Children's Home run by Berry Gifford Limited in Nottinghamshire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 1 Registered provider: Berry Gifford Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. This child contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection. However, shortfalls remain, and the care provided is not yet good.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have developed trusting relationships with the child and the child will approach staff and request support when needed. The child can express themself and their wishes and feelings.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is supported by staff to spend time with family members and people who are important to them.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are not being proactive in modelling to the child how to maintain a tidy bedroom. For example, staff are not supporting the child to tidy their bedroom before staying at their family’s house. Similarly, staff are not tidying the child’s bedroom when they are away from the home. This results in the child returning to a messy bedroom that is not very welcoming.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have supported the child to enjoy new experiences since living at the home. The child has been on holidays and to their first concert. Staff support the child to care for their pets in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not consistently use playfulness, curiosity or empathy if the child is struggling with their emotions. This can lead to the child not receiving support in that moment and results in situations escalating unnecessarily.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff communicate with external agencies and family members. Staff follow safety plans that have been agreed with the local authority. This helps to keep the child safer. Feedback received from two professionals commented on the good communication from the manager and their commitment to caring for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are supported by the manager and feel that the team work well together to care for the child. Staff talk about the child with care and affection and showed an understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is committed to the child and wants to ensure that improvements in the home are embedded. There have been lessons learned with staff following incidents. However, staff recording practice continues to be inconsistent, which means that there are gaps in the child’s records.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have challenged external agencies when they have deemed this necessary. However, there is not sufficient evidence that they have continued to challenge and escalate if they remain dissatisfied with responses for the child. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 3 No shortfalls were found in relation to hazards in the home and garden. Therefore, the requirement set at the previous inspection around this has been met. The remaining requirements and recommendations will be restated and reviewed at the next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 4

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered person continues to challenge and escalate with partner agencies when they consider that this is required in order to ensure the child's needs are met and care plan progressed. 3 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

that staff— 3 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 5 help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child's education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to maximise the child's achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's education or training provider and the child's placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child's relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child's learning. (Regulation 8 (a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that the child has access to educational opportunities when not engaged in formal education. This also relates to the need for the registered person to continue to challenge and escalate with external agencies when the child does not have adequate education arrangements in place.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child's relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the registered person ensuring that staff follow children’s individual care plans. 3 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 6 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the registered person ensuring that staff have the skills, knowledge and experience to meet the needs of the children in their care. It also relates to ensuring that staff work in line with the home’s statement of purpose and specified care approach. 3 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 7  The registered person should ensure that a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions are kept and ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Berry Gifford Ltd, Unit 2, Mercury Park, Amber Close, Tamworth B77 4RP

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Inspector

Caroline Hose, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2739238 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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