Children's home run by Envision Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 1 Registered provider: Envision Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 15 May 2024 and is operated by a small private company. It provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as 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

Date of last inspection: not previously registered

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home registered, one child has moved into the home. The child was present throughout the inspection and shared their views with the inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff helped the child to settle into the home well. Staff provide the child with a sense of safety and stability with predictable daily routines. Staff have established good relationships with the child. They speak about them with care and empathy. The child said that it is good living at the home. They feel listened to and have trusted adults who they can share any worries with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are supporting the child to make steady progress with education from their starting point. They encourage the child to take part in tutoring at the home. This includes supporting the child to have a good sleep routine, which helps them to feel ready to learn. However, staff are not consistently offering opportunities for educational activities outside of tutoring during school hours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys social activities in the community alongside the staff. Staff encourage activities which encourage the child’s emotional and physical health. These are based on the child’s known likes. While the child’s engagement is variable, staff have a good understanding of the barriers to their full participation and are slowly addressing these.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have positive relationships with the child’s family. Staff support the child to spend time with their family, including spending time together at the home on the child’s birthday. The child described it as being the ‘second-best birthday’ they have ever had and said that they enjoyed time with their family and staff, eating cake and opening presents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to attend health appointments. This is progress for the child as they have previously refused medical intervention. While staff support the child sensitively with their long-term personal health needs, leaders and managers have not obtained all the relevant information about the child’s medical history that they need to inform the child’s current care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An education psychologist meets with staff to guide their practice and offer individual therapy at the home. However, this therapeutic offer is not yet embedded in the child’s plans or in staff’s practice as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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

There have been minimal safeguarding incidents at the home. When these have occurred, they have been responded to appropriately. One incident of restraint has been used when necessary to keep everyone safe. Management oversight of the incident included debrief conversations with staff and the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 3 Leaders and managers work with relevant professionals to manage safeguarding incidents. Allegations about adults are appropriately escalated to the local authority designated officer. The manager and staff are working with the police to implement consequences that avoid criminalisation of the child.

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

Staff have knowledge of online safety and monitor the child’s use of internet-enabled devices. They regularly support the child to consider online risks alongside helping the child to enjoy online games and maintain links with friends and family. This reduces the risks associated with using the internet.

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

Staff are familiar with risks that are individual to the child. Risks are identified in assessments with clear actions to minimise these. There is a standard missing-from- home protocol. However, this is not individualised to the child. Although this is not a regular behaviour for the child, plans do not contain clear steps for staff to follow should the child go missing from the home.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that the child is supervised at the level they have been assessed as needing. There is a consistent team of staff who the child knows well. When agency staff are used, the manager ensures that they receive a detailed induction that equips them with the knowledge they need to support the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was present throughout the inspection. She is working towards the required level 5 qualification. The home is led by a cohesive management team that is committed to the child. The manager models effective engagement with the child and their family. As a result, the child and staff feel supported by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the child’s wishes and feelings, and the child feels confident sharing their views with them. Any concerns are resolved in line with the complaints policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are examples of child-centred recording. These records are written in a respectful, thoughtful way and capture the meaningful conversations with the child. However, the quality of recording is variable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have clear expectations of staff and challenge poor practice effectively when this is identified. Staff receive supervision that is supportive and focuses on outcomes for the child. The manager benefits from a high level of support as they adjust to their new management role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good communication with the child’s social work team. This helps progress planning around education and family time. However, the manager has not been persistent in obtaining delegated authority or all relevant and accurate information about the child’s early experiences of their care. This reduces the effectiveness of the current assessments and plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 4 Leaders and managers know their strengths and areas for development. They have implemented plans to address these, which has resulted in improvements in practice. The manager uses external monitoring effectively to improve the quality of care, and there is a culture of reflection and learning in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that relevant information and documents are obtained. This includes delegated authority and relevant information to help staff understand children’s early developmental and care experiences to inform current plans. 2 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that full information is gathered about children’s health needs and medical history and ensure that there is an effective way to monitor the child’s presenting health needs. 2 December 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the child is supported to regain their confidence in education and engage in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, ensure that there is individualised guidance for staff to follow when children go missing from care. (‘Guide Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 6 to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. In particular, embed the therapeutic offer outlined in the statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52,

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Recommendations

paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘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: 2765733 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 33 High Street, Harlow CM17 0DN

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Inspectors

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Carrie Twinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2765733 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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