Children's home run by Safety and Focused Care

Inspection report for children’s home: 2728682 1 Registered provider: Safety and Focused Care

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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 operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or may have a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: 27 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: 2728682 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2728682 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have lived at the home since the last inspection. They are cared for by a consistent and skilled group of staff. The stability this brings to children’s lives underpins the progress they make and contributes to their positive experiences of residential care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education, training and employment are prioritised. One child is making good progress in her first year of specialist secondary education. There is frequent communication between staff at the home and teaching staff. This ensures a consistency of approach from key adults in the child’s life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Older children are supported to make informed decisions about education, training and employment after completing their secondary education. Staff offer guidance, working alongside the careers service, to help children gain the qualifications, skills and experience they need in adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s relationships with their families and other important people in their lives are sustained and developed, with practical and emotional support from staff. Staff understand the impact on children of these significant relationships. They work with sensitivity to help children maintain their sense of identity, and ensure they are safeguarded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with opportunities to experience a range of positive activities and enjoy spending quality time with staff. Both children have been on holiday with staff, with one child having their first holiday abroad. Staff capture children’s experiences in their individual memory books which document their lives throughout their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to gain the skills they need to move towards adulthood. They learn practical life skills, with the support of staff. They are supported to gradually gain more independence and develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. This gives children a solid foundation to start their adult lives.

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

Staff know children well and understand their strengths, risks and vulnerabilities. This knowledge and the strength of relationships between children and staff are underpinned by clear written plans and assessments. These are regularly updated, and patterns and trends are recorded. This provides clear oversight of children’s progress.

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

The culture in the home helps children to thrive and safeguards them. Restrictive practices are infrequent. On those occasions when children need to be physically held, this is an appropriate and proportionate response to keeping children and staff safe. Children are supported and spoken with after these incidents to ensure their views are Inspection report for children’s home: 2728682 4 known and used to inform future care. There is timely and effective management oversight, which ensures staff practice is keeping children safe.

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

For the most part, the home environment provides children with a safe and nurturing place to live. Bedroom door alarms continue to be used to alert staff to children going into each other’s bedrooms. This practice is not subject to regular formal review and does not encourage children to develop positive behaviours and boundaries.

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

When children go missing or are absent without agreement, staff are proactive in their approach to bring them home safely and at the earliest opportunity. Staff use their knowledge of children’s family and friends’ networks to locate children. Written records of these incidents are thorough, with clear management oversight.

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

There is a swift and appropriate response when serious incidents occur. Information is shared with all key professionals in order to reduce risk and safeguard children. The registered manager ensures that Ofsted receives notifications of these incidents within required timescales. This means that the regulator can evaluate the quality of practice and the response to risks to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children and staff benefit from the child-centred practice and leadership of the registered manager. The registered manager has a good understanding of the progress and experiences of children, and her oversight of practice is evident in children’s care records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by a skilled, knowledgeable and stable staff team. Staff say they enjoy working in the home. In addition to the support and guidance they receive from the registered manager, staff say they are able to seek support if required from the responsible individual and the home’s director. The open and supportive approach from leaders provides staff with an open and child-focused working environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The register manager ensures that staff receive training to meet the emerging needs of the children in their care. In addition, staff are supported in their professional practice by frequent reflective supervision. Regular team meetings take place which are used to discuss the progress of children and action required by staff to support children effectively. As a result of this practice, staff are enabled to carry out their roles to a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care review report demonstrates the registered manager’s understanding of the needs of the children and their progress. The report provides a clear action plan for the whole staff team to continue to develop their practice. It is clear from children’s care records that the views of children, families and external professionals are gathered and contribute to care planning. However, these views do not yet form part of the quality of care report. This is a missed opportunity to fully evidence the practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home receives regular independent person visits, in line with regulation. These provide the registered manager with some challenge and additional oversight of practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728682 5 The independent person does not ensure they see children’s bedrooms regularly. The registered manager has not addressed this. This means that the independent person is not able to assure themselves that children have suitable bedrooms and they are safeguarded in these personal spaces.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong advocate for the children in her care. She provides appropriate and effective challenge to placing authorities when they are not meeting their statutory obligations to children. As a result of her interventions, gaps in the provision of services are highlighted and children receive an improved support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2728682 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the use of door alarms on children’s bedrooms is kept under regular review and there is a clear written rationale in place to support the ongoing need for this practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person visiting the home makes a rigorous assessment of the home environment. Specifically, they should regularly view children’s bedrooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review clearly identifies how the views of children, families, staff and other professionals have been sought and used to evaluate the outcomes and improvements for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph

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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: 2728682 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Safety and Focused Care

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Andrew Seed Accountants, 54 Wood Street, Lytham St Annes FY8 1QG

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2728682 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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