Children's home run by Park Blue Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2575788 1 Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Ltd 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 organisation. It provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties and who may also have learning disabilities. 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 October 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: 20 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: 2575788 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2024 Full Good 07/12/2022 Full Good 28/03/2022 Full Good 09/12/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2575788 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spent time with the child during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff diligently support and care for the child that lives in this home. They understand the child and their needs well and work together as a team to provide stability. Staff understand that the child benefits from high engagement and provides them with the support they need. The child enjoys interesting and varied opportunities. In the home, staff support the child to do creative arts and crafts and play lively games. Outside of the home, the child particularly enjoys climbing, crabbing and feeding the birds at the local country park.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with the extensive professional network around the child. The child’s social work team members are positive about the joint working, communication and support for the child. All those working with the child recognise that stability is a key achievement. This means the child is now able to begin to access therapeutic support. Staff recognise and celebrate the progress the child makes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see their family. Family memberssay that the manager communicates well with them about what has been happening for the child. They see the child as happy in the home, with good relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is full of toys, games and books for the child to play with and enjoy. It is decorated and cared for well. The child struggles to keep their room tidy, and staff do not consistently support them to make this a clean and welcoming space. The garden offers a large space to play in, with a trampoline, stage and climbing frame. The garden is mostly surrounded by fencing. However, there is one wall, which could pose a climbing risk to the child.

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

Staff understand the child and their complex needs well. They recognise the impact of the child’s trauma and that this sometimes results in impulsive behaviours, including going missing and climbing onto the roof of the house. Staff respond quickly to concerns and take action to keep the child as safe as possible. Staff have the opportunity to talk about what has happened, and the manager thoroughly reviews incidents to identify learning. This learning is then incorporated into the child’s risk assessments. There is close multi-agency working to discuss and review the risks on an ongoing basis. Staff recognise the current restrictions in place for the child’s safety, and speak about how they hope to reduce these as soon and as safely as possible. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are updated following serious incidents and provide staff with guidance about the steps to take to support the child or to reduce

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

risks. The risk assessments show that staff are managing significant risks on a daily basis in order to ensure the child’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2575788 4 The manager takes concerns about staff’s practice seriously and ensures concerns are reported to the local authority designated officer when needed. However, it is not always clear that the child is spoken with about what the outcome is.

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

The child has been physically restrained 10 times. There is clear management oversight to determine that interventions are necessary and proportionate. Staff track the child’s behaviour, and the manager regularly reviews it for insights. As a result, all staff have a good understanding of what is likely to be seen day to day, and what might be more out of character for the child.

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

Staff have regular conversations with the child. They recognise and respond to opportunities to encourage the child to develop their own understanding and sense of self.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads the home well, with excellent oversight and support for staff. The manager understands that her role will be different as needed. She provides an open door for support, and role models for newer staff. The manager works well with other professionals to create coordinated support for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about working in the home. They feel well supported by the manager. Current arrangements to support the child mean that staff get time for a break during their day, and this helps them to meet the level of engagement the child needs. There has been some staff turnover. At times, staff who do not permanently work in the home support the child, impacting on consistency. However, leaders ensure that support is from those within the organisation, who have all received the same training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, when they discuss the child’s care in detail. The manager leads good-quality team meetings. These offer staff time for meaningful discussion. Learning from incidents is shared and plans are reviewed. Care in the home is strengths-based, and child-centred care is promoted. Staff work towards integrating the therapeutic approach in the home. Progress with this is at a sensible rate, taking into account the other support in place for the child. The manager works closely with other professionals to ensure this is a unified approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child’s plans provide clear guidance to staff about how to care for them. While some progress has been made with the language used in plans, some is not always child-friendly or appropriately caring. Inspection report for children’s home: 2575788 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support the child to maintain a clean and tidy bedroom. In addition, they should ensure that the garden is secure and safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure the child is aware of the outcome of action taken when they raise concerns about staff practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure language used in all documents is developed to be child-friendly and caring. (‘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: 2575788 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Freemans Way, Harrogate, HG3 1DH

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Inspector

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2575788 7 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

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