Children's Home run by Treetops Children Homes in Derby

Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 1 Registered provider: Treetops Children’s Homes 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

The home is operated by a private company to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since March 2024. A new manager has been recruited and is due to start imminently.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. The inspector met and gathered feedback from two children. One child remained away from the home for the duration of the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 17 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: 2731415 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, clean and welcoming environment that promotes a sense of belonging and security for the children living there. It has a family-like atmosphere. Children are encouraged to personalise their space, with individual decoration of their bedrooms reflecting their personal tastes. The home is appropriately furnished, offering a comfortable space for the children. The large garden provides valuable space for children to take part in outdoor activities, including growing fruit and vegetables during the summer months. Children’s artwork is proudly displayed throughout the home, further personalising the space and celebrating their creativity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is highly attuned to the needs of the children and has developed strong, positive relationships with them. Staff’s knowledge of each child enables them to create a relaxed and supportive environment, where children feel valued and understood. Positive interactions between staff and children indicate a caring and respectful atmosphere in which the children feel comfortable. The children clearly benefit from these relationships, which contribute to their sense of well-being and emotional safety within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made exceptional progress since arriving at the home. This child, who initially struggled with social isolation and had significant difficulties leaving the home, has made remarkable progress. They now attend education regularly outside of the home and engage in activities with the staff, marking a significant shift in their social engagement and personal development. This progress demonstrates the home’s positive impact on the child’s overall development and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children described feeling happy at the home. They said that they feel well supported by the staff and are confident in identifying someone who they can turn to if they need help. These positive responses indicate that the children feel secure and valued in the home, reinforcing the good quality of care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s meetings are not held regularly, which may impact the home’s ability to effectively capture and consider the children’s views on their day-to-day experiences. It is essential that there are mechanisms in place to gather the children’s thoughts and feelings about their care. Ensuring that the children’s voices are heard and considered is crucial to maintaining a child-centred approach in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While staff have made efforts to facilitate an opportunity for one child to spend time with important people in their life, there has been a significant delay in this process. This delay could have had an impact on the child’s emotional well-being. The staff team should have been more proactive in challenging the delay and ensuring that the child’s care planning with the placing authority was prioritised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 4

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

Children in the home are settled, and the overall incidence of challenging behaviours is low. When incidents do occur, staff respond promptly and appropriately, ensuring the children’s safety and well-being. However, while incident reports are completed, they do not consistently capture the extent of staff’s efforts or the supportive work undertaken with children to reduce ongoing risks. Improving the detail in these records would provide a fuller picture of the proactive measures in place and help to reinforce the home’s commitment to safety.

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

The children express that they feel safe living in the home, with each child reporting they have someone they trust to speak to if they need support. This is mirrored in feedback from a social worker, who said that staff have effectively managed risks for one child, resulting in a notable reduction in those risks since the child moved into the home. This sense of security and trust highlights the strong relationships between children and staff, which contribute to the children’s overall sense of protection and stability.

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

Risk assessments are updated regularly; however, they sometimes lack critical detail that would ensure a more comprehensive approach to managing each child’s specific needs. For example, although a ligature risk for one child was known, the risk assessment did not include explicit guidance for staff should an incident occur. Despite this, staff have provided consistent support and have managed the child’s safety effectively. Strengthening these assessments to include all significant risks would enable a more structured approach to risk management and reinforce the staff’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively.

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

For children who go missing or are absent from the home, staff take appropriate action to ensure their safe return. Procedures are followed, and immediate responses are thorough. However, there is an opportunity to improve the reflection process following these incidents. More critical post-incident reflection would enable staff to identify any underlying issues or patterns and, where possible, prevent future episodes. Additionally, the process of capturing the child’s voice following incidents is not consistently applied, which is essential for understanding the child’s perspective and enhancing their care plan.

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

Efforts have been made to reduce the likelihood of missing episodes by supporting children to spend time with people who are significant to them. This approach shows a proactive commitment to building the children’s sense of belonging and stability within the home. While there are areas for improvement in documentation and post-incident reflection, the staff demonstrate a strong dedication to the safety and well-being of the children, providing a safe and supportive environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A registered manager has not been in post for eight months, leaving the responsible individual and the deputy manager to cover leadership duties. While both the responsible individual and deputy manager demonstrate a genuine passion for the home and its Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 5 development, the absence of stable and experienced leadership has impacted the home’s overall effectiveness and stability and presented challenges to the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team has experienced a turbulent period following the resignation of the previous manager, and recruiting a suitable replacement has been an ongoing challenge. The responsible individual has made efforts to fill leadership gaps temporarily, but this has not been a sustainable solution. The deputy manager, while enthusiastic and committed, lacks the experience needed to manage a children’s home effectively, leaving staff without the benefit of seasoned leadership that could help them navigate the home’s challenges and improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The senior team members who are currently supporting the less-experienced staff also lack adequate experience in managing a children’s home, which limits the level of guidance available to the team. The responsible individual has recruited a new manager, who is expected to start in the coming weeks. They are confident that the appointment will bring stability to the home. Recruitment efforts for additional team members are also ongoing, aiming to address staff shortages and turnover. However, this transition period continues to affect the home’s consistency of care and sense of direction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff morale has been significantly impacted by the instability in management, with several team members describing the period as being extremely challenging. Without a consistent manager, staff report uncertainty about who is in charge, which has added stress to their daily roles. While they appreciate the responsible individual’s support, they are eager to have a stable manager in place to provide clear direction. Staff remain dedicated to the children and committed to their roles, but the current conditions risk impacting staff retention, as team members report feeling stretched and exhausted from covering additional shifts due to staffing shortages.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are gaps in the support systems intended to provide guidance and oversight for staff, notably in professional supervision. Staff have not been receiving regular, recorded supervision sessions, with one staff member having gone four months without any formal supervision. This is particularly concerning given the relatively low experience level within the team, as consistent supervision is essential for professional development and for addressing challenges in the care of vulnerable children. Inconsistent record- keeping and a lack of documentation further illustrate the need for structured, regular support for the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training gaps exist, posing risks to both staff development and children’s welfare. Some team members lack training in essential areas, such as first aid and physical restraint, which are critical to maintaining a safe environment. There is a child in the home who is considered to be at risk of using ligatures, but only three staff members have received relevant training about this. The deputy manager reported that ligature awareness was discussed in a team meeting; however, no formal record of this training exists. Addressing these training gaps and establishing consistent support and supervision practices will be essential to ensure that both staff and children are appropriately safeguarded. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments are in place, up to date and accurate, reflecting the current risks for children. This requirement is restated from the previous inspection. 13 February 2025

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that contact plans with important people are in place for children without delay. 13 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 7 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have the proper training in place to meet the needs of the children in their care. It also relates to ensuring that there are the appropriate levels of staffing in the home and that staff receive regular supervision. This also relates to ensuring that the updating of records reflects the progress of the children and any risks to them. 13 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. (Regulation 45 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that regulation 45 reports are completed every six months. 13 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child runs away persistently or engages in other risky behaviours, such as frequently being absent from the home to meet with inappropriate adults, the registered person, in consultation with the child’s placing authority, should convene a risk management meeting to develop a strategy for managing risks to the young person. The strategy should be agreed with the child’s placing authority, the local authority where the home is located and the local police. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.32)

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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: 2731415 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Treetops Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2731415 10 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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