Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2726993 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare 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 home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the first inspection since the home was registered with Ofsted in March 2024. The registered manager registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2726993 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. Both children agreed to take part in the inspection. One child said they would prefer to return to live with family but that they like living in the home and got on well with staff. The other child said they really enjoy living in the home and wouldn’t change anything.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home was registered, four children have come to live in the home. When children move into the home, leaders and managers ensure this is a positive experience. However, when children have left the home, their experiences have not always been positive or well planned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable, homely and well maintained. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms with a choice of decorative features and other personal items such as family photos. The dining room is the centre of the home, where children and staff sit together to enjoy mealtimes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure children’s physical health needs are well met. Children are registered with local health services and attend routine appointments. When children have required additional treatment or follow-up appointments, these have been supported by staff. Furthermore, staff encourage children to have a healthy lifestyle through providing a balanced diet and regular exercise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has an appointed therapist who provides weekly one-to-one support for children. Sessions remain available to children whether they choose to attend or not. The therapist also works alongside the registered manager and staff to develop strategies to support children with their emotions. This approach means children’s emotional health can improve over time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children’s education. They have ensured both children have received education as part of their daily routine as an interim measure while they are between education placements. Leaders and managers have been positive advocates for children, working alongside education professionals to ensure that new education placements are secured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped and encouraged to see loved ones. The manager and staff understand the importance of children having positive time with their family and work hard to maintain positive relationships with them. They understand family dynamics, and support children’s relationships in line with their wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children’s hobbies, interests and talents. They arrange for them to attend local activities. For example, one child is being supported to participate in rock climbing and the other child is supported to pursue their interest in a popular video Inspection report for children’s home: 2726993 3 game. Children’s activities are captured in photos which are placed around the home. This supports children to feel a sense of belonging.

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

Staff support children well when they are in crisis and take appropriate action. They are proactive in working with safeguarding agencies and securing immediate medical help and support when children have made attempts or threats to take their own life. Following incidents, managers and staff worked alongside specialist medical professionals to implement safety plans and ensure ongoing support.

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

There has been one allegation against a staff member. Leaders and managers responded effectively. Information was shared with external agencies and advice sought. Investigations have been completed and appropriate actions taken. A good response to this allegation helped promote children’s safety and well-being.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that complaints from children are taken seriously. Children know how to complain and feel confident to do so if necessary. Their concerns are listened to and acted upon. Children receive an outcome to their complaint in a timely manner.

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

Incidents of restraints are well managed. Staff have good understanding of children’s needs and triggers, and use de-escalation techniques to reduce risks where possible. Leaders and managers help children and staff to share their views after each incident , meaning they have the opportunity for reflection and learning.

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

Children have not gone missing from home. However, there have been occasions when children have left the home without permission. During these incidents , staff follow protocols and keep children in sight. This prevents children from going missing and ensures they return home safely. Despite this positive approach, absence records are not always completed accurately and are misleading about the length of time children were away from the home.

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

Consequences given to children are not always proportionate. The main theme around consequences given to one child is to restrict their use of electronic devices. This approach is not restorative in nature and does not support the child to recognise the impact of their actions on others and is not in line with the home’s therapeutic approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child-focused and has high aspirations for children. She has positive relationships with children and places them at the centre of the home. She takes pride in the progress children are making and regularly seeks their views. This approach means that children benefit from trusting relationships and helps them feel settled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team in place. Staff say they feel well supported by each other and the manager. Staff also speak positively about their relationships with children and Inspection report for children’s home: 2726993 4 say that they feel privileged to be working in the home with the children currently living there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains good oversight of the home, using a range of monitoring systems and tracking tools. This provides a clear understanding of the progress children are making and identifies areas of strength and development to ensure the quality of care provided to children is maintained or improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and consistent support. Three staff hold the required level 3 diploma and receive a wide range of training that informs their practice and helps them meet children’s individualised needs. In addition, the manager is proactive in providing additional resources to further enhance staff’s knowledge. This means that children receive good-quality care from skilled and well-informed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates effective partnership working. Feedback gathered during the inspection was very positive. A professional for one child said: ‘ Their appearance has improved since living in this home. I’m really happy with the care staff are providing.’ Another professional said they were happy with the support in place for their child . This demonstrates the commitment and child-focused approach displayed by the manager and staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2726993 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

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable, or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that any consequences used to address behaviour are relative to the behaviour being displayed, restorative in nature and help children recognise the impact of their actions. 17 October 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This relates to the accurate recording of absence documents, which should be clear about the time of children’s return and the length of time children were away from the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that children have positive experiences moving on from the home. Children should be fully prepared for any moves, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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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: 2726993 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

Carl Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2726993 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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