Children's home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 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 privately owned home provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities and children who have been affected by adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be 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 is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of last inspection: 20 November 2023

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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: 2724741 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2023 Full Good 27/09/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, three children lived in the home. All three children spoke with the inspectors during the inspection. Children’s experience and progress vary. Managers and staff do not always take appropriate action to address concerns raised by children, which consequently impacts on children’s overall experience. While children have mixed feelings about the care they receive, they have identified some members of staff that they trust and rely on for support. Positive and caring relationships were observed between children and staff during the visit.

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improvement to be good

Three children have moved on from the home since the last visit. Two children had a planned move in line with their care plans. The other child moved in an emergency following safeguarding concerns. Despite the urgency of the move, the managers and staff ensured that the child remained involved with plans as long as they could. The actions by staff and managers support children to have positive endings that contribute to their life story.

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improvement to be good

There is an inconsistent approach towards children’s education. Staff do not always work with other professionals efficiently to support children’s engagement with education. This has resulted in a delay with securing a suitable provision for one child. However, staff and managers have supported another child to maintain their place at a school to provide stability for the child. Staff advocate for children to ensure that they have the appropriate support and resources to meet their educational needs. This approach has supported some children to make progress from their starting points with their education.

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improvement to be good

Children are registered with the appropriate health services, and staff encourage them to attend their health appointments. When children refuse to attend appointments, staff educate them on the importance of looking after their health and well-being. The support from staff has assisted one child, who refused to attend health appointments, to discuss their health and well-being needs. This has resulted in a further referral for additional support for the child to enable them to achieve positive outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The home is a pleasant place for children to live. It is decorated to a high standard, and staff have worked hard to create a warm and welcoming environment for children. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their individual interests.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not taken appropriate actions to safeguard children who are at risk of exploitation. Actions to safeguard children from harm or risk of harm are not Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 4 effective. For example, a multi-disciplinary meeting identified the need for a safety plan for one child who is identified as being at risk of exploitation in an area they visit frequently. This was not actioned by managers or staff, and the child continued to visit this area of concern. Additionally, staff have missed opportunities to educate children on specific risks. This practice leaves children vulnerable to harm.

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improvement to be good

When children raise concerns about staff, the response from managers has been varied. This has led to some children feeling that they are not believed. One child told the inspector that they reported concerns to members of staff and the responsible individual, and these were not taken seriously. Additionally, the child’s concerns were not investigated. On occasion, there is no record of what actions have been taken to address concerns raised by children. Children are not always given the chance to talk to someone outside of the home, such as their social worker. This approach does not give children the confidence to share their concerns and could leave them feeling unsafe in their home. This practice is not in accordance with the home’s safeguarding policy.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical restraint with children only as a last resort. The quality of the recording of these incidents varies. Managers do not hold discussions with children and staff following incidents within a reasonable time. Additionally, the manager’s review of incidents does not appropriately identify and address unsafe practice. For example, when holds are used during incidents that staff have not been trained to do, this is not identified and addressed. These shortfalls do not provide the opportunity for children and staff to reflect on incidents, and neither does it ensure that poor practice is addressed promptly.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff take prompt actions to find them and share the information with relevant professionals. Some children are welcomed sensitively, and others are not. The insensitivity can leave children feeling less valued and could contribute to further absences from the home.

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improvement to be good

The quality of risk assessments varies, and they do not always reflect children’s current situations and known vulnerabilities. Consequently, this impacts on the actions and support from staff and managers to reduce harm to children.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risk that using the internet poses to children. Proactive action is taken to ensure that children are safe online. Staff ensure that children are educated to understand the dangers of using the internet so that they can keep themselves safe.

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good

The manager has an ambitious vision for the children and staff team. He is supported by a deputy manager and the responsible individual. The leadership team is aware of the shortfalls and has plans to address these. Children are supported by a Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 5 qualified staff team that receives ongoing training to support it to understand and meet children’s individual needs and needs relating to their neurodiversity.

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good

Electronic records are disorganised. Managers and leaders report that they are taking actions to address this with the relevant service to remedy the issues. There are discrepancies with dates on records, and some information is not recorded or available. Consequently, it is difficult to determine what actions have been taken when safeguarding incidents occur.

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good

Managers use a wide variety of monitoring systems to maintain oversight of the home. These systems are not effective in identifying the shortfalls or maintaining oversight of the home. For example, records where children injure themselves are not monitored by managers effectively, while the review of some incidents lacks professional curiosity.

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good

Team meetings are held regularly and are used as a reflective space to discuss children’s progress and quality of care to children. Staff supervision takes place each month, but the quality of this varies. For example, not all staff receive a consistent approach of reflection and review of their well-being and development.

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good

Professionals report that communication with the manager is generally positive, although there have been challenges. Professionals are complimentary of the care and support provided to children by staff and the manager, despite identifying areas of care planning for children that require action. One professional said, ‘Really impressed with the care staff have given [name of child], especially as they have challenging and complex needs.’ Members of staff are positive about the support they receive from management and senior leaders. Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when children raise concerns, prompt and appropriate action is taken in line with the home’s child protection policies to address the concerns.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that risk management plans clearly reflect children’s current risks and that actions are taken to mitigate risks to children. 31 January

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 31 January Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 7 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff and children are given the opportunity to share their views and experiences following the use of restrictive physical interventions within appropriate timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff only use physical intervention techniques they are trained in, and that clear management oversight addresses this. 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, ensure that there is prompt and effective oversight of all incidents. Additionally, ensure that actions are taken by all staff when safeguarding concerns are identified. 31 January

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff take appropriate actions to support and educate children to understand the impact of their actions on their peers, to prevent the bullying of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.16) Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 8  The registered person should ensure that staff and managers are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.8)

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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: 2724741 9

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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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Inspectors

Nateisha Cardoza-Evans, Social Care Inspector Becky Rutter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2724741 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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