Children's Home run by Isle of Wight Council in Isle of Wight

Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 1 SC395944

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Registered provider: Isle of Wight Council

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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 owned and run by the local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to 10 children with learning disabilities. It provides both short breaks and long- stay placements.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, six children were living in the home and two children were staying for short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2024 Full Good 01/03/2023 Full Good 17/03/2022 Full Good 30/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are relaxed and confident in their home and during their short breaks due to the nurturing care they receive from a committed team of core staff. Children experience emotionally warm and supportive interactions with staff. Children’s achievements and progress, however small, are celebrated and beautifully captured through the ‘rainbow awards’ displayed for everyone to see. This builds children’s positive self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive consistent and good-quality care that is critical to their experiences, progress and development. This is achieved through a wide range of additional experiences, including interaction with peers, opportunities to develop their independence skills and being able to participate in local trips to parks and farms. Events are arranged at the home for the children and their families to enjoy. Photos throughout the home showcase memories of fun and enjoyment had by all. Consequently, children develop confidence in their social and independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are well prepared and use a range of communication methods to enable the children’s voices to be heard. Throughout the day, children are fully consulted on all aspects of their lives and routinely make choices. These include selecting from a list of activities they would like to do and choosing snacks and their evening meal. Routines, structure and choices help children to make good progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children play happily with the wide range of toys available and use arts and crafts materials. They relax in the communal lounge, dining area or soft playroom. Children have fun at the home and are encouraged by staff to expand their experiences. The home is spacious, and children play freely in all areas, including the gardens. However, some areas of the home need some attention to make them cosier and to feel more like a family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time with their families is promoted well and is a clear focus for staff. Staff show sensitivity when managing and supporting family relationships and work in partnership to support what matters most to children. One parent said, ‘It has been all positive; [name of child] is interacting and playing, and that makes me overjoyed.’

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

Children’s actions, demeanour and confidence around staff show that they feel safe in the home. Safeguarding incidents are managed well. The registered manager reports any concerns appropriately and works positively with professionals to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 4 A serious medication error had occurred, and this put a child at risk of harm. The error was identified immediately. A thorough external investigation was carried out, and appropriate follow-up actions were taken. Furthermore, leaders and managers ensured that lessons were learned from this incident. This resulted in changes to policy and procedures and changes in practice to prevent reoccurrence. There is now a robust process for managing and administering medication. Furthermore, staff have completed competency assessments. However, training in relation to managing medication had not been prioritised for all staff following the incident.

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

There are robust placement plans in place to support staff to better understand children’s behaviours and adapt their responses to meet their needs. Leaders and managers’ monitoring and oversight of incidents support staff to use strategies to a positive effect. This helps to ensure that physical intervention is only used when necessary.

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

Children’s plans are child-centred and specific to their individual needs. Staff have a good understanding of how to protect children from harm. Staff have attended safeguarding training, and safeguarding is discussed in staff supervision sessions and team meetings. Staff are aware of their responsibilities of how to raise any concerns swiftly.

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

Leaders and managers recruit new staff safely. Staff are thoroughly vetted and assessed before any appointment is confirmed. Health and safety systems are robust. This means children live and stay in a secure home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager demonstrates a dedicated commitment to ensuring high standards of care for children. The management arrangements provide a supportive, collaborative and caring culture within the home for everyone. The independent person provides effective challenge, and the registered manager swiftly addresses any concerns. This ensures continual improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported in their roles, and new staff complete a thorough induction. Staff receive supervision sessions, and regular team meetings are held to enable staff to reflect on their practice. However, annual appraisals have not been completed for staff. This results in missed opportunities to review staff performance and identify their professional development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has effective monitoring systems in place. Leaders and managers review all children’s case records, monthly reports, incidents and safeguarding concerns. As a result of this monitoring and oversight, the management team understands children’s day-to-day experiences and has a well-rounded view of the progress that the children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about their roles, and some have worked in the home for several years. Staff work as a team and support each other well. Staff demonstrate their care Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 5 for the children and take pride in each child’s achievements. One member of staff said, ‘I feel very lucky to be part of a team of great people. I have had the pleasure of watching children being nurtured and cared for in a kind and professional way.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers are positive about their working relationships with the registered manager and staff and say that they are kept well informed. One social worker said, ‘Staff seem to have the knowledge and understanding of the children’s needs. They work in partnership with all agencies to ensure that children’s social and emotional needs and mental health are understood and well promoted.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff are trained and competent to safely administer medication. 27 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(c)) 27 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a homely, nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. In particular, ensure that redecoration is prioritised and that the home is made cosy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 7

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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: SC395944 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Isle of Wight Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 1UD

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Inspector

Hannah Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC395944 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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