Children's home run by Heartly Care Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773405 1 Registered provider: Heartly Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owed by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home, and they contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager left the home in December 2024. There is currently no registered manager in post.

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Inspection date: 14 January 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 14 January 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2773405 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.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the child’s safety plan and ensure that they care for and supervise the child in line with their safety and support plans, taking into consideration the court order in place. Managers have been proactive in addressing concerns raised about staff’s adequate supervision of the child and acted appropriately regarding staff misconduct.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have responded to incidents appropriately and work with partner agencies to ensure that professionals are supporting the child’s mental health needs. Managers work as part of a multidisciplinary team to review and implement support plans which are particularly focused on the child’s mental health needs. Managers have escalated the need for better care planning for the child and raised concerns with the relevant agencies.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers ensure that staff record relevant information in incident reports. The written descriptions of incidents vary in the detail provided. Managers have oversight of all incidents. They record their reflections and identify actions where appropriate. Managers ensure that team debriefs take place after behavioural incidents. This provides opportunities for reflection.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff’s commitment to the child is evident. Despite managing complex mental health needs, they have remained committed to ensuring the child has the right specialist care and support in place moving forward. Staff are supporting the child in their move to a more specialist provision by putting in place a moving plan to help them prepare.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has made progress in areas of their development since moving into the home. Staff support the child to access education, which has allowed them to make good progress academically compared to their starting point. Staff have developed positive working relationships with the child’s school and collaborated in keeping the child safe at both home and school.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support the child to spend meaningful time with their family. Managers have raised concerns with the child’s local authority when family time has not always been in the child’s best interests, and advocated for their needs in relation to this.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have discussed various topics with the child relevant to their needs and risk- taking behaviours. However, the records of these discussions are not child-friendly or trauma informed. The records lack emotional warmth and do not fully capture the child’s experiences or progress. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773405 3 Staff support the child to develop their independence skills in line with their safety plan. Managers have developed a system to help identify progress and areas where ongoing support is needed.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff say they have felt unsupported by managers at times of increased stress and reflect that there have been times when additional support would have helped. Managers provide staff with supervision, however, staff have not always found this meaningful. Supervision lacks the reflection that is seen in other practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Requirements set at the last inspection were reviewed and were met.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773405 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. This particularly relates to the registered person ensuring that staff supervision is reflective in nature and the detail of supervisions is reflected in records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Staff should be 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 Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773405 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bridge House, 9-13 Holbrook Lane, Coventry, Warwickshire CV6 4AD

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Inspector

Chloe Harvey, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773405 6 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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