are reducing.

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

Exposure to serious risks such as child sexual exploitation is also minimised as far as possible through the vigilance of staff and effective liaison with the police and social workers. One professional said that there was ‘good evidence of professional curiosity’. This approach adds a further important element to the safeguarding culture in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2668482 4 Children live harmoniously with each other and the use of consequences and physical holds to manage behaviour is rarely required. Children get on well with and have respect for staff and each other. On the very rare occasions when an allegation or complaint is made against staff, the concerns are promptly addressed, and children are informed of the outcome.

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

Children are protected because new staff are appointed to the home only after rigorous checks are undertaken to demonstrate their suitability. Children are also safeguarded because all the required environmental health and safety checks are regularly reviewed for compliance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an experienced practitioner who was appointed in February 2024 and has applied for registration with Ofsted. Although new in post, she is making an impact on the progress and experience of children and ensures that the statement of purpose is met in all aspects of the operation of the home. One social worker commented that a child ‘has done remarkably well in the six weeks they have been here’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are well cared for by a dedicated and committed staff team that is focused on keeping children’s needs at the heart of all it does. Staff turnover is very low, and staff report being very well supported through reflective supervision, training and the modelling of good practice by the manager and more experienced members of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Career progression is a strength of the home, and all members of staff are suitably qualified or are embarked on achieving recognised qualifications for the sector. This reassures parents and professionals that children are looked after by individuals who are competent and well informed about the task of looking after vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from the close and productive working relationships between the manager, staff and other professionals, who commented positively on the ’excellent communication’ of the home. One professional commented that the manager is ‘very open and transparent’, and paid tribute to the way in which staff persevere with difficult situations and challenges.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring of how children are progressing, the impact of staff intervention and how the home is operating is ongoing, effective and takes several forms. For example, staff have an opportunity to contribute to this through team meetings and reflective practice and supervision, focusing on, as one member of staff described, ‘what went well, and what we can do better’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager also draws on the independent visitor’s reports, which provide a valuable insight into the running of the home. These reports highlight areas of success and confirm that children are safeguarded. When actions are raised to address any areas for development, the independent visitor noted that these are promptly responded to and ‘do not have to be repeated’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2668482 5 The manager, therefore, has a strong overview of how the home is performing and the difference it is making to children’s lives. However, the report, reflecting the six-monthly assessment of the home, does not always do justice to the good work that is being achieved. The content is sometimes repetitive, lengthy and not as strong on evaluation. It would also benefit from including what children, parents and stakeholders think about the home’s performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This shortfall has no impact on the safety, experience and progress of children, but would further enhance the culture of continuous improvement that already exists at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2668482 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care are 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. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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 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: 2668482 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Formations Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Formations Care Services, 2 St. Pauls Road, Shipley BD18 3EP

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Inspector

Stella Henderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2668482 8 regulates 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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