Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 1 SC489223 Registered provider: Idem Living 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

This home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may have needs associated with social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Good 16/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children in this home make progress in respect of their relationships with staff and family members. The child who previously lived in the home initially had a poor relationship with their parents, with support and encouragement from staff this improved significantly. The child currently living in the home has also made progress with their diet and healthy eating habits. When they first came into the home, they would snack through the day, they now eat regular meals and take part with shopping and cooking. Children enjoy activities with staff, including trips to theme parks, water parks and to the cinema.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are caring, curious and appropriately use a therapeutic approach they have been trained in. Staff emphasise the importance of a calm and non-judgemental approach to working with the child. The child speaks warmly of the relationships they have with staff; the child has commented that they love some members of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are out of education, the home actively advocates for support from the virtual school and local authority. The acting manager has put together a plan of educational activities which staff do with the child, and their engagement with this is regularly reviewed. However, the child does not engage with any structured groups, nor have staff helped the child to take part in activities with their peers. This has limited the child’s ability to make friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, this is not always well planned, and children do not always have opportunity to meet staff before they move in. Links with children who have moved one from the home are also lacking, which means that children may not feel important and valued once they move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated. Furniture and furnishings are of a high quality, and there is a homely feel throughout. Children have some input into decorating their rooms. The garden remains in need of care and attention; this was a requirement from the previous inspection and remains an issue to be addressed.

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

Risks are known and understood by staff, who engage with relevant training to learn about how to support the child and what concerning signs to look for. Leaders and managers have sourced bespoke training for the staff to undertake, to help them manage some of the behaviours that take place in the home.

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

When the child goes missing from home staff actively search for them, they ring them and try to contact their friends and family members. When staff are unable to locate the child, they know when they need to contact the police and other agencies and work hard to try to bring the child home safely. When these incidents take place, leaders and Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 4 managers engage with multi-agency working in order to share information and concerns around risks. Leaders and managers have also advocated for relevant agencies and support mechanisms to be in place for the child.

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

When medication errors take place, these are clearly recorded and responded to appropriately. Local authority designated officer referrals are made promptly and steps are taken to reduce the risk of further errors.

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

Some work has been done with the child to minimise the risks that they face. However, work with the child around substances, healthy relationships, risks around going missing, or vaping is lacking. Leaders and managers have sourced an external agency to work with the child regarding cannabis; however, this was refused by the child and insufficient work has since been carried out with them. This has contributed to the child continuing to engage in risky and potentially harmful activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an established staff team which provides stability and consistency to the child. The acting manager is dedicated and committed to providing good-quality care and leading the staff team effectively. Leaders and managers have good vision for the development of this home and high expectations for what children can achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported well by senior leaders and managers. They are proud of what they achieve for children as a close staff team and are passionate about the important role that they play in children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social care professionals report positively on the quality of care provided by the home’s staff. There is good partnership working with professionals from social care which helps to promote positive care planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment is undertaken appropriately, and leaders and managers work hard to ensure that gaps are filled by themselves, or by known members of the team from other homes, rather than relying on the use of agency workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly. The training needs of the team are discussed, as well as reflections on working with the child, and how staff use therapeutic techniques in their work. Supervision sessions take place regularly, in which practice issues and safeguarding issues are discussed. At times, there is good reflection on how staff are working with child and how the approach of staff can be adapted to meet the needs of the child. However, there is a lack of action taken by staff to help the child learn how to keep themselves safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who —

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to —

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the garden provides a safe and welcoming environment for the child. 25 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children —

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that transitions into and out of the home are carefully planned and wherever possible, children have opportunities to meet and start to develop relationships with staff prior to moving into the home. Additionally, the registered person should ensure that staff closely work with children to reduce individual risks, as set out in children’s plans. 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 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: SC489223 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Stable Court Business Centre, Water Lane, Tarbock Green, Prescot L35 1RD

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Proposed registered manager is in post.

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Inspector

Min Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC489223 8 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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