Children's Home run by Inspiration Care Group Limited in Ealing

Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 1 Registered provider: Inspiration Care Group Limited

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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 and managed by a private provider to care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2023. The manager registered in September 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: 2738599 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress at the home in the areas of their well-being, education and independence skills. Staff and managers support children to achieve meaningful and consistent progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. All children are registered with a doctor and have access to a dentist and local health services. Children are supported to make healthy choices, and reflective conversations are undertaken with children to underpin this learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children access full-time education, which is a contrast to their starting points. One child completed exams as part of their home learning and now attends college. Staff have supported two children to attend and engage with school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have supportive and caring relationships with staff. These relationships support children to achieve their best, and their positive achievements are reinforced by the use of incentives and goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s activities are centred on their hobbies and needs. Children participate in a range of activities, including attending the gym and cooking. All the children said that they enjoy the food the staff cook and described how they are encouraged to develop independent cooking skills. The children have recently had a summer holiday, which contributed to their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Children can speak with family when they wish. They regularly spend time with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to raise concerns with managers, staff and the independent visitor. When complaints are raised, the manager ensures that these are addressed and the outcomes are shared with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and meets the needs of the children.

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

All the children said that they feel safe at the home. This view is also held by people who are important to the children. For example, a family member said, ‘They [the child] are happy and safe.’

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

Children’s risk assessments provide the staff with actions to help reduce risks to children. However, these risk assessments are not routinely updated to show the progress and Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 4 changing needs of children. This may impact on staff’s ability to be aware of current risk and what actions to take to keep children safe.

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

The manager ensures that investigations are conducted when needed; action is taken to ensure that children are safeguarded and outcomes are shared with them. This ensures that children feel safe and listened to.

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

There have been no missing-from-care incidents in the home. However, if a child was to go missing, the risk assessments and actions that staff must take are not clear.

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

There has been no recent use of restraints of children. Staff know how to reduce conflict and consider other interventions to prevent the use of restraints.

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

Staff support children with meaningful conversations about keeping themselves safe and positive relationships with others. The work is caring, empathetic and focuses on long- term goals and outcomes.

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

There are safe recruitment processes in place, and managers carry out necessary checks before a new member of staff starts working at the home. However, risk assessments of staff as part of the recruitment process are not related to the risks associated to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management team is newly established. Leaders and managers are enthusiastic and caring about outcomes for children, and this is mirrored in the staff group.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and receive regular supervision, allowing them to reflect on their practice and the children’s needs. Leaders and managers actively promote staff development and provide training that is in line with the care needs of the children. There are regular reflective team meetings that are underpinned by theory. This supports staff in improving the quality of care they provide to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have excellent relationships with agencies. One social worker said, about a child’s progress, that they ‘have come on leaps and bounds’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive yearly appraisals. However, the appraisal is not specific or personal to each staff member. Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must update the missing- from-care protocol for each child, ensuring staff know what actions to take when a child goes missing.

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Requirement Due date

Risk assessment should be in place for children and staff when out in the community, and an appropriate level of staffing and oversight should be in place. 1 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities. There should be clear lines of accountability regarding when to report a child as missing from the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)  The registered person should ensure that the appraisal enables an in-depth review of staff’s performance that is measurable for both the employee and supervisee. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. There should be clear lines of accountability regarding ongoing

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Recommendations

checks of staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2738599 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspiration Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 123 Wilsden Avenue, Luton LU1 5HW

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Inspector

Richard Wyper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2738599 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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