Children's Home run by The Rubix Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2769769 1 Registered provider: The Rubix Care Group Ltd

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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 owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 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 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

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2024

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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: 2769769 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2769769 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked hard to develop positive, supportive relationships with the child, which means they provide consistent and effective care. The child is settled in the home and has trusted adults they can rely on, who understand their needs well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child to develop their independence skills in preparation for moving on to semi-independent living. The child has made considerable progress in this area. Consequently, the child can cook, manage a budget, independently travel on public transport and make their own appointments as required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the child is not currently accessing education or training, this is promoted in the home. When barriers to learning are identified, the manager and staff are proactive in finding alternative approaches which promote and build on the child’s interests. The registered manager works closely with the child to understand their aspirations. As a result, the child has been supported to make enquiries with the army.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are supported and understood by staff. When the child has chosen not to attend medical appointments and reviews, staff have ensured that their well-being is promoted by educating them on the importance of prioritising their health, offering additional support as appropriate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and homely and the child has personalised their bedroom in line with their individual tastes. The child is comfortable and relaxed in their home surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff understand the importance of the child’s relationships with their family members. Staff have supported the child to develop and maintain connections with those people who are important to them. The manager collaborates closely with other professionals to ensure that these relationships remain in the child’s best interests. Since the last inspection, the child’s time with family members has increased and is a positive experience for the child.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s individual needs and understand safeguarding procedures. They understand the actions to take if concerns arise. Care plans and assessments identify known risks and provide clear actions for staff to take to reduce the impact of these for the child.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in incidents of the child being reported missing from the home. Clear protocols are in place which are followed consistently by staff and ensure that the child returns to the home as quickly and safely as possible. The child is offered the opportunity to speak to an independent person, which enables staff to develop their understanding of the reasons why the child has Inspection report for children's home: 2769769 4 gone missing. Staff work with external agencies to develop and review strategies, with regular multi-agency meetings taking place to monitor any identified risks.

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

The child’s behaviour is managed well, with staff using positive reinforcement and incentives to encourage positive behaviour. Staff have an excellent understanding of the child’s needs, and consequences for unwanted behaviour are rarely needed. All incidents are well recorded. Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques. Consequently, there have been no instances when the child has needed to be physically held to promote their safety and well-being.

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

The registered manager ensures that staff are recruited safely and that they receive a good induction. There is a stable staff team who are enthusiastic and passionate about offering high-quality care to the child.

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

Some records do not fully reflect the support and guidance provided to the child by staff. The registered manager should ensure that all records are consistent and fully reflect the child’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an appropriately qualified registered manager who is child-centred in his approach and leads by example. He has developed a positive relationship with the child and understands their needs well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home and say that they are well supported by the registered manager, who is approachable and offers clear guidance and reflection on practice as necessary. Staff’s development is a keen focus of the registered manager. He has delegated tasks to support staff’s knowledge and provide them with a range of experiences. As a result, staff have developed their practice skills to provide the child with well-considered care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff communicate well with each other and provide consistent care for the child. They access bespoke training which ensures that they are skilled in meeting the child’s needs. The registered manager works with staff in regular reflective supervision to help them understand what is working well for the child and to reflect on areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partner agencies and family members say that they are happy with the care provided to the child by staff. The manager advocates on the child’s behalf and shares relevant information to keep professionals and family members well informed of the child’s progress. One parent said, ‘They do a really good job of caring for [name of child].’ One social worker said, ‘They have done really well with [name of child].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has ensured that the home is sufficiently staffed to care for the child. However, the manager’s hours are not recorded on the staff rota. Inspection report for children's home: 2769769 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards.’ The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children's home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4.; (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the home's rotas contain a record of actual hours worked of both staff and managers. 17 February 2025

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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. Policies and records should be sufficiently detailed and fully reflect discussions and assessments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2769769 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: The Rubix Care Group Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Cottam Lane Business Centre Cottam Lane, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston PR2 1JR

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Inspectors

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2769769 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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