Children's home run by True Care Northwest Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2722666 1 Registered provider: True Care NW Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. They spoke with the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 21 November 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2722666 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2722666 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is happy and settled in the home. They say that they like living in the home and enjoy spending time with staff. Staff provide a high standard of care, and the child is making progress in all areas of their life.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child with their education. The child did not attend school for some time before living in the home and the manager worked tirelessly to find an appropriate education provision for them to attend. The child now routinely attends school and is thriving. Staff read with the child every day and encourage learning inside and outside of school.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s health needs and support them to attend health appointments. Staff provide the child with healthy meals that the child helps to plan. Since living in the home, the child’s physical health has visibly improved.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from access to a wide variety of new opportunities and fulfilling activities. Their interests are nurtured, and they are also encouraged to try new things. The child’s choices are acted on, for example attending youth clubs, going on walks and visits to the cinema. The child enjoys regular day trips out and holidays. This supports the child’s social development and helps to improve their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to spend time with people who are important to them. An important person to the child said that the staff go ‘above and beyond’ to make sure the child maintains a relationship with them. This has helped the child to feel valued and settled.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with a loving and nurturing home. The child’s bedroom is well furnished and personalised. The child has a strong sense of belonging in the home. Communal areas are comfortable and homely; however, some areas need to be repaired and redecorated. This is something the manager had identified before the inspection and has plans to rectify.

p.3

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

The child says that they feel safe, and staff know how to keep them safe. The child’s risks and vulnerabilities are known and understood. Staff know how to respond to the child should risks arise.

p.3

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

Staff are trained in a therapeutic model that they use in their day-to-day practice for the benefit of the child. This is evident in the positive relationships between the child and the staff. There are clear boundaries and routines in place at the home, with the focus on rewarding the child for positive behaviours. This provides the child with stability and is something they respond to well. The child has been helped to regulate and understand Inspection report for children’s home: 2722666 4 their emotions. Consequently, there have not been any incidents since the last inspection of staff needing to hold the child to keep them safe. There have been no incidents of the child going missing from home.

p.3

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

Staff and the child are supported by a therapeutic team. The child receives individual weekly input from a psychologist, which they engage well with. Psychologists provide help and advice to staff as and when needed, as well as attending monthly team meetings. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and to develop new ways of working to make sure the child’s current and emerging needs are met.

p.4

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

The child is encouraged and supported to take age-appropriate risks to help them develop their independence skills and confidence.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed, knowledgeable and caring. He promotes a positive culture in the home and is highly regarded by the staff team. One staff member described him as ‘brilliant’ and someone who is approachable, accessible and fully supportive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are committed, enthusiastic and proud to work in the home. They demonstrate resilience and stickability and talk about the child with immense warmth and pride. The team is stable and staff turnover is low. Staff work positively and proactively together, and with other agencies, to provide the child with consistently high levels of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular training opportunities to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Staff value the training provided, which includes specific topics that are relevant to the child in their care. There is a culture of learning and development in the home and a desire to improve practice for the benefit of the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and staff supervision sessions are effective. They focus on the child’s well-being and progress and provide opportunities to reflect on practice. However, supervision sessions do not always take place as frequently as identified in the home’s workforce development plan.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager regularly monitors the quality of care provided to the child. He has systems in place to help track patterns and progress. This enables him to understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. His thorough oversight of the home means that ongoing improvements are made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722666 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that supervision is carried out in line with the home’s workforce development plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that all areas of the home are well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.5

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: 2722666 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: True Care NW Limited

p.6

Inspector

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2722666 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7