Children's home run by Homes2Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1256060 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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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 run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. It is registered to provide care for up to five children with emotional and social difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a 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

Date of last inspection: 28 November 2023

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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: 1256060 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 08/09/2021 Full Good 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1256060 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the same four children have continued to live in the home. Interactions between staff and children are relaxed and demonstrate that children feel safe and valued. The staff talk about the children with care, pride and kindness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress is praised by their families and former carers. Professionals involved in their lives speak positively about how well cared for children are. Families and professionals say that they feel welcomed when they visit. The staff team’s communication with them is a strength of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are learning to recognise and better regulate their emotions. They are more able to manage any changes in their mood in a healthy way. They feel comfortable talking about medical issues with the staff. The team then helps them take the right steps, such as getting medical advice or emotional support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children attend school full time. One currently has a part-time schedule. The remaining child has a tutor at home while awaiting a school place. The manager and team have actively chased the decision-makers. They have now escalated the matter in a bid to reach an outcome that suits the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are encouraged to eat balanced, healthy meals. They can incorporate their preferences into the menu. Each child has their own routine, including time alone and group activities. They get along like siblings, with the older two children often sticking together and the younger two doing the same.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children stay in touch with their families, in line with their care plans. This ensures that they maintain familial relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help them at key times in their lives, such as moving to high school. They are also supported to learn to be more independent.

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

The children are settled and are presenting with less risk-taking behaviour. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques to manage behaviours that challenge. This means there are very few incidents. When incidents do occur, the staff handle them quickly and appropriately.

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

Staff proactively prevent any disagreements between the children from escalating. This keeps all the children safe. Children rarely go missing. When this has happened, it has usually been linked to external issues or events rather than events in the home. Staff follow the child’s missing-from-home protocol and proactively search for the child. Inspection report for children's home: 1256060 4 Staff respond to children with care and understanding. They work to ensure that children can better express their anger and upset. Children are encouraged to participate in creating their safety plans. This provides them with a sense of ownership of decision- making.

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

When a child makes an allegation, it is managed effectively. The staff liaise with the relevant professionals to ensure that investigations are thorough.

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

Staff conduct routine phone checks to ensure that children are staying safe. They continually work with the children to teach them how to be safer online and while out in the community.

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

Staff are recruited safely. This includes additional checks being undertaken as required.

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

Records of incidents and debriefs are generally completed in detail. There have been some incidents where the follow-up action has either not been signed off or not recorded. This hinders clarity about whether all learning opportunities have been explored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a dedicated manager. He is committed to providing the children with excellent care and experiences. Both he and his deputy lead by example. This creates a positive environment for both staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team praises the leaders and say that they love the home. This is evident in their interactions with the children and each other. The team is diverse. This allows the children to benefit from a variety of perspectives and experiences. The children’s views are actively considered. These views help shape their care, and influence how staff work with them daily.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team carries out regular quality assurance checks. These ensure that records and information are accurate and reflect current decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The shortfalls raised at the last inspection have both been addressed. The statement of purpose is now shared with Ofsted and supervision sessions are held regularly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly. These, coupled with regular supervision sessions, ensure that practice can be discussed regularly on an individual or team basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are strong advocates for the children. They challenge poor decision-making. They recently effectively addressed concerns about a child’s education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team continues to engage in positive discussions with external professionals. This is contributing to ongoing improvements in the care provided. Inspection report for children's home: 1256060 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that incident follow-up actions are noted. This is to ensure that staff and children maximise any learning opportunities that arise from events. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 1256060 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kathryn Scoltock

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1256060 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 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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