Children's home run by Evolve Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2677724 1 Registered provider: Evolve Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four children who may experience social or emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home shares a courtyard with another home that is run by the same company. The homes were previously one home, but they separated as individual registrations in 2022.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is new in post and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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: 2677724 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2677724 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke with both children living in the home. The children spoke about what they think are the best things are about living in their home. These include the fun activities they do and how their carers listen to them and regularly gather their views.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s care plans are individualised, and the support provided from staff is focused on their unique needs. Leaders and managers have put in place specific provisions to ensure that children’s needs are being met, which has included the home providing funding for specialist assessments.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work to encourage children to engage with their education provision and demonstrate creativity and perseverance in this. Leaders and managers advocate for children when there are challenges to them accessing appropriate education. This has resulted in good progress for some children and limited for others.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with children’s families and the professionals who are supporting the children. Staff support and promote family time for children and recognise the importance of maintaining these relationships. Staff have regular conversations with external agencies to ensure continuity of care. Communication is a strength in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are gathered during weekly meetings and through regular conversations. The children say that the staff ‘just ask us all the time’ about how they are and what they would like to change. Leaders and managers ensure that children’s views are considered in decision-making about their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers identified when the home was no longer the right place for a child. Although this resulted in a child leaving the home, this was done in such a way that they felt positive about the ending. Staff ensured that the child left with a book of memories from their time in the home, which the child informed them was their most treasured possession.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and related risks and vulnerabilities for the children, and they take action when concerns are identified. If children self-harm, this is taken seriously, and safety measures are put in place to support children. Staff update plans and risk assessments when necessary, and these plans are effective in informing the team of how to support the children.

p.3

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

Staff respond effectively when children who go missing from home and follow their respective missing-from-home passports. Staff consider the reasons behind why children Inspection report for children’s home: 2677724 4 go missing and provide a nurturing response to them when they return. Leaders and managers promote a proactive response to incidents.

p.3

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

Staff focus on supporting children to have positive relationships with each other. There have been periods when the relationships between children have been fractured, and incidents have occurred. Staff and leaders and managers managed these incidents appropriately and worked to attempt to repair the relationships. Plans around how the home will manage competing needs and risks when new children move into the home should be made clearer.

p.4

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

There are 36 recorded incidents involving physical intervention. Of these, the home considers 16 to be classed as restraints. A number of these interventions were guides. The physical intervention records which were reviewed show staff using restraint as a last resort and only when a member of staff or child are at significant risk.

p.4

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

Staff provide clear boundaries for children but use a nurturing approach following incidents. The team refers safeguarding concerns appropriately to relevant agencies and has open communication with the professionals working with the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the children and are very involved in their care. This means they can support their staff team effectively in providing individualised care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers advocate strongly on behalf of the children with other agencies and challenge where appropriate. Managers act when progress is not being made for children. While this has not always been effective for every child, there is clear evidence of different methods being used to try to enhance children’s overall development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers measure progress from children’s starting points and focus on the relationships that children have with their carers, as well as their emotional well-being. This supports children to feel emotionally safe.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they love working in the home. They say that they feel supported and find supervision helpful and effective. Staff say that the training they receive is effective in helping them to do their jobs. They advise that the training is altered to help them to develop their skills to meet children’s individual needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has progressed from a deputy role in the home, and this has supported the children and the staff team in providing continuity. The manager can identify the home’s strengths and areas for development, and while some of the staff are new, they say that team morale is high, and they feel well supported.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers prioritise professional relationships with external agencies, and communication is regular to ensure that children are receiving the best support possible. Leaders and managers challenge external agencies when they feel that action from them is not effective and are persistent in this when responses are not forthcoming. Inspection report for children’s home: 2677724 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.5

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is sent to HMCI when it is reviewed. 1 December 2024

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should only accept placements for children when they have fully considered, and evidenced, the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.5

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: 2677724 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Evolve Childcare Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite B, Blackdown House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2PX

p.6

Inspector

Helen Cushnie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2677724 7 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.6

Inspector

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7