Children's Home run by SBL CARE SERVICES (UK) Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2665747 1 Registered provider: SBL CARESERVICES (UK) 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 owned and operated by a private provider and offers care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. Two children are currently being cared for in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post and registered since 5 January 2023.

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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: 24 January 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: 2665747 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2024 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2665747 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently two children living in the home. One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection. This was a planned move to return to the care of a family member. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home. Both children were spoken to as part of the inspection and said that they like living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children receive good care from a stable and nurturing staff team. One child has lived in the home for a long period of time, and staff know him well. The child shares strong, secure and positive relationships with staff. The staff are continuing to build a positive relationship with the child who recently moved into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carefully considered the child’s needs as part of a planned transition into the home and spoke with relevant professionals. An assessment of the compatibility of the children’s needs was also completed. There have been a number of significant incidents since the child moved into the home, including verbal and physical aggression. The incidents have been unsettling for the child who was already living in the home. The manager and staff have managed the incidents well, and extra staff have worked in the home to support the children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with lots of opportunities to try new activities and build their confidence. Children have enjoyed trips to the arcades, swimming and go-karting. One child recently enjoyed a caravan holiday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s emotional and physical health needs are met. Staff support children to attend relevant health appointments. Staff have worked with specialist professionals to ensure that prescribed medication is reviewed and remains appropriate. One child has engaged in therapeutic sessions to receive support with the impact of previous trauma.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have a strong working relationship with education professionals. One education professional commented on how well staff work with school staff to ensure that there is a consistent approach for the child. Staff observed one child being supported by staff to complete his homework and read books. This helps the child to make progress, and his reading ability is now above the national average for his age. One child, who recently moved to the home, is not yet enrolled in education, and the manager is working with professionals to identify an appropriate school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their family and friends. Staff have recently supported one child to travel a long distance to ensure that they see their family. One child liked fishing, and therefore, staff arranged fishing trips for him and his father to create Inspection report for children’s home: 2665747 4 lasting memories. Another child’s parent commented, ‘They [staff] always make me feel very welcome,’ and ‘It has done him the world of good living in the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular opportunities to share their views about the home and the care that they receive. Children are also involved in setting their own individual targets to gain incentives, which supports positive behaviours and healthy routines.

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

Risk management plans are in place and are regularly updated with current information. The practice of the manager and staff ensures that risks are managed effectively. However, written guidance in one child’s plans does not include all known risks and does not detail all agreed strategies to keep the child safe. Furthermore, the impact risk assessment that was completed when a child recently moved into the home lacks a robust assessment of their known risks and vulnerabilities. A requirement has been made to address these shortfalls.

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

There have been a small number of incidents in the home. When incidents have occurred, the manager and staff have responded appropriately to keep children safe. Follow-up work is undertaken with children, and information is shared with relevant professionals.

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

Behaviour management plans help staff to understand and respond appropriately to children’s behaviours. As a result, the number of physical holds of children is low. When a child has been held, this has been necessary to keep the child and staff safe. The incidents are recorded appropriately, and both staff and children are spoken to about the measure used. A low number of consequences have been used to address negative behaviours. The manager also uses restorative approaches and positive rewards to support children’s behaviours.

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

There have been only two incidents of a child going missing from this home. Staff took appropriate action. The child was offered the opportunity to speak to an independent person about the incident. The manager also spoke with the child and agreed to increase family time, , as this was a factor in the missing-from-home episodes.

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

The manager has recently recruited additional casual staff to work across the organisation. Safer recruitment processes are in place, and new staff are thoroughly vetted before being allowed to work at the home. This means that only those suitable to work with vulnerable children are employed.

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

The home provides a safe and comfortable space for children. However, there were a number of maintenance issues identified during the inspection. Several internal walls had been damaged and required plastering, paint work was required on the banister and landing areas, and regrouting was required around the shower area due to mould. One child also required replacement blinds in his bedroom due to damage. The manager took steps to rectify the issues during the inspection. A requirement Inspection report for children’s home: 2665747 5 has been made to ensure that future maintenance issues are addressed in a timely manner to ensure that the home continues to provide a nurturing space for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. He is supported by a close-knit, consistent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and were positive about the support and guidance they receive from the manager. Any concerns in relation to staff practice have been managed appropriately and additional support has been provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has undertaken relevant training to ensure that staff have the skills required to meet the needs of the children living in the home. Staff have recently completed training in relation to trauma and attachment to support their understanding of how best to support the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff benefit from regular team meetings. They reflect on their day-to-day practice and how this can be improved, as well as the progress of the children. Detailed handovers help to ensure that there is effective communication between staff members, and any updates in relation to the children’s needs are shared.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with external professionals. External professionals provided positive feedback about the home and valued the level of communication and the quality of care being provided. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘Communication is exemplary. The staff are proactive in attending all meetings, sharing detailed reports and keeping everyone informed, which greatly enhances collaborative efforts in [name of child’s] care. This level of engagement is a standout feature.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home receives monthly visits from an independent person. This supports the manager to understand the strengths and areas for development in the home. The responsible individual completes a monthly audit, which provides an additional level of scrutiny, support and challenge to the manager. The manager’s review of the quality of care report identifies a number of actions to improve the home and contains children and stakeholders’ feedback. Inspection report for children’s home: 2665747 6

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all risks to children are assessed and included in the written plans, including the agreed strategies to protect children from harm.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that maintenance issues in the home are identified and rectified in a timely manner. 25 October

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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: 2665747 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SBL CARESERVICES (UK) LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 St Peters Place, Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 6EB

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Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2665747 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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