Children's home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 1 SC477040 Registered provider: Plus One South West 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 operated by a private company which is based in the south-west of England. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2020 and is suitably qualified.

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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: 19 September 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: SC477040 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2023 Full Good 01/03/2023 Full Good 22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, staff have supported three children to move to more suitable accommodation to meet their needs and progress on their unique individual journeys. This included one child who, on reaching adulthood, was assisted to move into semi- independent accommodation of their choice, with resounding success. Staff stay in touch with this child and have since taken them on their first holiday abroad. The child commented that they loved their trip to Spain and experiencing their first time on an aeroplane. They stated they had the best time ever and did not want to come home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have consistently shown over a long period of time that even in very difficult circumstances they never give up on children. Staff aspire to help children to achieve positive outcomes and have bright futures. The home offers permanency and consistency to children with one child having lived there for five years until they reached adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child remains living in the home. They have been sensitively welcomed to their new home and supported to quickly settle in and gain a sense of belonging. Staff have been quick to build trusted and secure relationships with the child and have taken time to listen to the child and gain an understanding of their needs, feelings and wishes. The child recently expressed a wish to change bedrooms, and this immediately took place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Prior to arriving at the home, the child had not attended any formal educational provision for some time. Staff are acutely aware of the importance of the child attending school and doing well in their education. In the first week of the child moving in, the manager advocated for the child, and challenged the local authority and virtual school to help ensure that the child receives a placement at a mainstream school of their choice as soon as possible. In the meantime, staff take every opportunity to engage with the child, and carry out informal educational activity and go through workbooks with the child to aid their English and mathematics to support their learning. The home have a strong track record in achieving positive educational outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is very active and enjoys physical exercise. Staff ensure that they provide a good range of social, educational and recreational activities that reflect the child’s interests and help them build their confidence and self-esteem. Activities include trips to animal parks, taekwondo, swimming, trampolining and joining a local football club. Staff understand the importance of the child having these positive experiences and how they support the child to grow emotionally and socially, as well as meeting peers with similar interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand how important it is for the child to spend meaningful time with their family. Staff have built a good relationship with the child’s loved ones and positively work with them to ensure that the child maintains regular and safe contact with them. This Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 4 helps support the child to develop and maintain a sense of their own identity and promotes their well-being.

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

The child said they feel safe living in their home and have staff they can trust. The child commented that they have staff they can share their thoughts and fears with, and staff take time to listen to the child when they express concerns and compassionately respond to alleviate them. Staff can discuss sensitive topics with the child and take time to help the child express their feelings when they are distressed or frustrated. Staff have a good understanding of the behaviours the child may display that indicate they need prompt support to help manage their emotions safely, therefore preventing situations escalating to a point where the child could be at risk.

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

Staff know the child well and what support the child needs to help keep them safe and protected from harm. Staff consistently maintain clear and important boundaries that encourage acceptable behaviour and promote safety. When incidents do occur in or outside of the home, staff respond promptly to protect children and help them to manage their own emotions safely. Records are detailed. Management oversight is robust and used to highlight information that enables staff to develop a better understanding of children’s needs, adapt their practice and reduce incidents that occur to improve children’s experiences.

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

When children go missing, staff promptly follow a clear protocol and take well- coordinated action to reduce the risk of harm to the children. Staff inform all relevant professional bodies to proactively help protect children and bring about their safe return home. Learning takes place after each episode of children going missing from care, and new information gained is shared and utilised to enable the most effective response in helping keep each child safe in the future. Missing from home incidents have decreased, which is positive.

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

Restraint has been used once to safeguard a child from harming themselves or others. Records clearly describe what led up to the incident and the de-escalation techniques staff used prior to the restraint, and document that physical intervention was only used as a last resort and for a minimal amount of time. The manager evaluated effectively the incident, and lessons learned included additional training for staff to help prevent similar incidents occurring in the future.

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

Staff know the child’s individual vulnerabilities and have a unique understanding of the risks associated with them. Risk assessments are thoroughly recorded and regularly reviewed. This ensures that information is up to date and clearly sets out exactly what action staff need to take to address the current risks and help keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 5 The home is well managed by a caring, experienced manager. The child is at the centre of every decision made, including aspects of the home’s development plan. Staff receive effective supervision that focuses on the child’s progression and experiences alongside their own well-being. Staff say that they are supported to develop their knowledge and skills and have opportunities to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are happy and enjoy working at the home. Lots of fun and laughter was observed between staff and the child during the inspection and many activities took place. Staff speak with genuine passion and pride about how children have grown in confidence and progressed while in their care, and the positive difference they have made and continue to make to children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records are written in a child-focused way. The child’s voice is evidenced throughout, and paperwork clearly shows what staff need to do to meet the child’s individual needs. Documents highlight the progress the child is making and focus on the child’s aspirations and their future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager benefits from having formed positive relationships with external agencies, recognising the important benefit this can have on children’s lives. The manager is in the process of advocating on behalf of the child to ensure that their voice is heard and their wishes are respected, promoting the child’s right to have a say in the support they receive. The child is encouraged to take part in important meetings that decide their future and focus on their well-being. Professionals spoke highly of the manager and gave praise to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The regulation 44 visitor is frequently praising the manager and staff for the care and support they give to children in sometimes very challenging circumstances. The regulation 45 report describes positive professional feedback about staff practice and efficient management of significant adverse incidents. The staff team consistently provide effective and sustained support to encourage children to show the best of themselves and achieve their dreams. When one child recently moved to a new home a member of staff moved with them to enhance the child’s experience and provide a level of consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the home is well maintained. The physical environment is clean and tidy and provides a safe and secure base for the child to live and grow. The home is personalised to reflect the interests of the child and has a warm, homely feel to it. The garden is vast and features a large trampoline and football goal. The child’s loved ones are welcomed into the home, and barbecues are enjoyed with the child and their family in the summer months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations have been raised at this inspection. Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 6

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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: SC477040 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One South West Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

Gary Turney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 8 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children's home: SC477040 9

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