Children's Home run by 1st Class Support & Housing Ltd in Thurrock

Inspection report for children’s home: 2636403 1 Registered provider: 1st Class Support & Housing 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 by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children aged between 11 and 17 who experience social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 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: 23 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: 2636403 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2636403 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has left the home since the last inspection. Two children have moved in and are making good progress. Both children were spoken to during this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with good quality care in the home. Children’s complex needs are understood well, and they are provided with effective support by staff. Children feel safe and well cared for. Staff talk about the children with warmth and advocate for them. Children feel they can approach staff if they need help or support, and they are confident that they will get it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. They attend all routine health appointments, and staff take prompt action in response to any health concerns. Staff make arrangements for specialist support for children when the need is identified.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children’s relationships with family members. Sensitive support is given so that children can spend quality time with their families. For example, one child was helped to attend a family wedding in which they played a significant role.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are listened to. They benefit from conversations with committed staff that address their needs and ongoing development. There are regular house meetings in which children are consulted on their experiences of the home. This helps children feel settled and involved in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of activities based on their individual interests. This provides them with enjoyable opportunities, both inside and outside the home. Outings have included a lorry experience day, trips to extreme fitness events, the cinema and bowling.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend educational provisions. Consequently, children’s attendance is good. Staff have effective communication with providers to ensure information is being shared.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported with their independence. Children have made progress in carrying out household tasks, including keeping their bedroom tidy, bringing the washing in, and washing up. This helps develop important skills for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and comfortable environment, which is decorated to reflect cultural celebrations and annual events. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their individual tastes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2636403 4

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

The staff are suitably skilled in de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed practice. This has helped ensure that there have not been any uses of physical intervention at the home since the last inspection.

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

The managers have a good understanding of the local area and potential risks. Risk assessments are updated and kept under close review. Local police officers are invited to coffee mornings to discuss new and existing concerns in the surrounding community.

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

When there are concerns raised by children, these are acted on swiftly. Managers take quick and decisive action to keep the children safe and communicate effectively with outside agencies. When necessary, independent scrutiny is sought to provide impartial and unbiased oversight.

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

Children receive ongoing support for managing their behaviour. The staff make sure records of incidents are clear. This information is shared with external bodies, such as social workers, to highlight new and existing risks. Managers make referrals for necessary support and assist children with appointments.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When children have gone missing, the managers have shared this information with the relevant people. Return home interviews have been completed with the child to gather their views and to check on their welfare.

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

The managers work closely with external agencies. When children have had incidents in school, the manager has ensured that measures have been implemented by the school to keep the children safe. The manager has also requested updates to make sure strategies have been effective.

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

Guidance for staff is not sufficiently clear on how to manage potential conflicts of interest if they need to raise a concern about another member of staff. Although staff are able to identify independent routes through which concerns could be raised, the lack of clear guidance increases the risk of concerns being managed ineffectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are supported by a dedicated and committed management team, whose members have high aspirations for the children in their care and the staff working with them. The registered manager has extensive experience and is currently working towards the level 7 diploma. The manager has close support from a deputy manager and a responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team provides strong oversight. Weekly and monthly audits take place to ensure staff are completing tasks to a good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team works closely with the children. The manager and the deputy have a hands-on approach with supporting the children. For example, they take them to Inspection report for children’s home: 2636403 5 appointments and out on activities. The relationships are caring and supportive and children enjoy being in their company.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed specific training that helps them to meet the children’s needs. The manager ensures that the members of the team are provided with opportunities to strengthen their own skills and development, with senior staff working towards achieving higher diplomas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some issues within the staff team that have contributed to a lack of cohesiveness. The members of the management team have organised for a clinician to work closely with staff and have arranged training to help them to communicate better as team, as well as address issues in team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are frequent and cover a range of topics to support the staff in understanding their roles. The management has systems in place to address staff performance and support their progress. However, despite this, staff have not always had the opportunities to reflect on their own attitudes and behaviours through supervision. Inspection report for children’s home: 2636403 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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 staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)) 31 December 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are made familiar with the home’s internal whistleblowing procedures through the induction process. In particular, ensure that staff understand the process for sharing concerns where there may be a conflict of interest. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect and act upon how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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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: 2636403 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 1st Class Support & Housing Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8, Realgar Court, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 5JZ

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Inspectors

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Jo Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2636403 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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