Children's home run by Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 1 SC479596 Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd Full inspection 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 company. It provides care for up to seven children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, six children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2014.

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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: 13 February 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: SC479596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2024 Full Good 04/01/2023 Full Good 17/03/2022 Full Good 25/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Six children were seen and spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel safe and have trusted relationships with staff. Staff know the children well and nurture them. The registered manager and staff understand the plans for children and can demonstrate the positive impact that living in the home is having on children’s progress. Children said it is good living at the home. Professionals and family members attribute the children’s progress to the consistency and nurturing care provided by the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported in building friendships with each other and enjoying activities together. This has supported children to develop a sense of belonging. Any barriers to engagement are known and overcome to ensure that children have the same opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s voices are heard. Staff are experienced in a range of communication tools and know how to communicate with each child. Children are invited and encouraged to share their views about trying new experiences or exploring an interest which could become a hobby.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education or are provided with learning experiences. If children do not have an education placement, the manager advocates for the child to secure this. Professionals for one child described how the manager has been ‘pivotal’ in securing appropriate learning and identifying an education setting that could meet the child’s needs. All children are making progress in their individual learning journeys.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to manage their lifelong conditions and medication and treatment routines. All children have access to local health settings, including specialist services. Children who require medication have the support of staff who are knowledgeable and follow safe administration and recording practices. Therefore, if an error occurs, it is identified and corrected immediately to keep children healthy and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a listed building, which means that it can be difficult to achieve the desired warm and homely atmosphere and meet the restrictions of the building. Some areas of the home need repair and refurbishment. Other areas have been decorated and refreshed to provide a welcoming atmosphere. The managers and staff work hard to achieve a warm and homely environment for children to live in.

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

Children feel safe in the home, and staff are responsive to their individual needs. Children’s plans are individualised and reviewed regularly. Staff know the children well Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 4 and are aware of any risks associated with them and how these can affect other children living in the home.

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

Children receive support to manage their behaviours and feelings. Individual risk assessments are in place that advise staff on how to respond when children require intervention or guidance. Staff do not use consequences in the home but work with children to help them be responsible for their actions.

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

Staff are trained to use a variety of methods to communicate with children, and this helps children share their views and feelings. Words, pictures and sounds are all used to help children participate. Consultation with children is good, and each child has a key worker who knows them well.

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

Incidents involving children are recorded and reviewed by managers and leaders. Staff are skilled at de-escalating situations when children are anxious. Therefore, restraint is rarely used. Children would benefit from the opportunity to review the event with staff, using their preferred method of communication, to try and prevent it from happening again.

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

There are risks noted in relation to fire safety that need to be addressed. Fire exits are deemed high risk, and the fire doors remain unfit for purpose. The registered manager has taken steps to resolve these issues which have been delayed due to the home being a listed building.

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

Not all staff are trained as fire marshals in the home. However, arrangements are in place for all staff to receive appropriate training. There is a trained fire marshal on every shift, and staff in the home know how to assist children to exit the premises in case of fire. Following a fire safety inspection, the registered manager has taken steps to ensure that fire exits and fire doors meet regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and has a settled team of staff who know the children well. They are committed to creating and supporting plans that help children to feel happy and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer staff recruitment procedures are followed to ensure that only adults with appropriate qualifications can work with the children in the home. Staff are supported through an induction probationary period. The induction period provides structure for all staff starting work in the home so that they are confident in being able to provide the expected level of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some children who live in the home have complex health needs. The registered manager ensures that specialist training is available to staff so that they have the required skills to meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 5 The team works effectively with other agencies and professionals to monitor and review the plans for the children. The registered manager produces monthly reports which she shares with the senior leadership team and which demonstrate regular monitoring of the quality of work carried out in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager. The registered manager and her deputy are visible in the home and can always be contacted by staff if necessary. Staff receive regular supervision and an annual appraisal. However, supervision records lack content, reflection and agreed actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is clear about the training requirements for the staff, but not all refresher training is completed within the agreed timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all interaction with children is recorded and there are no written records of any individual key-work sessions. Routine calls to professionals and family members are not always recorded. Therefore, there is a missed opportunity for tracking children’s progress and ensuring that there is evidence of the manager and staff challenging professionals when required. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 6

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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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire;

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 28 February 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, the home challenges them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. The registered person should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs

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Recommendations

of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information about individual children in a 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 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 7

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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: SC479596 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 107 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby, North-East Lincolnshire DN31 3ER

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Inspectors

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Lisa Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC479596 9 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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