Children's home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2627054 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare 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

This home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home and no children have moved in. At time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child was spoken to during 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 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: 2627054 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/05/2023 Full Good 04/10/2022 Full Good 19/07/2022 Full Inadequate 24/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2627054 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff. Children are confident in sharing their views, wishes and feelings. This enables children’s voices to be heard. The child living at the home speaks positively about the care they receive. Staff support children to meet and speak with professionals. This supports children to be involved in making decisions about their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are strong advocates for education. The manager challenges any delays in children receiving education. This helps children to overcome barriers to education and support their future aspirations. Staff support children to receive a bespoke education programme. One child is being provided with daily tutoring and educational activities to support their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to visit their families. Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with families. This helps children to feel safe and for families to feel supported. One parent shared how positively staff communicate with them regarding their child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in activities. Children take part in the planning of their activities, which helps them to develop their personal interests. One child shared that they enjoy going fishing, going to football matches and to the gym, as well as helping the manager to care for horses. Staff support children to take part in community activities. This encourages children to learn about their local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is organised and comfortable. Children help to choose the décor and furniture for their bedrooms and communal areas of the home. The home has two cats that the children enjoy, and this helps create a nurturing environment. There is a spacious garden with an outside eating area. The manager has plans to create a sensory area in the garden for children to use.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

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

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s needs and risk. Professionals share that staff are responsive to advice and guidance. This enhances the care provided to children. Children are supported to learn about their safety through daily discussions and planned individual activities. When specialist support is required, this is progressed swiftly by the manager. Staff are supporting one child to attend therapy to help them to explore their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have detailed support plans, which provides guidance for staff to meet their needs. There have been occasions when staff have required support from the police. When this has occurred, staff support children to understand the reasons for this. Support plans are updated and reviewed to reflect learning from these incidents and to identify any further support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2627054 4 Staff support children to share their views about their home. This creates an inclusive living environment. When children make complaints, the manager acts swifty to explore these complaints. Children are supported to share their views and to understand the outcome of their complaint. This helps children to feel valued and know that their views are respected. The manager arranges independent advocates for children when these are required. An individual education programme was developed for one child, with the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time in their community safely. Staff support children to understand risks and how to keep safe. This helps children to learn about safe friendships and relationships. One child is being supported to meet friends in the community as part of their independence. The manager has developed positive relationships with the community and police. This is effective in resolving any disputes which may occur.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager effectively follows the safe recruitment process. This means staff are assessed as suitable to work with children. The manager has clear expectations for staff to be strong advocates for children. This helps children to be well cared for and to be kept safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is enthusiastic and a strong advocate for children. Staff are committed to providing children with a safe home environment. The manager and staff share a vision for children to be provided with new experiences. This provides children with positive role models.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide staff with supervision and training. This provides the staff with the required skills to care for children. Team meetings provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on the needs of children. This helps to identify whether staff require additional training and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has devised an audit to review the education and activities of children. This helps staff to support children in these areas. Leaders and managers recognise that further progress is required in organising and implementing monitoring and review systems. The manager is developing an audit to review the experiences of children and the effectiveness of staff support. The aim of this is to continue to improve the care and safety of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff communicate positively with all professionals. Professionals shared that the manager and staff effectively share their knowledge about children’s needs. This supports professionals to understand the support children require. The manager recognises that written reports are not consistently shared with social workers. This is an area of development to ensure placing authorities can make informed decisions regarding children’s future care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2627054 5

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must continue to develop and implement monitoring systems to review the progress of children and to develop staff practice. 7 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must comply with requests by the child’s placing authority to—

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Requirement Due date

provide the placing authority with information relating to the child. (Regulation 17 (3)(a)) 7 February 2025

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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: 2627054 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

Siân Heffey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2627054 7 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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