Children's home run by Blossom Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2620184 1 Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025.

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

Date of last inspection: 20 February 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2620184 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2024 Full good 20/03/2023 Full good 17/01/2022 Full good Inspection report for children's home: 2620184 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Four children have moved on from the home since the last inspection and five have moved in. Child- focused planning has ensured children have positive experiences of moving into the home. Children moving on from the home have had mixed experiences. Two children moved into independent living, and staff supported them well with this. There were clear plans in place, and staff has maintained contact with them. However, due to escalating risks, two children experienced an abrupt end to their time at the home. While managers took all possible steps to try and support children, this did lead to some disruption and instability for them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and their views were considered in redesigning the function of rooms in their home. This supports children to feel a sense of security and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff, managers and children share positive relationships. Staff know the children well and are flexible and adaptable with how they respond to their needs. Children are encouraged to speak up and share their views. Staff support children to be themselves, and their identities are recognised, accepted and promoted. Children and staff enjoy spending time together. Children say that they get on ‘great’ with the other children in the home, like the staff and feel well supported.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff promote the children’s education. Staff and leaders are knowledgeable in what’s best for children. Children are included in decision-making when identifying educational providers. This supports the children’s attendance and engagement in education. Staff nurture positive relationships with education professionals. A child’s deputy headteacher said, ‘They [staff] have gone above and beyond to support our child’s education.’ All children are making progress in this area.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time and communicate with people who are important to them. Children are afforded free time in line with their assessed risks, age and stage of development. Risk is assessed and reviewed in partnership with the child’s social worker. Open conversations help children feel listened to. Children are encouraged to consider their options and understand the risks and consequences of their free time. Children are aware of expectations and feel these are fair. One child advised that his favourite thing about the home was the clear rules and routines.

p.3

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

Children say that they feel safe and know who to go to if they are worried. They know how to make a complaint and feel listened to and supported by staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2620184 4 Staff respond well to missing-from-home incidents. They are proactive in looking for children and continue to do this until their safe return. Missing-from-home incidents are well documented. The child’s professional network is updated, and families are included where appropriate.

p.3

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

A child’s social worker advised that discussions with the manager are invaluable and that these enable her to be updated in regard to the child’s needs, risks and support as they change and develop. When associated risks for children have become unmanageable in the home, this has been escalated with the child’s social worker. This has enabled children’s safety to remain paramount. However, at times, the agreed solution has been for the child to move from the home in order to keep them safe.

p.4

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

Children’s risk assessments and safety plans are individualised to reflect each child’s presenting needs. There have been previous incidents where staff have not managed risks as effectively as they could have. When shortfalls occur, leaders respond to these swiftly and robustly. Shared learning has supported staff to understand risks where their practice needed to improve. Diligent responses by managers in identifying and addressing areas of development mean that repeat incidents have not occurred.

p.4

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

Children’s behaviour is supported by clear and consistent guidance and boundaries. Staff undertake individualised and purposeful one-to-one sessions with children. There is evidence of open discussions, and children take advice and support on board as a result of these. Staff and leaders understand push-and-pull factors, triggers and distractions for each child. This informs planning and support for the child, reduces associated risks and promotes positive outcomes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of registered manager since the previous inspection. The new manager was previously the deputy manager of the home. This, alongside a comprehensive handover, has supported a seamless transition in leadership. The manager and the responsible individual have a shared vision and remain focused on their drive to embed therapeutic approaches and trauma-informed practice. There is a clear training programme in place for staff to support this.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive frequent, effective supervision. This supports staff to reflect on their practice and identify any areas for development. Team meetings are regular and child- focused. This supports consistency and cohesion to ensure positive outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy their jobs and feel supported by leaders. New staff complete a thorough induction and a varied training programme, which includes training to help them meet children’s specific needs. One staff member said, ‘The manager has high expectations for both the staff and the children, which creates a positive and structured environment. Her dedication, compassion and clear communication make a huge difference in our team and the lives of the children we care for.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2620184 5 Monitoring systems are robust. Oversight of staff practice is clear, and this leads to discussion, challenge and shared learning. The manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for development and uses this knowledge to strive for ongoing improvements to the care that children receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive in their feedback. They say communication and multi-agency working are strong. Staff encourage children to maintain positive relationships with their professional network. This enables children to access support from services available to them, reinforcing their rights and sense of self-worth.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are no requirements or recommendations.

p.5

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: 2620184 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 19, Anglesey Business Centre, Anglesey Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE14 3NT

p.6

Inspector

Mandy Wake, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2620184 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.

p.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7