Children's Home run by Warwickshire County Council in Warwickshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2785006 1 Registered provider: Warwickshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a local authority and opened in May 2024. The home offers care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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

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: 2785006 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home was registered, one child has moved in and no children have moved out. At the time of inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When a child comes to live at the home, there is effective planning before they move in to ensure that the home is suitable for their needs. The child’s arrival at the home was well planned and as a result they were welcomed sensitively and experienced a positive move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented and homely. Staff are starting to personalise the home, for example, displaying photos of the child enjoying days out. This provides the child with a sense of belonging in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s lived experiences are well understood by staff and their plans are tailored to support their needs. There is joint working with external professionals to help the child to settle in the home when they are finding this difficult. This practice means that the child is making some progress when considering their starting point.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are addressed and they are registered with statutory services. The manager has identified additional support for the child, such as speech and language therapy and support from a clinical psychologist. These support services promote the child’s social, emotional and behavioural development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is beginning to explore their local community with the support of staff and has expressed a wish to take part in local clubs. They have also visited a local animal park for a day out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When the child does not attend education, the manager collaborates with partner agencies to challenge decisions and identify alternative education that is better suited to their needs. The child is regularly consulted to seek their views. This approach increases the child’s engagement in education and promotes a positive attitude to learning.

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

Staff have received appropriate training to ensure that they can respond to incidents. They are clear on the processes in place to ensure that responses to any incidents are effective and promote the safety of the child.

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

The child’s risks are understood by staff and reflected in plans which are regularly reviewed. Staff are clear about the responses needed if the child goes missing or may be at risk of harm. Inspection report for children's home: 2785006 3 The home use monitoring and surveillance measures to ensure the child’s safety, the manager has carefully assessed this to ensure their use is proportionate. The child has also been consulted so that they understand the purpose of these measures.

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

The child is beginning to form trusting relationships with staff, who they can talk to about any concerns they have. Staff listen to the child and take any necessary action to ensure the child’s safety.

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

The child’s plans reflect their current needs and are reviewed regularly by the manager. As a result, the child receives help and support with smoking. The child has started to understand the risks and there has been a small reduction.

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

When the child achieves something or displays positive behaviour, they are praised, and positive rewards are offered no matter how small their achievements are.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the home’s registration, the registered manager has resigned. However, this has not had a detrimental impact on the quality of care provided for the child. There is a new manager in post who has appropriate qualifications and experience, however, they are not yet registered with Ofsted. They have a clear vision for the home, the care they would like to be given to children and the quality of care staff should deliver. The manager recognises that a consistent approach will promote the child’s safety and overall development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses tools to monitor the quality of care. They have also identified external monitoring tools which will further develop the home and the quality of care offered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff who are recruited to work at the home are vetted and there are clear processes in place to ensure that they are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision from the manager and senior staff. External support is also used to further staff development and, despite this being in its infancy, this is likely to enhance the care given to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is provided to staff to ensure they have the necessary knowledge and skills to care for children. This training is child specific. Suggestions regarding further training were made during the inspection and this was well received by leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders support the manager well. This was evident in their decision not to admit a second child to the home so that the child currently living at the home can settle. This demonstrates that the manager is child-focused and has appropriate autonomy in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2785006 4

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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: 2785006 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Warwickshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Warwickshire County Council, Shire Hall, Warwick CV34 4RL

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Inspector

Charlotte Love, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2785006 6 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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