Children's Home run by Inspire Care (UK) Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 1 SC487764 Registered provider: Inspire Care (UK) 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

A privately owned company runs this home. It is registered to provide residential care for up to two children who may have experienced adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and holds the level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living at the home. Another child moved into and on from the home for a very brief period. The home is safe, very well presented and provides the child with a family home environment. The child receives excellent care from staff who want the very best outcomes for them. They work hard to get to know the child and build positive and trusting relationships with them. These relationships provide the foundation from which the child flourishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child moved into the home for a matter of days before moving on unexpectedly. Despite sudden changes in her care planning, a therapeutic approach was central to the care she received. Managers were forward thinking and made child-centred plans to support the child to have positive experiences before leaving the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child sees themselves and staff as a family unit. The staff team provides a nurturing environment where the child is valued, respected and encouraged to achieve. The child’s care is centred around love, empathy and compassion. Staff tell the child they love her and she reciprocates this in a very natural manner. The child told the inspector, ‘The adults are amazing and they all understand me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child is making excellent progress. Care planning is highly effective, and the child’s needs are understood exceptionally well. Proactive managers and staff embrace the research-based practice, knowledge and support that comes with working closely with the therapist attached to the home. There has been some outstanding work that has helped the child to make sense of their experiences and emotions and has led them to feel secure and loved. This has helped the child enormously in terms of expressing their thoughts and feelings in healthy ways.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager goes above and beyond to advocate for the child’s right to education. Excellent support has been provided to the child who struggles to attend school. The manager challenged others robustly until the right decision has been reached. In the absence of formal education, the child has been provided with a range of learning opportunities to support their educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child’s voice is heard and they feel listened to. The manager and staff use a wide range of methods to achieve this. In partnership with the child, fortnightly family meetings have recently been introduced. The child and the adults share their experiences, and within this, adults role model reflection and problem-solving skills. This is invaluable to the child and her development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff understand the value of creating positive life experiences for children and the importance of making happy memories. They have created opportunities for the child to interact with others, even though the child finds this difficult. For example, the child has Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 4 enjoyed a holiday to Spain with other children. Staff positively encourage the child to try new experiences, such as boxing lessons and voluntary work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager actively promotes tolerance and equality to support the children, who come from diverse backgrounds. The manager and staff embrace the child’s individuality and uniqueness. This has helped her to feel safe to explore her cultural identity and wishes for the future. The manager has worked in a sensitive and respectful way with the child’s family to ensure a united approach in achieving the best outcomes for her.

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

The child’s safety is an absolute priority for managers and staff. The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the risks posed to and from the child. They understand that at times, the child may exhibit some risk-taking behaviour, such as leaving the home when its dark and approaching unfamiliar adults. Staff are proactive in their approach towards the child and use research to help to explore and understand methods of support. This helps them to seek ways in which harm can be reduced. Risk assessments completed by staff are comprehensive, realistic and contribute effectively to safeguarding the child in their care.

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

The manager and staff have the courage to deal with known and emerging risks and vulnerabilities in the most challenging of circumstances. The whole team shows a high level of professional curiosity in relation to children’s behaviour, which is helping to keep the child safer. For example, they use their knowledge, underpinned by research, to help the child explore and understand what is happening in their life.

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

Incidents of the child going missing from home have significantly reduced since the last inspection. This is because staff have developed strong relationships with the child that have helped to reduce risk-taking behaviours. When the child has gone missing from home, the manager and staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. Details of any significant incidents involving the child are shared with the relevant agencies. A commitment to unconditional positive regard means the child receives excellent support from staff who are caring and responsive.

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

Restrictive physical interventions are rarely used and have significantly decreased since the last inspection. The strength of relationship between the child and staff has supported this progress. The staff role model a reflective approach when exploring incidents and educating the child about risk. The child receives extensive support to come to terms with and manage difficult feelings. More importantly, the child feels safe to explore these feelings and work through difficult times with staff. They show self- awareness in terms of risk-taking behaviour, and as a result, risks have significantly reduced over time.

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

The manager and staff ensure that the child is well protected online. Her activity is monitored, and she is kept safe from exploitation. The child accepts the boundaries that are in place. When they do find this difficult, staff help them to understand these boundaries, as any good parent would. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is very proud of the children and staff, who she knows very well. She is aspirational for children and wants the very best for them. She is a strong advocate and is committed to ensuring that children receiving the care and support that they deserve. The manager is closely involved in children’s lives and her work is exceptional in terms of ensuring their needs are met and their wishes and feelings are listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a stable, consistent team of staff that provides continuity for the child. The manager leads by example and is highly respected by staff. Staff said that they enjoy working at the home, and one of the main reasons for this is that children are being provided with a family-like home environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an excellent role model to her staff team. She keeps the child at the centre of everything she does. Over the last twelve months the manager has learned to trust in her staff more, and develop their individual strengths and skills. Because of this, the child’s care remains consistent when the manager is away, which is testament to her strong leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a clear vision for the home and has created an environment where staff are continually supported to learn and develop. The training provided is focused on the needs of the child and is kept under regular review to ensure that it meets any emerging needs. There is a culture of healthy challenge. Reflective practice is deeply embedded. Staff supervision is reflective in nature and is supported by the underlying therapeutic approach to care. The manager and staff are committed to continually improving practice, which is increasingly influenced by academic research. For example, as members of a team, they have researched topics such as shame and interpersonal trauma, and use this to inform their understanding of the child’s experiences and behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Quality assurance tools and monitoring systems are highly effectively. She has comprehensive oversight of the care of the child to ensure excellent standards are maintained. There has been review and implementation of a new model of care that is centred around love and understanding. This is fully embedded by staff and has contributed to the stability and excellent progress the child has made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Records written about the children clearly reflect the therapeutic ethos of the home. They are written to the child and are considerate of how children may experience reading their records in the future. The records reflect that children are loved, accepted and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Communicating with children’s families is a strength in this home. This approach supports parents to be fully involved in the care around their child. There is very good communication between staff and parents. This means that approaches to care are understood by all. This also ensures that there is consistency in care when children have Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 6 family time. A family member stated, ‘This is the best place for her, where she gets the right support. It’s been just over a year and we can see the improvements.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager works exceptionally well with other professionals, such as social workers and teachers. She challenges others when needed, while respecting the value of a team approach. Professionals involved with the children are extremely complimentary about the efforts of the manager and staff to support the needs of children. An educational professional commented on the patience, knowledge and commitment of the manager, stating, ‘Communication with all stakeholders has enabled positive working relationships and outstanding support for [child’s name].’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 7

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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: SC487764 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Care (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keystone Chartered Accountants, 263 Nottingham Road, Nottingham NG7 7DA

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Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487764 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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