Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes 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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced registered manager.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home. One child moved into the home in November 2023 and another child moved to the home in March 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living at this home. The manager and staff have created a friendly and homely atmosphere. There are strong and positive relationships between children and staff. The staff and manager speak very highly of the children. One child said: ‘I like all of the staff; they are all the best.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is an important focus for staff. Children attend school on a full-time basis. Staff have supported children to overcome barriers to education. As a result, the children’s attendance has increased, and they have made good progress. Children are also supported to learn age-appropriate independence skills. This includes shopping, helping with house chores and using public transport. As a result, children are helped to prepare for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, including those who communicate non-verbally, are supported to actively take part in decisions that affect their day-to-day living arrangements. They are helped to use the most appropriate communication methods to make their views, wishes and feelings known. This means that children are fully involved in the decisions made about their lives. They grow in confidence and have improved their self-esteem as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for the children. Children are supported to make progress in all areas of their lives. This has included one child no longer having to use a self-soother, a child successfully learning how to use the toilet and children being supported to develop skills to enable them to regulate and manage their emotions and feelings. One professional said of one child, ‘They have transformed since being at the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy a wide range of varied activities, for example using a trampoline, animal petting, visits to theme parks and eateries. Children also have a pet cat, Winston, who they are supported to care for. This supports children’s emotional development and provides them with an increased sense of responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that when children move to the home, that these moves are well planned. This involves working closely with families, social workers and other external professionals. Children’s involvement is specific to their individual needs and understanding. Therefore, children are supported throughout this period of change.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 4 Staff understand risks that affect children. Assessments of risk are clear and specific to each child. Children are helped to understand the importance of online safety. Staff also help children to develop safe and appropriate relationships with friends and peers.

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

The staff team is resilient. They pride themselves on overcoming challenges and ensuring that placements do not break down. This is particularly important for children who have experienced placement breakdowns before coming to the home. As a result, children understand that staff support them through their challenges and enable them to flourish.

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

When there are safeguarding concerns, there is a swift and effective response from managers and staff. Staff at all levels take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously, working together to ensure that safeguarding responses are thorough. This creates a culture where safeguarding children is central to staff’s practice.

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

Staff rarely use physical restraint to manage children’s behaviour. Children learn how to manage their emotions and to regulate their behaviours. Staff understand that each child is different and requires an individual approach. This has led to a reduction in the frequency and severity of incidents.

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

Incidents of children going missing from care are rare. Staff respond quickly and appropriately to any such incidents. There is a clear learning culture in the team. They adapt their practices and risk assessments to further reduce the risk of children going missing.

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

Children are regularly praised and rewarded for good behaviour. Staff implement clear and consistent behavioural boundaries, meaning children are helped to understand unacceptable behaviours. The children are offered positive rewards rather than negative consequences. This helps to reinforce good outcomes for the positive behaviour the manager and staff are trying to encourage children to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads staff in an aspirational, warm and caring manner. She seeks to work alongside the staff using an approach of high nurture but also providing high challenge to drive up standards. Staff receive detailed handovers when shifts change and regular team meetings to support them to understand children’s current needs and areas of focus, ensuring that the staff remain consistent in their approach to supporting children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff skills and knowledge are of a good standard. Training is tailored to meet the individual complex needs of children. This results in a competent workforce that delivers a good quality of care. However, there needs to be more emphasis on reflective practice within staff supervision. This would further support staff to learn and develop within their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 5 The manager leads from the front and staff describe her as ‘amazing’. Morale is excellent. Staff feel cared for, supported, listened to and valued. As a result, staff turnover is very low.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager undertakes daily observation of care practice being undertaken by staff. This assures her that the care practice of staff meets the children’s needs. There are good and effective quality assurance and monitoring systems in place to ensure that records are accurate and complete. However, despite the manager escalating her requests to the local authority for one child’s plans and assessment, she has experienced significant delay in receiving these important documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses the monthly independent visitor’s reports and quality-of-care reports to regularly assess the difference the service is making for children. As a result, she has a very clear understanding of how to support children to make continued progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has actioned the recommendation from the last inspection. There is one recommendation as a result of this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. ‘(‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, 13.2)’

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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: 2695997 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 20-21, Pullman Business Court, Mallard Way, Pride Park, Derby DE24 8GX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspectors

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Linda Mason, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2695997 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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