Children's home run by SBL CARE SERVICES (UK) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2702084 1 Registered provider: SBL Care Services (UK) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to care for one child who may experience social, emotional and/or ‘special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who has been in post since the home opened in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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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: 2702084 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2702084 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and managers provide exceptional care to the child living in the home. Staff are committed to providing the child with a caring and nurturing home environment where they can thrive. As a result, the child is making excellent progress in all aspects of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are passionate about ensuring that the child has positive experiences and happy memories during their time living in the home. The child enjoys regular holidays and activities such as snowboarding, trips to the gym, airsoft play and ice skating. These opportunities have provided them with new hobbies and experiences and enabled them to excel in several outdoor pursuits.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager consistently promotes the importance of the child’s education. He is a strong advocate for the child. He challenges professionals when decisions are not made in the child’s best interests. As a result, the child is now in full-time education in a setting that is suited to their needs and is able to showcase their talents and abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide outstanding support to meet the child’s health needs. A privately funded therapist supports the child with their emotional needs and well-being. Staff work in partnership with all health professionals. This ensures that the child receives consistent therapeutic care and support. Feedback from health professionals is that the support provided to the child ‘meets his needs exceptionally well’. Alternative treatments are funded by the home to ensure that the child’s physical health needs are addressed when they experience fears and anxieties about undergoing medical procedures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff respect the child’s strong relationships with their family and friends. Staff facilitate activities for the child and their friends. This has helped the child to develop and maintain relationships with their peers. As a result, the child has made excellent progress with their social skills and how they interact with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise the emotional impact for the child of being away from their family. Staff develop close relationships with family members who say they feel well informed and involved in the child’s care. One family member talked extremely positively about the progress and experiences of their child since living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide opportunities for the child to spend quality and enjoyable time with their family. They advocated on the child’s behalf to spend increased time with family in line with their wishes. As a result, arrangements are now in place for the child to spend time with family on a more informal basis . Inspection report for children’s home: 2702084 4

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

Staff have an excellent understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff know the child well. They implement strategies in line with the child’s preferences and level of understanding. Staff are proactive in seeking out opportunities to expand their knowledge and understanding of the child through consultations and training sessions with the child’s therapist. As a result, the child’s risks have significantly reduced in all areas of their life.

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

The manager has an exceptional understanding of how to safeguard children. He adopts a proactive approach in sharing his knowledge with the team. This ensures that the staff team recognises and understands all areas of safeguarding practice. The use of mock scenarios and case studies provides staff with the knowledge and experience to respond to any new or emerging risks.

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

The child says they are happy in the home and describes it as ‘my safe space’. Staff are consistently mindful of their language in their daily interactions with the child. Staff recognise the impact of communication on the child’s behaviours, and they adapt their responses accordingly. As a result, incidents of challenging behaviour in the home are rare. When incidents do occur, the interventions used by staff are effective. This means that the child learns from incidents, and behaviours are not repeated.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are detailed. They provide clear guidance to staff. Strategies used to manage the child’s risks and behaviours are underpinned by research-informed practice. Therapeutic models of care are embedded in the staff’s daily interactions with the child.

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

Consistent routines and boundaries in the home provide the child with stability. Staff are proactive in their approach to managing behaviour. They educate the child on the impact of their behaviour for themselves and others. They demonstrate socially acceptable behaviour by acting as positive role models. They support the child to understand the rationale for the rules and expectations in the home. As a result, the child is making excellent progress in their decision-making and reflection skills.

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

Staff adopt a strengths-based approach to promote positive behaviour. If consequences are used, they are fair and proportionate. The child is involved in the decision-making when consequences are issued. As a result, the measures used are effective. Financial reparation means that the child understands the financial implications of destructive behaviour. This is helping the child to improve their sense of responsibility and prepares them well for independent living.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by an experienced and ambitious registered manager. He knows the child well and has excellent oversight of the care being provided on a daily basis. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702084 5 The manager has high aspirations for the child and high expectations of the staff team. He is forward thinking and proactive in seeking out new research and models of care that can be incorporated into practice to benefit the child. The manager and staff team consistently go above and beyond to provide an outstanding level of care to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak highly of the manager. They say that they feel valued and that their well- being is prioritised. Staff feel well supported and empowered in their roles. Training opportunities are excellent, and the manager prioritises the staff’s development and progression. As a result, staff enjoy their jobs and morale in the home is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from regular and reflective supervision. Staff new to the home receive more frequent supervision sessions, which supports their development and progression. Team meetings are interactive and reflective. They provide opportunities for staff to reflect on the care being provided to the child. Staff say this means that they are consistent in their approach and how they respond to the child’s behaviours. As a result, the child benefits from consistent structure and routines in the home. The use of quizzes and case studies supports staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager uses effective monitoring systems to ensure that the high-quality care provided to the child is maintained. However, there are missed opportunities to include how this can be achieved in the home’s development plan. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702084 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should include areas of development or learning and actions to sustain good practice in the home’s development plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2702084 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SBL Care Services (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 St Peters Place, Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 6EB

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Inspectors

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Hayley Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2702084 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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