Children's Home run by Future In Mind Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 1 SC063653 Registered provider: Future In Mind Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care for up to two children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2020 and holds a level 5 qualification.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2024 Full Good 01/02/2023 Full Good 11/05/2021 Full Good 10/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home. One other child lived in the home for a short period, before moving into alternative accommodation due to an escalation of risks. Despite the challenges that led to the child leaving, staff provided a high level of support which contributed to stability for both children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carefully assesses risk when new children move into the home. Despite this, a change in dynamics between the two children led to children and staff experiencing an unsettled period. The manager regularly reviewed risks to inform decision-making and care planning. Learning has been identified from this period to improve future practice.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s health and well-being and ensure they are up to date with primary health appointments. Staff are proactive in supporting children’s emotional health needs. They incorporate the therapeutic model of care effectively in their everyday activities with children and reflect regularly on their progress. As a result, children develop strategies to deal with situations that overwhelm them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to make progress in their education. Managers understand the barriers when children struggle to attend school. They work hard to help children to overcome them. For example, staff work closely with education professionals to ensure children are provided with continuity of support and ensure children’s needs and experiences are well understood.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a wide range of enjoyable activities. Staff work hard to get to know children and their likes and interests. These include spending time with animals, going to the gym and enjoying summer holidays. In addition, they support children to develop independence skills and embrace their individual identities and preferences. An education professional praised the manager’s efforts in promoting and increasing awareness of one child’s individuality.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. There are positive working relationships between staff, family members and external professionals. However, when one child’s time at the home ended abruptly, there were missed opportunities to enable the children to say goodbye, process this ending and take account of their experiences of loss to each other.

p.3

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

There are some excellent examples of working with other agencies to reduce and manage risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 4 The manager and staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. They have a good understanding of the risks posed to and from children. When concerns about staff are raised, policies and procedures are followed, and children are supported well. Multi- agency working remains central to safeguarding children.

p.3

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

When children go missing from the home, staff respond proactively and work collaboratively with safeguarding agencies. Detailed records are completed, and staff maintain contact with the child’s family. This helps to locate children as quickly as possible and put plans in place to reduce risk.

p.4

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

Children benefit from clear and consistent routines, rules and boundaries. Staff talk to children regularly about important things they might need some further help and support with. They use creative ways to support children to talk about their emotions. This helps children to reflect on their behaviours and actions.

p.4

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

Staff use de-escalation techniques to help children to manage their behaviour. This ensures that physical interventions are used only as a last resort. When physical intervention is used, staff ensure they reflect with children and support their understanding of what has happened. As well as supporting staff and children to reflect and learn, this means that staff maintain positive working relationships with children.

p.4

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

The manager and staff ensure children are as well protected online as possible. Online activity is monitored, and this helps them to protect children from possible risks such as exploitation. In general, children accept the boundaries that are in place. When they have difficulties with this, staff help them to understand.

p.4

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

On the whole, risk management plans are thorough and reviewed regularly. However, the required supervision levels for the child are not clear for staff. Due to staff’s good knowledge of the child, this has not compromised their safety.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A child-focused manager leads the home. She has an excellent understanding of the children’s experiences, personalities, needs and risks. Children are cared for by a consistent and committed staff team, who demonstrate unconditional support to them. This helps children to build meaningful relationships with the people who are caring for them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of children’s needs and the progress they make. She is a good advocate for children and is confident to challenge other professionals. This ensures that children are provided with appropriate support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers support the staff team through regular supervision. This is reflective in nature, focuses on the therapeutic model and provides an opportunity for staff to talk about any worries or concerns. Staff say they feel supported. They are positive about the manager and the impact she has on the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 5 The manager and staff work hard to ensure they use the home’s therapeutic model of parenting to inform their care of children. This means that children receive care that is underpinned by a caring and empathetic approach.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide variety of up-to-date training. However, staff have not yet received training in neurodiversity. This knowledge would strengthen the support they provide to one child. Most of the team are qualified and experienced. One member of staff has not achieved their qualification within the required timescale. They are enrolled and in the process of completing the qualification.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On the whole, staff’s record-keeping about children is child-focused and child friendly. However, on occasions, judgemental language has been used. This could impact the child’s sense of self-worth and identity should they request to read their record in the future. A recommendation is made to support improvement in this area. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a) (5)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff complete the appropriate qualification in a timely manner. 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that appropriate forms of contact are promoted and facilitated for each child, including where appropriate letters, emails and texts. In particular, the registered person should consider that children have the opportunity to say goodbye to each other when they move on at short notice, and where appropriate, helped to stay in touch with each other . (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.18)  The registered person should ensure the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis are included in children’s plans. In particular, plans should detail expectations around supervision of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure staff record information on individual children in

p.7

Recommendations

a non-stigmatising way. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.7

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: SC063653 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Future In Mind Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Future In Mind, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

p.8

Inspectors

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Charlotte Tippett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063653 9 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9