Children's Home run by Seasons Care Ltd in Dudley

Inspection report for children’s home: 2745565 1 Registered provider: Seasons Care Ltd 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 March 2024. It provides care for up to two children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and complex needs. The home is privately owned and forms part of a small social care organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

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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: 2745565 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home. Since the home registered, one child has moved into and on from the home. The child left the home four days before the inspection took place. While the inspection focused on the progress and experiences of the child, the child did not wish to provide feedback.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While living at the home, the child made good progress and had a positive experience. Staff and leaders worked closely with the child and the child’s parent to develop positive relationships, which helped to provide consistency and stability. This stability ensured that the child returned positively to their family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from the child’s parent is very positive about the care provided to their child. They said, ‘I have noticed a real improvement in their behaviour. [Name of child] is like a different child. They have helped me with putting in the boundaries.’ The parent added that staff provided the child with ‘the time and consistency they deserved’ and said, ‘I just wish [name of child] would have lived at this home from the start.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff worked hard to meet the child’s health needs very well. They supported the child to attend routine and specialist health appointments. For the child, this support meant that they became healthier while living in the home. Furthermore, staff were creative and effective in helping the child to improve their self-care and health. As a result, the child’s well-being has significantly improved, and they are happier.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognised and promoted the importance of education for the child. Good communication between staff and education professionals has helped the child to maintain attendance at school, which is a considerable distance from the home. Consequently, the child remained engaged with their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child was supported to take part in regular activities in the community. Staff have also supported the child to make friends and spend time with them in the local area. These friends frequently visited the home and attended a leaving party for the child. These networks helped the child to grow in confidence and improve their self-esteem.

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

Staff put in place clear boundaries and provided a good structure to ensure that the child felt safe in the home. Staff and leaders understood the child’s complex needs well. As a result, the child was involved in very few incidents inside and outside the home. This is significant progress for the child.

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

Since the home registered, there have been no incidents when the child has gone missing from the home. However, staff have ensured that up-to-date protocols are in Inspection report for children’s home: 2745565 3 place, and they are familiar with local police procedures. As a result, staff are suitably prepared to respond to any incidents.

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

Staff have used strategies to reward and praise the child. Consequences have rarely been used. When consequences are used, they are used restoratively to help the child learn from their experiences. However, sufficient records of the use of rewards and consequences are not routinely kept. The registered manager is aware and is taking action to improve the recording shortfalls.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the home’s safeguarding processes. They understand their responsibilities and the actions required to keep the child safe. However, leaders did not ensure that the child’s written plans reflected the strategies that staff described. These recording shortfalls provided staff with inaccurate information and had the potential to leave the child vulnerable.

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

Overall, staff are safely vetted before working in the home. However, on one occasion, the registered manager did not carry out a full check on a staff member’s employment history. The gap in the history was identified and addressed by the responsible individual during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a suitably experienced, child-focused and confident practitioner. She is ably supported by the home’s responsible individual. They are tenacious and advocated well for the child. They were not afraid to challenge professionals to ensure that the child’s needs were met. This improved the quality of care that the child received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working in the home and feel supported. The supervision and probation systems used are reflective and give staff feedback on their performance. These supportive systems mean that staff feel valued and motivated to perform their role effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training that supports them in their roles. Furthermore, workshops that are specific to the child’s needs have been delivered in team meetings. Some staff are qualified, and others are working towards their qualification within the regulatory time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She is developing her monitoring systems to focus on consistently improving the care provided. However, some of her systems are not yet embedded in practice and have failed to fully address some of the recording shortfalls identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Both leaders are held in high regard by the child, staff, a parent and external professionals. One professional said, ‘Staff and leaders have been brilliant with [name of child]. They have put in lots of time and effort to meet [name of child]’s needs and it has Inspection report for children’s home: 2745565 4 made a difference.’ Another professional said, ‘We couldn’t have asked any more of a residential home in the support they have provided.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2745565 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have effective monitoring systems which enable them to oversee the welfare and progress of the children in their care. This may be done by reviewing records and through observation and engagement with each child, the home’s staff, each child’s family/carers, where appropriate, and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This relates to the recording of safeguarding strategies

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Recommendations

in children’s records, which should clearly explain the action that staff should take. This also relates to keeping records when staff use rewards and consequences with children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2745565 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 149 Spon Lane, West Bromwich B70 6AS

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2745565 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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