Children's home run by Core Children Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732045 1 Registered provider: Core Children 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 operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in October 2023, and the first child moved into the home the same month. A suitably experienced and qualified manager is in post.

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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 outstanding

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2732045 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. This is the only child to have lived in the home since it was registered. The child has developed trusted relationships with staff, a sense of belonging and feels safe. Staff have a clear understanding of the child’s needs and how best to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child had the opportunity to view the home and meet the staff before moving in. The staff gave a warm welcome, and this helped the child to settle in. The child was able to select their own bedroom, and this was personalised to their taste on arrival.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child did not have a school when they came to live at the home. Staff supported them with home learning and created an in-house timetable to maintain structure and promote learning. Support to manage the child’s feelings of anxiety and uncertainty around returning to education was good, with lots of conversations and reassurances. The manager kept a detailed chronology of all correspondence regarding the child’s time out of education. This supported the manager to effectively challenge the local authority over the delays in finalising the chosen school placement and providing a home tutor. The child has been back in full-time education since April 2024 and is making substantial progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends routine medical appointments, and the manager has advocated for specialist services to support the child’s emotional health. Staff promote learning around exercise and a balanced diet, recognising the child’s age and increasing independence. This supports the child to make positive choices, and the child understands how to keep themselves healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All staff receive training in the home’s therapeutic model before they start to care for the child. They understand how to implement the model and how to use this to build relationships and manage conflicts so that situations do not escalate between the child and staff. The child in the home responds well to this consistent approach, and incidents in the home are reducing over time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Staff work creatively to support time with family that is child centred and fun. Consideration is given to location when meeting up with family is planned. For example, the child met their brother at a theme park and enjoyed the day they shared together.

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

The child receives good support to learn about how to stay safe online. Well-trained staff have important conversations with the child to educate and inform them about social media and online risks. Internet filters are in installed at the home so that internet use can be managed effectively and the child safeguarded. Staff are not risk Inspection report for children’s home: 2732045 3 adverse, and they have prepared for when the child receives a phone, so they can mitigate risk as much as possible and educate the child to keep themselves safe online.

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

Incidents of physical intervention are rare, with only one incident since the child moved into the home. The recording of the incident was clear and detailed, with managerial oversight and discussions with staff and the child within one day of the incident. The restraint was used as a last resort after several attempts to ease the situation had been unsuccessful. The hold was proportionate to the situation.

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

The manager addresses allegations in the home robustly. She follows safeguarding procedures. Moreover, the manager keeps the child informed so that they know what is happening and the next steps. This ensures that the child knows that their concerns and worries are taken seriously.

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

Positive behaviour is rewarded, and consistent boundaries are supporting the reduction of incidents in the home. When incidents occur, staff respond proportionately and consider the reasons behind the behaviour. They offer support and nurture and have found incidents of the same nature do not then reoccur.

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

Staff are safely recruited. The manager ensures that all safer recruitment checks are completed before new members of staff start working in the home. The home has a committed and stable team of staff who understand the ethos of the home and strive to support the child’s progress and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A confident and experienced manager leads the home. She has created a culture within the staff team of high expectations for the child. She is ambitious for children and considers ways to promote positive experiences. The introduction of a pet cat into the home has supported the child to feel a sense of belonging, and it has become a significant part of her life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. There is strong partnership working between the manager and senior leaders. Ongoing reflection of the child’s progress since the home opened in October 2023 has informed future planning for the home’s development. This ensures that the quality and standard of care continue to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has formed strong networks with professionals and has worked in partnership to provide bespoke support to the child. One professional commented, ‘Working with the home is a breath of fresh air; staff are knowledgeable, communication is excellent and the home advocates for [name of child]’. Another professional commented, ‘The home is calm and relaxed and is one of the best homes I have worked with. Staff understand the child and look beyond the behaviours to offer support.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2732045 4 When the manager feels that agencies are not acting in a timely manner, she uses professional challenge to advocate for the child and affect positive change. Staff feel valued; they are supported by leaders who are confident and enthusiastic about the child in the home and who are invested in their development. Staff understand the nurturing ethos of the home and therapeutic approach. Supervision is

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

frequent, with clear objectives. Training is child specific and timely. Leaders consider training needs in advance by considering the age and stage of the child’s development. The approach to staff development is proactive and promotes positivity and confidence for staff members to manage and support the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Effective monitoring systems are implemented by the manager. This provides excellent oversight of all aspects of staff development, the child’s needs and the home environment. Leaders perform full audits at six-month intervals and use feedback from monthly external monitoring to learn and inform future practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s in-house plans consider the local authority’s care plan. The staff team understands the support needs of the child and what the short- and long-term goals are. When the manager identifies the child needs additional support, she advocates to ensure that this is provided in a timely manner. Care plans are under continual review, and the child has oversight of their plans and is encouraged to contribute. Care plans reflect the current needs of the child, which supports their continued progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The physical environment of the home is maintained to a high standard. The home is welcoming and comfortable. When there is a need to make a change to the home to support the well-being of children, this is done promptly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732045 5

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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: 2732045 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Glades, Festival Way, Festival Park, Stoke-On- Trent, Staffordshire ST1 5SQ

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Inspector

Joanne Hawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732045 7 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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