Children's home run by Formations Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2700358 1 Registered provider: Formations Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in October 2022 and is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. This is the only child who has lived in the home since it registered.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager.

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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: 2700358 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2700358 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since their admission to the home, the child has been looked after by the same staff group. The long-term nature of the placement and continuity of care have provided the child with the opportunity to build trust with the adults who care for them and form strong attachments with them. This has helped the child to develop their confidence and make progress across all areas of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of this progress is considerable. For example, the child’s school attendance and academic achievements have improved, with the child described as ‘excelling’ at maths and being ‘on target’ in English. Since arriving at the home, the child’s emotional health and well-being are better, to the extent that they now feel confident in taking up volunteering roles in the community, engaging in a research project and attending an awards ceremony for educational achievement. The child told staff, ‘I could not have done this a year ago.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s motivation to learn and explore the creative and artistic side of their personality is given full support by staff. For example, the child has developed a board game that is focused on promoting good health. They have also designed posters warning of the dangers of vaping and composed a poem about knife crime.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and exercise. The child’s primary healthcare needs are met, and staff ensure that medication is appropriately dispensed. This ensures that long-term health conditions are kept under control.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has significant input in their day-to-day care and the way that it is delivered. This goes beyond the basics of planning activities, choosing menus and decorating the home. For example, the child is actively involved in the recruitment of staff, in delivering training for staff and taking the lead in her statutory review meeting. This gives the child confidence and the chance to acquire new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has time with their family at the home and in the community. Staff ensure that this contact runs smoothly to benefit all concerned. The child’s parent said that they always feel welcome at the home and described it being like a ‘blended family’.

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

The child is protected by the actions of the manager and staff. This includes being vigilant about known and potential risks and reviewing these when necessary, ensuring that medication is properly accounted for and that safer recruitment procedures are adhered to. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700358 4 Staff respect the child as an individual and the choices they make, such as their preferred name and pronouns. This contributes to the child’s development of trust and lays the foundation for the promotion of positive behaviour.

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

Significant incidents are rare, which demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach. The child does not put themselves at risk of dangers such as exploitation or going missing from the home. They generally comply with the boundaries imposed for their safety. As a result, there is no need for physical intervention to manage the child’s behaviour. When the child has a ‘wobble’, as they describe it, staff are skilled at using de-escalation techniques to help the child to remain calm and work through their feelings safely.

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

All health and safety checks are regularly carried out. This ensures that the child lives in a safe environment. However, on the day of the inspection, the system controlling entry to the home was found to be faulty. This did not impact on the child’s safety as staff were present in the vicinity. A recommendation is raised to encourage more regular checks on the entry system. This will help to ensure that the home is properly secure. The provider took immediate steps to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager oversees this home and another home in the organisation. She manages her time efficiently between both homes, ensuring that she is a visible presence at both properties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child receives strong support from the staff team. All have the capability to perform the tasks required of them because the manager provides resources to support their practice and ongoing development. For example, staff have access to a very wide range of learning opportunities and undertake mandatory qualifications. They receive regular supervision and attend team meetings that explore what works best for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are highly committed to the child, showing dedication and flexibility on those rare occasions when short-notice absence affects the staff rota. This ensures that the child receives continuous, consistent and predictable care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the effectiveness and impact of the care being delivered. She also welcomes additional monitoring from the independent visitor and comments from the child and their family. However, this information is not always evaluated as part of the six-monthly review. While having no impact on the child, it is a missed opportunity to demonstrate that feedback is taken seriously and informs practice and planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a particular strength of this home. The manager has developed excellent relationships with family members, who commented, ‘I was worried about my child being taken into care, but the manager took all those doubts away.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2700358 5 Effective communication with other professionals ensures that the highest standards are sustained. Information from statutory documentation, frequent discussion with social workers and actions agreed at the child’s review meetings all contribute to a comprehensive plan for the child. However, a previous recommendation has only been partially met. This is in relation to escalating the matter of providing up-to-date documentation with the placing authority. Therefore, a recommendation is set for a second time to ensure that the manager escalates this again so that all the statutory information on the child’s file is complete and fully up to date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Other areas of development highlighted at the home’s previous inspection have all been addressed without delay. This includes improvements in recording, the timeliness of notifying Ofsted of significant events, and the appointment of a new independent visitor. Therefore, the child continues to receive a high standard of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700358 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children feel safe and are safe. This specifically relates to ensuring that regular checks are carried out on the entry system to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that they and their staff engage proactively with the placing authority to contribute fully to the relevant plans for the child’s care on an ongoing basis. This specifically relates to escalating requests with the placing authority to ensure that all statutory documentation is up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3)  The registered person should carry out a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. This specifically

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Recommendations

relates to evaluating the feedback and opinions of children and others about the home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive and including this in the home’s six-monthly report. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2700358 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Formations Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Formations Care Services, 2 St Pauls Road, Shipley, Bradford BD18 3EP

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Inspector

Stella Henderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2700358 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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