Children's home run by SV Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2649767 1 Registered provider: SV Care Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in January 2022. The registered manager left in August 2024 and the post is currently vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of this 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

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2024

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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: 2649767 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 28/09/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2649767 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a consistent and committed team of staff. Two children have lived at the home since the last inspection, and one child has subsequently moved in. The children are settled. Children know the staff well and feel comfortable talking to staff about their worries or concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the home. Children care about and spend time with each other. Staff use informal and formal discussions to talk with the children about the importance of developing healthy relationships and how to resolve difficulties that arise. There is a sister home in close proximity to this home and the children know one another and spend time together. Children enjoyed going on holiday over the summer and participate in a wide range of activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn and access formal education. The staff team maintains positive links with local schools, and works with teachers and other professionals to address any difficulties that the children may experience. Two children have recently started college. Staff work with children to help them to become more independent. For example, older children are supported to learn how to cook and budget.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered promptly with local health services, and staff support children to liaise with healthcare professionals and attend their appointments. When necessary, staff work with professionals from the child and adolescent mental health services and the local authority to ensure that there are clear plans that promote the well-being of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to maintain relationships with people that are important to them. The children are supported by staff to spend time with their friends and family at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated and kept to a good standard. Children have their own en- suite showers. They personalise their rooms, and are encouraged to keep them tidy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children in the home are not always fully prepared for when new children move in or for children leaving. One child was not told that they were moving to a new home in advance. This resulted in a difficult ending for the child, who had lived at the home for over a year.

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

Children’s needs, risks, strengths and vulnerabilities are well understood. The manager and deputy manager develop plans with the staff that clearly set out children’s risks and how best to manage them. Strategies to support children are specific to the individual child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649767 4 The members of the staff team work well together. They have a good understanding of contextual safeguarding and the risks posed to children in the community. Staff are skilled at de-escalating difficult situations. Staff are all trained to use physical intervention, although this is rarely used.

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

If children are missing from the home, there is a well-coordinated response from staff. Staff maintain regular contact with children, family members and professionals to encourage children to return to the home.

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

Some children require a high level of supervision from staff in the home. When this is the case, doors may be locked and more staff are present in the home. Consideration is not always given to the impact this will have on other children living in the home in such close proximity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The members of the leadership and management team know the children well, and work hard to make sure that the children feel cared for and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager was promoted to be responsible individual within the organisation, and has cancelled her registration. However, due to changes in the recruitment plan, she will retain oversight of this home until a new manager is appointed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are comprehensive, and records of incidents are detailed. The manager and staff work in partnership with professionals and family members.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and staff recruitment and retention is a strength in the organisation. Staff spoken to fed back that they felt supported. The leadership and management team plans to implement a new plan of therapeutic training and support for staff. This is not yet in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff do not consistently have supervision or meet as a team, as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. This means there is not always a space for the staff to come together to reflect on what has gone well and where practice can be improved. Inspection report for children’s home: 2649767 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 18 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 4(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to staff supervision aligning in frequency and quality with the home’s statement of purpose. 18 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2649767 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they develop and keep under review a statement of purpose (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement in the home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. It is important that information about the home’s therapeutic support and staffing is kept up to date and that support for the team, as set out in the statement of purpose, is in place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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: 2649767 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SV Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71 Knowl Piece, Wilbury Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 0TY

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Inspectors

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Josephine Onwubiko, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2649767 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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