Children's home run by Blossom Children’s Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 1 Registered provider: Blossom Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in December 2020. The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2023 Full Good 11/01/2023 Full Good 07/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive and trusting relationships with staff. Staff know the children well and talk about them with compassion. Children are at ease around staff; they hug them and tell them about their day with enthusiasm. Staff let children know that they care about them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle in the home and experience consistent care. Some children lived in the home for several years and have moved on positively to new homes. One child recently returned to live with their family and two children moved to an adult home, as they had turned 18. Staff supported the young people with independence skills and helped them to prepare for their moves. They visited the new homes together and shared important information with their carers. Staff and children have visited the young people in their new homes since they left. New children are welcomed into the home and, where possible, staff meet them before they move in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and are making progress in education. Staff at the home have good working relationships with children’s teachers and have regular meetings with them. This ensures that children receive the support they need to make progress. The registered manager and the deputy manager advocate on the children’s behalf. As a result, children’s education, health and care plans are reviewed and kept up to date to ensure that children’s needs are met.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met well. Staff are trained and confident in administering medication and meeting children’s health needs. Staff have experience of working with children who are nonverbal. They are skilled and committed to ensuring that children’s voices are heard.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to ensure that children have positive relationships with their family. Family time is carefully planned. Two parents said that they felt confident that their children are being well cared for. They appreciate the staff keeping them up to date about their children’s progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children eat together with staff and there is a positive, communal feel to the home. Children enjoy a range of activities outside of the home. They particularly enjoy visiting the trampoline park and have enjoyed holidays away together. There are bikes and games at the home for children to play with.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently been decorated and the sensory room is being refurbished. Children choose the decor of their own bedrooms, and these are personal to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 4

p.3

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

Children benefit from continuity of care from staff they know. There have been very few changes in the staff team since the last inspection. The staff work well together and are consistent in their approach. This helps children to form trusting relationships with staff.

p.4

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

Two children said they were confident to speak to the registered manager or the deputy manager if they were upset or worried about something. They said that they enjoy living at the home.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs, risks, strengths and vulnerabilities. The registered manager and the deputy manager develop plans with staff that clearly set out children’s risks and how best to manage them. Each child has a key worker. Risks and behaviours are addressed with children in conversations, which helps them to reflect on their actions, choices and behaviours.

p.4

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

Incidents are managed well. Staff are trained in how to de-escalate incidents of concern and how to safely hold or redirect a child if they place themselves at risk. Staff respond proportionately, and this is effective in difficult situations. The registered manager oversees incident records. Children’s social workers are involved when necessary. The staff team reflects on how things could be managed differently in the future.

p.4

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

Children receive emotional support to see them through difficult times. Some children’s long-term plans have not been decided yet. They are living with uncertainty about their future, which can be unsettling. Staff support children to have a better understanding about the plans in place. Information about children’s cultural needs and important family relationships, such as brothers and sisters, is not consistently set out in their plans. This does not support children to have a better understanding of their backgrounds and life story.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably experienced and qualified registered manager manages the home. He is supported by a committed leadership team and deputy manager. They work hard with the staff to make a positive difference to children’s lives.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular audits and external oversight of the home ensure that the home’s record- keeping is up to date. This helps to ensure that children’s progress and safeguarding concerns are monitored and reviewed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by leaders and managers. Staff receive regular supervision that considers and prioritises children’s needs as well as staff’s own personal development. Regular team meetings and discussions demonstrate that staff reflect on their practice and the needs of each child. An emphasis is placed on working together and supporting one another. Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 5 Staff have not all completed the required qualification within the relevant timescales. Leaders and managers are reviewing staff’s training and development needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 30 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 7 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff have attained the relevant qualification within the relevant timescale.

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children have an understanding of who they are and where they come from and are able to participate in their care planning. This can be achieved by ensuring that life-story work or other direct work is carried out with them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

p.7

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: 2612063 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Children’s Homes Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Private Client, Unit 7-8, Moran House, 449-451 High Road, London NW10 2JJ

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Wakeling

p.8

Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2612063 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9