Children's Home run by Fair Ways in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 1 SC066481 Registered provider: Fair Ways Community Benefit Society Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to five children. The home uses a therapeutic model to care for children who have experienced abuse, severed connections with birth families, previous placements or exclusion from mainstream school. It provides care to children who have felt or experienced neglect and rejection. It is operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of a charity, which has its own education setting nearby.

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Information about this children’s home

There were five children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2023 Full Good 12/10/2022 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are attuned to children’s needs and go the extra mile to support them. This helps children to feel cared for. The children living in the home have all established close bonds with each other and enjoy both individual and shared activities. They are thriving and are making excellent progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A particular strength of the service is the way that staff work creatively with children and their families to help them rebuild relationships. Families stay closely involved in relation to decisions about their children’s care. Children are supported to spend positive time with their families. Plans to rebuild relationships with families are designed with great care and at a pace that children feel is right for them. As a result, some children have moved back to live with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The therapeutic ethos is thoroughly embedded throughout staff practice. This helps staff gain insight and understanding of the inner world of each child. Packages of outreach support to families, as well as joint working between professionals and the home’s linked therapist, mean the direct work adults carry out with children is effective. This ‘team around the child’ approach ensures that children get the support that they need. One parent said, ‘The work the home is doing with my child is working. It is the right therapeutic place for her; she has an outlet and is understood and making progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children are fully engaged and enjoying education. When children move into the home, their education is prioritised so that they promptly access the right provision for them. As a result, children make progress and achieve in their learning. One child has improved her reading age by two years since moving into the home. Children who previously struggled to attend education now have good attendance at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live a healthy lifestyle. They are supported to stay well and attend medical appointments. Staff work closely with placing authority health provision to put in additional support when needed. As a result, one child has overcome his fear of going to the dentist, and another has made improvements in relation to the treatment and symptoms of a health condition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are at the core of decisions that are made about them. Their views and opinions are encouraged and valued. For example, there is high participation in group meetings, one of many spaces where children’s voices can be heard. In addition, their views are considered when new children join them to live in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children say that they enjoy an array of activities, and they get to go to places of their choosing. Children have opportunities to attend football, horse riding lessons, drama clubs and go swimming. Such experiences provide them with enrichment and fun, enabling them to develop their confidence and expand their circle of friends. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 4 Diversity is celebrated, and children are encouraged to be themselves and to develop a sense of their identity. Some children have been supported to remain engaged with their beliefs and are supported to go to church. Parents appreciate this practice, as their shared values are being observed. One professional said, ‘Of particular benefit to the young people has been the cultural connections that they have. This has allowed for further exploration of their birth culture, which has been hugely positive.’

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

Staff create a community environment in which children experience security and are emotionally held. The home’s linked therapists and caring adults provide therapeutic packages that are created to support each child. Adults are trained in therapeutic approaches. They benefit from regular meetings with a therapist to help them to understand how children’s experiences influence the way that they feel and how they see the world.

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

Staff are trained in the appropriate use of restraint, and this is only used on occasions when it is necessary to keep the child and others safe. Staff are usually successful in supporting children when they are in crisis without the need to use physical interventions. These interventions, when used, are for short periods. Management oversight of incidents is timely and effective. Incidents are always followed up with nurturing conversations with the staff and children involved. This helps them to reflect and learn together from incidents.

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

All adults know what to do and who to inform if they have any concerns. Any concerns regarding the care or support for children are shared with the appropriate agencies and investigated. Records of investigations are thorough and have an additional layer of scrutiny through the home’s external process. Consequently, concerns are managed effectively, and necessary actions are taken.

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

Children know how to make a complaint, and they are listened to. Children’s complaints are meticulously recorded and taken very seriously. Children are updated about any outcome or reasons for delays to ensure that they feel heard.

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

Support plans are informed by advice and guidance from external professionals, such as psychologists or safeguarding leads. When safety plans need to change, the home consults the wider network to ensure that all agree with updated strategies and processes. This enables adults to understand what they need to do to help each child stay safe.

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

The current children living in the home do not go missing from home. When children have previously gone missing, there was a coordinated response from the home, other professionals and children’s families, which resulted in their safe return home.

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

Thorough safer recruitment processes are in place to ensure that staff who come to work in the home have had all necessary checks before they start. There is an extensive Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 5 induction programme for new staff. Consequently, children are looked after by adults who are appropriately trained and understand their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have shaped an environment where children are supported to heal and recover from early trauma. They are nurtured and loved by a team of adults who are dedicated to their development and care. Staff have high aspirations for one another and high hopes for the children in their care. Belief that children can thrive and succeed with guidance and support is firmly rooted in the care that children receive. One family support worker said, ‘T he staff truly know the children well and consistently prioritise their needs. They are knowledgeable, approachable and always willing to accommodate and support the child.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults strengthen their knowledge and skills through regular supervision as well as guidance from a psychologist in clinical supervision sessions. Their insight about the impact of trauma on children’s development shines through the care that they deliver and is recognised by other professionals. One social worker said, ‘[Name of home] is the most effective, therapeutic residential placement that I have ever worked with. They care deeply about these children and support them to thrive. They promote their welfare; they listen and understand these children very well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff feel well supported by their managers. One said, ‘Our current manager is our advocate and allows us to be the best that we can in our roles; they give us advice and a space to learn. The children are always the priority, and the manager is always looking forwards to improve and expand our therapeutic parenting.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers advocate ardently and effectively for children when this is required. These efforts are appreciated by the children and their families. Feedback provided to the home by a mother stated, ‘I feel so lucky to have worked alongside [name of home] to be reunited with my son. They have made this process easier for both me and my son, and they have catered and facilitated us in every aspect with compassion and care.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s progress and behaviours are closely scrutinised, which ensures that adults and professionals can assess the impact of any interventions. Children are aware of their goals, and there are incentives in place that keep them on track.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s monthly monitoring and review process ensures that there is no complacency and that there is a continued ambition to improve. When development areas are identified, they are acknowledged, reflected on and addressed effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 6

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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: SC066481 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fair Ways Community Benefit Society

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: FairWays, Ground Floor, Building 1000, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3EN

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Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC066481 8 regulates 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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