Children's Home run by Storyy Homes Limited in Wokingham

Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 1 Registered provider: Storyy Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection for this home. The home registered in March 2024. The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 2

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improvement to be good

Since the home opened, four children have moved in. Some children’s moves were well planned, however, some children moved in on a ‘trial’ basis, without a local authority care plan. This created a high degree of uncertainty for these children and those who already lived in the home. It was difficult for children to settle into the home as it was not clear how long they would be living there, due to the lack of appropriate planning meetings being held.

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improvement to be good

Children have moved into the home in quick succession and there was a lack of consideration of the staff’s capacity, skills and experience to meet the needs of all children. This compromised stability for all children, as little or no consideration was given to how this newly formed group would affect each of them. The provider managed the difficult dynamics between children by serving immediate notice on two children’s placements, which meant they had to leave the home in an unplanned way.

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improvement to be good

There have been challenges with staff sufficiency in the home. Several staff left soon after the home opened. Children have not always been looked after by a consistent and stable team, due to the use of agency staff.

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improvement to be good

Important conversations with children do not always take place and are not always recorded in response to incidents of concern. This means that there have been missed opportunities to reflect with children in a timeframe for discussions that would have been more meaningful and helpful for them.

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improvement to be good

The home’s statement of purpose has not always been considered when offers of placements have been made. For example, one child was placed despite being outside the home’s stated age group.

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improvement to be good

Some children have experienced bullying in the home. Staff have not been able to suitably address this. Low staffing levels and the inexperience of staff meant that staff could not effectively manage children’s behaviours. Children raised concerns about bullying and feeling scared.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a variety of activities, for example, pamper days, going to the cinema, and trips to a theme park and restaurants. They are encouraged by staff to try out different activities and form connections within the local community. One child attends a local Scout group, which helps to enhance their social connections. Another child has started a new job, cultivating a good work ethos and increasing their self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

One child is attending full-time education and staff have been efficient in communicating with teaching staff. When concerns have been raised by the school, prompt action has Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 3 been taken by staff to support children to cope with school lessons and boundaries. Staff have successfully supported another child to achieve their goal of finding a job.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always manage some children’s challenging behaviours effectively. This has had a detrimental impact on children’s feelings of safety and their overall self-esteem. For example, during a late evening incident, one child felt scared to go to their room, requiring support from staff to do so. Another child was verbally insulted and made fun of in relation to their image and neurodiversity. However, the home is more settled now and children are feeling secure and safe in their home environment.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not regularly reviewed and therefore do not meet their changing needs. For example, door alarms are used on the two children’s bedrooms, when their behaviours do not warrant the use of door alarms. The unnecessary use of this equipment detracts from the otherwise homely environment for children and is restrictive.

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improvement to be good

The two children living in the home do not present risks of going missing and there have not been any episodes of them going missing. However, there have been times when children have left the home without permission. Staff have acted appropriately and have successfully supported children safely back to the home.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are used on occasion to promote positive behaviour and children are rewarded for positive behaviour. For example, one child met their goals of applying for jobs and managing routines and has been rewarded with trips to a nail bar. The other child has received financial rewards for handing devices in before bedtime.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes for staff are effective, with all necessary checks completed. Managers ensure that checks on agency staff are subject to the same level of scrutiny as those for permanent staff.

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

The registered manager knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses and has an action plan in place to address weaknesses in areas such as staff development, staff competency, experience and staff shortages.

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

The staff shortages have meant that the registered manager has had to work some shifts. This has compromised some of the management oversight of the home. This, in addition to the staffing challenges, has resulted in consistencies of the care offered to children.

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

Leaders have recognised that the registered manager needs appropriate support to provide effective oversight and manage the home well. An interim plan of support is in place. Leaders have appointed a very experienced assistant manager, who has Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 4 experience in leadership roles in residential settings. There is a plan for them to move into an operational role in the company to provide further support and development to the manager and staff. However, in the interim, they will be supporting with the development of staff and working with the manager to address the workforce plan and its identified actions.

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

Staff receive good induction training to meet the needs of children. However, there was one occasion when a new member of staff was lone working and did not have the necessary training to meet the health needs of children. Although a robust contingency plan was in place, this was not appropriate to meet the care needs of children.

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

Staff supervisions and team meetings take place. However, there have been times when identified actions for staff from these meetings were not completed in a timely manner or followed through or had appropriate oversight. For example, incident reports and records of important conversations with children have not been written in timely manner, meaning that children’s case records have not always been up to date.

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

Following two unplanned placement endings, leaders and managers have taken the decision to not admit more children to the home until they have sufficient experienced staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— 10 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 6 the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(e)(i)(iii)(f))

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care; (Regulation 6 (ii)(vii) (viii) (3)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) 10 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must comply with requests by the child’s placing authority to—

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Requirement Due date

provide the placing authority with information relating to the child; and 10 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 7 provide a suitable representative to attend any meeting the placing authority may hold about the child. (Regulation 17 (1) (2) (3)(a)(b) (4))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this requires the registered person to ensure that children have a copy of children’s local authority care plans. 10 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the use of door alarms to assess whether they are necessary and proportionate for the individual needs of the children. 10 October 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

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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 10 October 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 8 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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;

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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)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand what they must do to prevent bullying of children by other children or adults. Staff should be able to recognise and address different types of abuse such as peer abuse, cyber-bullying and bullying in day-to-day relationships in the home. The registered person should ensure that procedures for dealing with allegations of bullying are in place and that staff have the skills required to intervene, protect and address bullying behaviours effectively. (See regulation 34(3) on the policy for the prevention of bullying.) (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 39, paragraph 8.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff are competent and have the capacity to build constructive, warm relationships with children that actively promote positive behaviour and provide the foundations for managing any negative behaviour. Staff

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Recommendations

should have the skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. Where necessary, they should manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogue and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. In particular, ensure that constructive dialogue takes place after incidents and that this is clearly captured in records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 39, paragraph 8.14) 

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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: 2773966 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Storyy Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Storyy Holdings, 4 Oakmede Place, Binfield, Bracknell RG42 4JF

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Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2773966 10 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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