Children's home run by Evolve Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2783656 1 Registered provider: Evolve Care Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and manages this home. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 10 July 2024. He is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of inspection. Both were spoken to by the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2783656 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. One child has moved on. Children moving into the home receive a warm welcome and, where possible, are invited to visit the home before moving in. For one child, it was not possible for them to visit the home before, so staff spent two days with them in their previous home to understand their needs and how to meet them. Children move to the home feeling reassured and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from consistent care from staff who are trained in a therapeutic model of care. Staff understand the model of care and how to use this in practice to support children. The in-house therapist provides clinical support to staff and training to ensure that the model underpins all interactions with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. High-quality soft furnishings and decor contribute to a nurturing atmosphere. Children enjoy taking part in activities, and key events and achievements are celebrated. One child has been given a pet to mark a significant achievement and to help her feel a sense of belonging in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have all formed strong attachments with staff; they feel safe and have developed a sense of belonging. The staff understand each child’s individual needs and how best to support them. Children are at the heart of staff practice. This helps children to feel safe. Staff are responsive to children’s needs, and children are developing confidence and making progress in all aspects of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been considerable progress with children’s engagement in education. One child’s school attendance has increased by over 25% since living in the home. The headteacher commented, ‘I have seen a huge improvement since living at the home; the child is enthused to learn. I have never seen them so positive. I can’t speak more highly of the staff team.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is receiving home tutoring while a new education provision is identified. The child is engaging well with the tutoring after a considerable time out of education. When the child is not working with the tutor, the manager ensures they are supported to develop their independence skills. This is enabling the child to engage in constructive activities and maintain structure and routine for when they return to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health and access local services. When there is a need for specialist support, the manager looks at how best this can be provided. Two therapists have been employed to work with the children and support the staff team to offer bespoke emotional support. As a result, incidents of physical intervention and self-harm have reduced. Professionals and family members consistently commented on their children being much calmer since living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783656 3

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

Staff understand the children’s behaviours and risks; they implement strategies to support children, and as a result, the children are kept safe. Positive behaviour is rewarded, and consistent boundaries are implemented by staff. This approach is contributing to a reduction in challenging incidents. When incidents do occur, staff respond proportionately and consider the reasons behind the behaviour. Risk assessments are kept under review to ensure that information to support the child is reflective of their current needs and that all staff follow a consistent approach.

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

Episodes of children going missing from care are rare. Each child has a plan for staff to follow should a child go missing from home. Effective working relationships with staff and children’s families have been formed. This ensures that a well-coordinated approach is taken to locate children promptly during missing-from-care episodes.

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

The use of physical intervention is proportionate and used as a last resort by staff to keep children safe. One professional commented that incidents of restraint have reduced for one child since moving into the home. Reporting and recording are timely. Children are supported following an incident and there is managerial oversight. On one occasion, practice issues were identified in the effectiveness of the hold. Leaders promptly addressed the practice issue, and the child was supported to make a complaint, which was thoroughly investigated.

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

Incidents of self-harm are well managed. Staff have an empathetic approach. They seek medical attention when it is required and offer comfort and nurture to support the child. The manager has purchased private therapy for children to support their emotional well- being without unnecessary delays. As a result, there has been no incidents of self-harm in the home for over three months.

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good

A child-focused manager leads the home. He has an exceptional understanding of the children’s experiences, personalities, needs and risks. As this is a new home, the staff team is forming but has been stable and consistent since opening. Any shortfalls in staffing are covered by the existing staff so children are cared for by those who know them well. This means that children experience consistent care from staff.

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good

The manager has high expectations for children, and this culture is firmly embedded in the staff team. The staff have high aspirations for the children; they recognise progress, however small this may be, and celebrate children’s achievements.

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good

Staff benefit from regular professional supervision. A record of supervision is made available to supervisees. However, the manager’s support and supervision have been inconsistent. A new responsible individual has been in post since December and has ensured that the manager receives monthly supervision and a greater level of support and oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783656 4 Ineffective planning by managers resulted in one child joining the home whose needs could not be met by the staff team. This resulted in the child moving from the home in an unplanned way shortly after moving in. This had a detrimental impact on the staff and children. A lessons learned exercise has subsequently been completed, and the process for children moving into the home has been reviewed and revised. Children joining the home since have benefited from a thorough and carefully considered matching process.

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good

Complaints are not always investigated in a timely manner. A shortfall in managerial oversight meant that a complaint from a neighbour was not investigated. A thorough investigation has since been completed and the complaint retracted. However, this resulted in a complaint about the quality of care being overlooked and a delayed response in notifying Ofsted.

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good

There have been instances where a person who was not suitably vetted and checked has attended the home to complete administrative tasks. This has since been resolved and a protocol is now in place. Clear guidance has been shared throughout the management team to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the vetting of staff who work in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783656 5

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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

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(g)(i)(ii)) 1 April 2025

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2783656 6 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: 2783656 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Evolve Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 170 Uttoxeter Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST3 1QH

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Inspector

Joanne Hawkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2783656 8 and inspects 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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