Children's Home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 1 Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home was registered in July 2017 to care for four children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2023

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 outstanding

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 29 November 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2023 Full Outstanding 31/01/2023 Full Good 02/03/2022 Full Good 29/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, no new children have moved into the home, and one child has left the home in an unplanned way. The child had an unauthorised absence from the home, and the child’s placing authority made the decision to return the child to their parents’ care. This was in line with the child’s wishes but meant that the home was unable to support them with the move back home. The manager has sought reassurances from the placing authority, and the child is happy and well. There are currently three children living in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy very positive relationships with the staff who care for them. The home has a family feel, and positive interactions between staff and children are clear to see. Children have excellent relationships with the manager and were observed seeking hugs from her and calling her affectionate nicknames. Children said that they were happy living in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s needs and personality, and they use this to communicate with them. One child has additional needs and has a keen interest in particular toys. Staff have taken time to learn about the toys, which helps them to engage with the child and the child to feel accepted.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make very good progress from their starting points. One young person is approaching adulthood and has been very well supported to prepare for independence. The manager undertook extensive planning before the child completed a trial period in a training flat. Because of the planning and support provided, the young person had a very successful stay and is now looking forward to moving into their own flat later in the year.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are met. Staff completed additional training to help them support one child through a bereavement, and the home sourced and funded specialist counselling that was suitable for the child’s additional needs. This helped the child work through their grief, and they are now able to share their feelings with staff, which allows them to provide sensitive support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint, and when they do, they are listened to. When a complaint was received from a child, it was thoroughly investigated, and poor staff practice was quickly addressed. This helps children to feel valued and to be confident that action will be taken when they raise concerns.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. Children are involved in choosing the decor of their bedrooms, and they also contribute to communal areas of the home. One child who likes art is currently helping to design and paint a mural on the landing. This participation helps children to feel a sense of belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 4

p.3

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

The manager works closely with one child’s placing authority and the police to continually assess the level of risk and how to manage it to keep the child safe. The child is currently working through a plan that is helping to balance their risks with their need for independence.

p.4

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

Staff manage accidents well. They act quickly to seek medical assistance and support the child appropriately. When one child suffered an injury to their arm, staff supported them at the hospital and ensured that all follow-up care was provided. Managers also took action to mitigate the risk of this happening again.

p.4

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

Staff know what action to take when children go missing from home, and they react quickly to search for the child and alert relevant professionals. However, on one occasion, staff did not follow a child’s plans correctly, which led to the child having the opportunity to go missing from the home. The shortfalls in practice were quickly identified by the manager, who took robust action to investigate and take action.

p.4

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

Staff usually manage medication well, and clear plans are in place, including when children self-administer their medication. On one occasion, staff failed to complete stock checks of medication correctly, which led to discrepancies between the records and the medication being stored in the home. The error was quickly identified by the manager, who investigated and ensured that all staff completed additional training. No children came to harm and there have been no further errors.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff respect the leadership that the manager provides and value the support that she offers them. This positive relationship between the staff and manager has resulted in a very happy team of staff who enjoy working at the home. The family feel to the home, high expectations and the consistently good-quality care for children stem from excellent leadership.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s plans are detailed and clear. Children’s records are written to the child and show a very good overview of the child’s life while living in the home. Staff are skilled at writing in a sensitive, empathic way that celebrates the positives but does not shy away from the challenges. This approach helps children to understand their childhood and the sensitive care that they receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of children’s needs, and she is ambitious for the children in her care. She seeks out specialist services, and the provider shows commitment by funding services that cannot be provided by the children’s placing authorities. One child struggles to engage socially with peers but loves computer games. The manager researched alternatives to traditional youth clubs and got agreement for an online, gaming-based activity that the child really enjoys. This creative thinking is Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 5 aspirational and demonstrates the manager’s commitment to meeting children’s individual needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that staff receive training to meet children’s individual needs and sources specialist training where needed. One child previously needed to be restrained regularly; however, all staff have completed additional training around conflict management. The incidents of restraint have significantly reduced, and the child has not been restrained for over a year. The trainer involved complimented staff on their engagement in the training and how the changes made to their practice have had a positive impact on the child’s behaviour.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Management oversight is rigorous, and any issues are promptly identified and acted on. This helps to maintain high standards for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 6

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: 1257740 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1257740 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.

p.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8