Children's home run by Blossom24 Healthcare & Training Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2779082 1 Registered provider: Blossom24 Healthcare & Training Ltd

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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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for one child with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2779082 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is happy at this home. There are good relationships between the child and the staff. The child has made good progress in many areas of his life. This includes his personal care, educationally and emotionally. A family member said, ‘They look after [child’s name] very well and communication about his day is excellent.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a clear and detailed care plan. This, as well as other documents, such as one detailing daily routines, means that the staff know how to care for the child and meet his needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular one-to-one time with the child. These key-work sessions are specific to the child’s needs and development. Staff are creative in the way they engage with the child to gain his wishes and feelings. They know the individual way that he communicates. Therefore, the child can make choices and show what he does and doesn’t like.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s education and learning are an important part of his life. There is a close working relationship between the school and home staff. This includes a communication book between staff and teachers and daily e-mail communication. Staff attend school meetings and support the child with homework. The staff have created a vegetable patch in the home’s garden, building on the child’s enjoyment and interest in an allotment at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to remain healthy. They attend the child’s health reviews and contribute to health meetings. Staff store and administer medication safely. Staff have advocated for the child with regards to changes in medication. The child enjoys exercise, such as walks in parks, trampolining and swimming.

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

Assessments of risk to the child are comprehensive. They explain why something is a risk to the child. There is a clear description of action that staff should take to minimise known and potential risks. This and a detailed location risk assessment helps to keep the child safe.

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

A positive behaviour support plan, used alongside the risk assessments, directs the staff in how to care for the child safely. The plan, created in partnership with a disability health nurse, the child’s family and the home staff and manager, ensures consistency of good quality care.

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

Staff manage any incidents with the child well without the need for physical interventions. Staff are trained to safely intervene if necessary. However, the use of Inspection report for children’s home: 2779082 3 language in the recording of incidents is not supportive to the child. Staff records do not always reflect the quality of care given to support the child when he is upset or angry.

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

The child does not go missing from the home. If he does leave the home, he is followed immediately by staff. Two staff members care for the child during the day and night. There are clear policies and procedures that staff understand should the child go missing.

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

The manager completes safe recruitment checks for all staff before they can start working in the home. This includes safeguarding checks undertaken for adults recruited abroad.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths of his team and areas to develop further. He has created a clear workforce development plan. It explains the priorities, vision and values of the company. It also details opportunities for staff learning and development. This includes supervision, induction, training and learning circles. Further training is planned on staff record-keeping.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a comprehensive induction into the home. New staff complete a booklet which promotes reflection. New staff shadow the practice of more experienced staff to promote their learning. This, as well as mandatory training, helps staff to be ready and confident to care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision. Staff value this time of discussion and reflection with the manager or senior support worker. The needs of the child are discussed. Staff are helped to improve their recording. The manager also uses a staff competency monitoring tool. This provides staff with the opportunity to reflect on their knowledge and how this impacts practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads monthly team meetings which staff find very helpful. Agenda items are specific to the child’s experiences and how best to care for him. They also include operational tasks to ensure the smooth running of the home. In addition, there is good use of learning circles on topics such as safeguarding children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager feels well supported by the responsible individual. She visits the home often and knows the child and the staff extremely well. Managers and staff receive further support from an experienced external consultant. This has helped improve the quality of practice and has led to the child making good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual use comprehensive quality assurance and monitoring processes to monitor the effectiveness of practice in the home. This includes thorough monthly audits. The manager regularly spends time with the child and observes staff practice. As a result, the manager has effective oversight of the quality of care given to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2779082 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping, and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘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: 2779082 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom24 Healthcare & Training Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33A, Wrenbury Rd, Northampton NN5 6YG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Thandiwe Murambiwa

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Inspectors

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Netsai Muzuva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2779082 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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