Children's Home run by Central and Southern Homes Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 1 Registered provider: Central & Southern Homes Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager was registered with Ofsted in January 2024, having worked in the home since July 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. Three children have lived in the home since the previous inspection and one child moved in during May 2024.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/11/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel secure in their home and continue to have positive and trusting relationships with the staff and manager. They are encouraged to reach their potential in all aspects of their lives. The home has an ethos of being open and honest, which children positively engage with.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported well with their emotional and social needs. Exploring interests and keeping all the children active is central to the home’s approach to help them to develop and be healthy. Examples include going to the beach, fishing, football, camping, and an exciting summer holiday abroad all together.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational needs are greatly prioritised, and every available opportunity is explored to enable children to go to school. The manager advocates for children when difficulties arise and the right help is not in place. Some children attend school or access education when they have not done so for a long time.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children have individual time with staff, but children also benefit from the companionship of other children in the home and learn how to make positive peer relationships. The manager’s decision for a new child to move in was carefully considered. All the children’s differing needs, and how they could be met alongside each other’s, were taken into account. The children themselves were consulted about the plan.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s long-term plans are clear, and they are helped to become independent and develop resilience. Children are encouraged to share their wishes and feelings to help inform care planning, although the team recognises there is more to be done to embed this approach. The manager is appropriately exploring training opportunities for staff to use specific tools to ensure that children’s voices are championed. Children are supported with plans for moving into independent living. However, for one child, who is due to move imminently, planning around practicalities and arrangements are being clarified so that he has the full information and is adequately prepared.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have positive time with their family and maintain links with their community, particularly when children live far from their home areas. Family members, friends and partners are welcomed into the home. Parents receive regular updates and are extremely positive about the support and care children receive. Staff communicate well with social workers and ensure that they receive the relevant information.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care for children using positive reinforcement with a trauma-informed approach in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. Some financial consequences given to children have not been effective and do not align with this approach. Staff do work to Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 4 address the underlying reasons for children communicating their feelings through negative behaviours, which is more in line with the home’s trauma-informed approach.

p.3

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

Children feel safe and well cared for, and this is evident in their interactions with the staff. One child, who has had many care experiences, said, ‘I wish I had moved here sooner’ and talked about the difference that staff have made in helping him make safer choices.

p.4

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

Risks to children are understood and managed well by staff. Staff encourage children to talk through their emotions and feelings, particularly when they are showing signs of worry or distress. The number of incidents and physical interventions has significantly reduced since the last inspection, as children feel safer and staff understand how best to respond to their needs. If children self-harm, staff respond appropriately.

p.4

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

Physical intervention is used minimally and as a last resort. However, written recording is not always clear enough to demonstrate this and show why staff needed to take this action. While children’s care and boundaries set are largely consistent, plans for children do not always contain sufficient detail. Plans are mostly written in a non-judgemental and child-focused way, but are not always up to date to reflect current practice and circumstances. Therefore, there is a potential for lack of clarity, particularly for new staff, in how to respond to children in particular circumstances.

p.4

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

Children have not gone missing aside from one exceptional situation, when staff responded appropriately. Effective arrangements are in place to support children if they need space so that they do not go missing.

p.4

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

Children’s health needs are well managed and relevant referrals are made to specialist child mental health services. Medication is safely stored and appropriately monitored.

p.4

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

Allegations are carefully considered and investigated, resulting in clear outcomes and plans.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an excellent role model who has an in-depth understanding of the children’s needs. The manager knows the children and their families well and speaks about the progress children have made with enthusiasm. Staff, in turn, demonstrate care and commitment to children and provide individualised care, nurturing their hobbies and interests.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is regular and staff find it beneficial. Staff feel well supported by their supervisors and manager. Some supervisions lack reflection, and it is not always clear whether issues raised within supervision have been dealt with. Additionally, some incident records and plans do not have sufficient management oversight to inform future learning and clear guidance for staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 5 The manager has a solid understanding of the home’s strengths and can evidence the progress that all four children have made. Areas for development are also well understood. This includes the need for improved maintenance of the home, despite areas of the home, such as the new kitchen, being homely. In particular, some children’s bedrooms have broken furniture and holes in the walls, including in the corridor walls outside. The damage is evident and a constant reminder to children of times when they

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff enjoy working in the home and have ambition for children. Staff have positive professional relationships and describe a supportive and cohesive team. Team meetings are regular and well attended, with records reflecting open conversations where important issues are discussed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(h)

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should:

p.6

Requirement Due date

 Review the use of consequences so that they align with the home’s ethos and statement of purpose.  Ensure that records, including physical intervention, are sufficiently detailed and contain robust management oversight so that this information is used to inform up-to- date children’s plans and practice learning.  Ensure that any issues raised in supervision are followed up.  Ensure that the home is sufficiently maintained and that damage to the home, including holes in the children’s bedroom walls and broken furniture, is fixed without any delay. 16 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 7

p.6

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: 2611536 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Central & Southern Homes Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pitmaston House, Malvern Road, Worcester WR2 4LL

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Dangerfield

p.8

Inspectors

Sarah Canto, Social Care Inspector Helen Cushnie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611536 9 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9