Children's home run by Supercare Residential Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2782148 1 Registered provider: SuperCare Residential

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Full inspection 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 organisation. It provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. Children may also have complex behaviour needs. One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in June 2024, and the manager registered with Ofsted at the same time. This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2782148 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. Two children have previously moved in and out of the home. The child currently living in the home indicated that they were happy in the home, and positive interactions were observed between the child and staff. One child had a planned move into another home run by the provider. For the other child, plans for them to move into the home were insufficient. Consequently, staff were unable to meet their needs. As a result, the child’s placement ended with notice being served.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well. They speak fondly and with respect about the child and the relationship they have with them. Staff want children to feel safe and happy and want to help them make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children may have limited verbal communication or comprehension. Staff assist children with alternative forms of communication, such as the use of cards. Staff also learn to read children’s non-verbal cues. Children’s views are captured and listened to in line with their age and understanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children health and well-being needs are well supported. Staff have registered the child with all local health services and support them to attend all routine appointments. Staff strive to support children when they are anxious about appointments. For example, one child was afraid of the dentist and refused to attend a surgery, so staff identified a dentist who would examine children out of the surgery. This allowed the dental check to be completed and helped build the child’s future trust of medical professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children also receive additional oversight and support by a clinical team, which includes input from a psychologist, an occupational therapist and a speech therapist. These professionals work directly with children as well as staff to give additional support and insight. This helps ensure children’s physical and emotional needs are not just met, but that progress is made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote leisure and interests. This has included taking the child to a variety of clubs and settings, including a gym, swimming and cycling. Staff also encourage healthy diets and an active lifestyle. One child now enjoys walking, and they and staff regularly go for lengthy walks most days.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well furnished and decorated. Bedrooms are large and can be personalised. Shared spaces are well furnished, and the home was clean and tidy in all areas. One vacant bedroom has been converted into a sensory playroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good educational input and activities in the home. For one child who was out of education, staff had created a range of individually tailored activities and Inspection report for children’s home: 2782148 3 resources, which they used with the child regularly. This helped promote the child’s learning while they were not in a formal education setting. However, insufficient attempts had been made to advocate for the child and challenge the delay with the child’s placing authority.

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

Staff have a strong understanding of safeguarding. Staff also have a thorough understanding of the child’s needs. They know the child well and are aware of likely triggers. They also know what measures or responses are effective. Staff therefore know how to respond appropriately to children’s needs and behaviours to help ensure they are safe and protected.

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

Staff are assisted by risk assessments and behaviour support plans for children which are detailed, individualised and updated regularly. They cover a range of areas, including children’s daily routines, managing behaviour, and other risks. This helps staff to understand and respond appropriately to children’s specific vulnerabilities.

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

There have been no missing-from-home incidents since the last inspection. Missing- from-care protocols are in place for individual children. The staff and managers know how to respond should a child go missing from the home.

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

Children’s complex needs and behaviours mean there are frequent times when children need to be held to keep them or others around them safe. Staff handle incidents of restraint effectively and holds are justified, necessary and proportionate. However, not all incidents have been reviewed by a manager and some inconsistencies in records have not been rectified. This leaves the risk that practice shortfalls in individual incidents may be missed, or that emerging patterns may not be identified.

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

Rewards and praise are given frequently, and natural consequences are given to children. However, staff and managers do not use these as part of a planned approach to behaviour support and management. Consequently, their use is not coordinated effectively or in line with behaviour support plans, and they can be inconsistently applied.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified, competent and committed to supporting staff and children. The manager is supported by two equally competent and committed deputies. There is a good working relationship among all senior staff. The manager, deputy manager and responsible individual have high expectations and aspirations for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working in the home and with each other. There is generally a positive and child-focused ethos in the home among the whole staff team; staff support each other, trust each other and morale is high. Inspection report for children’s home: 2782148 4 Safer recruitment processes are followed. New members of staff receive thorough inductions. Training for staff is comprehensive. The manager also identifies further training and makes use of staff development through mechanisms such as team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, including the manager, feel well supported. They speak positively about the leadership. Staff have regular supervision, which they say is helpful and meaningful. Staff feel able to have open discussions with leaders without fear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from family and professionals is consistently good. This includes responses from placing social workers and psychotherapy professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers promote and support family relationships. This includes encouraging some family members to visit the home or taking children to see their family. Staff and managers also maintain good communication with families, providing regular updates and allowing access to their child’s electronic files. Inspection report for children’s home: 2782148 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs, the home challenges them to meet the child’s needs. Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. In particular, that the use of consequences is consistent and linked to behaviour support plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraphs

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Recommendations

9.36)  The registered person should ensure that they and staff review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that the provider understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child’s placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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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: 2782148 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SuperCare Residential

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nunn Hayward, 2–4 Packhorse Road, Gerrards Cross SL9 7QE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Coleman

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Inspector

Daniel Rankin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2782148 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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