Children's Home run by Detail Personnel Care Ltd in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 1 Registered provider: Detail Personnel Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. Two children were spoken to during 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 outstanding

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 27 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: 2688405 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is currently living in the home. Strong relationships with staff provide a firm foundation for children to make progress. One social worker said they were impressed with the manager’s efforts to make sure that staff had the knowledge to support the child’s needs as soon as they moved in. The child had experienced several moves in rapid succession. Children’s plans include detailed analysis of their strengths, experiences and vulnerabilities. Staff quickly gain strategies to help children. The child is enjoying a much more settled period as a result.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A warm, welcoming environment has been created. The home is well maintained and inviting. Children find comfort in visits from the manager’s dog. The dog’s presence adds to the homely atmosphere. The child shows in the way that they spend time with staff that they have a sense of belonging. The child’s family are pleased to see this. A child said that staff are ‘fun’, ‘cool’, ‘interesting’ and that ‘they care’. The child also said, ‘They can read me like a book.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys living in the home, and there is a lot of laughter. Children make positive memories by trying a range of activities with staff, for example holidays, high ropes or ghost hunting. A child, who returned to their family, said that they were always doing something fun with everyday activities. Staff promote children’s self-confidence. A child told the inspector that staff manage relationships well; when two children lived in the home at the same time, they arranged for them to spend time together and apart. This worked well for both children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children who have been out of education. They work from the child’s starting point to establish healthy sleep routines and structure in their day. Managers encourage staff to use their individual strengths to provide learning opportunities, such as visiting places of historical interest, art and science. Staff have supported the child to receive tuition after having no formal education for over a year. The manager is persistent in progressing appropriate education plans for children. She successfully advocated for another child to repeat an academic year to help them settle in school.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to stay healthy. Staff establish healthy routines for children, including exercise. Staff work with health professionals to enhance children’s understanding of their health. After trying for several years themselves without success, one parent praised staff for securing an assessment for undiagnosed health needs. The child sees staff advocate for them, as staff know that the child wants the assessment to understand themselves better.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at a distance from their families are helped to stay in touch. Staff travel considerable distance so that children can spend time with important family members. Staff actively help children to develop a positive identity. A child’s social Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 4 worker said the child has now got the support from staff to be curious about their ethnicity and family heritage.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff keep in touch with the two children who moved out since the last inspection. One child chose to move to another of the provider’s homes, closer to their family. Their social worker recognised how staff helped them to become relaxed and have free time. The other child said it was the best children’s home they had lived in. Staff respected their decision to return home and helped this go smoothly. The child could see how staff helped them with their confidence and said this made them ‘feel at ease’. Staff organised a barbeque for all children who had lived at the home. Staff show children that they are valued and kept in mind.

p.4

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

Children’s risk management plans give staff detailed guidance on what to do to keep children safe. The plans show that managers and staff develop an intricate knowledge of how children communicate through their behaviours.

p.4

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

Before moving into the home, the child’s social worker had been worried about the child’s safety. Since moving in, there has been a significant reduction in incidents of unsafe behaviour towards others, property damage, periods of going missing from the home and exploitation. The consistency of staff and the level of nurture provided have been crucial to the increased safety and stability that the child is experiencing.

p.4

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

Staff take swift action when children go missing from the home. They follow clear protocols. A police community support officer commented on how well the staff and manager work with the police. Children like spending time with staff. It is the trusting relationships that children develop with staff that help them stay safe. Staff identify strategies to reduce the risks of going missing from the home. One social worker appreciated the staff’s approach to reduce missing-from-home episodes by a child having the responsibility of a pet.

p.4

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

For children who self-harm, staff help them find alternative ways to express difficult feelings. One social worker said that the frequency and seriousness of such incidents have reduced since moving to the home.

p.4

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

Staff use incentives and rewards to promote positive behaviour. Children’s debriefs are completed in a timely way after incidents to help children explore alternative ways of managing difficult feelings. While trained, staff have not needed to physically hold a child to keep them safe.

p.4

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

Staff and children have meaningful conversations on relevant topics. The manager and key worker complete monthly reviews and plan the next steps for support. Staff support children with decision-making around traumatic experiences and explore support regarding historical allegations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 5 The child is kept safe by high levels of staffing and supervision. Managers regularly review with the social worker how to introduce greater independence safely using a step-by-step approach.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by an inspirational manager. She is ably supported by an experienced deputy. Their skills show in their detailed guidance they give staff in delivering individualised care. Because of this, staff are responsive to children’s needs. The culture of the home is positive. Managers lead an enthusiastic team that shares the same values and approach in changing children’s lives through high standards of nurture and care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff hold managers in high regard. Staff spoke positively about the support from managers about their work and personal matters. Staff receive regular reflective supervision. Managers address practice issues through relevant processes. New staff members found their induction comprehensive and enjoyable. The manager has clear oversight to ensure completion of training and relevant qualifications in required timescales.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s experiences are enriched by a diverse team. Managers encourage staff to use their strengths and experiences to support children through their interest in heritage, art, history and sports.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children, professionals and family commend managers and staff for the impact they have on children’s lives. Staff build excellent relationships with children’s families. One parent said that they trust staff to make the right decisions for their child. They said that previously their child’s behaviour was ‘dangerous’. However, the parent said, ‘Now, I can sleep at night. They have done absolute wonders with [name of child]. [Name of child] is making right choices as they are with people who respect and care for [the child].’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff have excellent working relations with other professionals. Staff invited social workers to join in the Christmas celebrations and support children when undertaking a charity event with staff. The manager is a confident advocate in driving plans forward. One social worker said that a child now participates more in their own planning meetings. She added, ‘Whatever [name of child] says is heard and validated in a curious and supportive conversation by staff.’ Children see the effect of expressing their views, for example moving the time of their tutoring sessions and voting for ‘staff of the month’ and ‘staff of the year’. Children feel valued.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is very organised and has excellent oversight of the home. The responsible individual confirms her audits support this view. One staff member said, ‘If an issue is raised, it will be addressed. Training is completed with staff and managers to ensure that children are safe. We check that what is in place is working Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 6 and whether it needs adjusting.’ Children receive care from staff who they can rely on. This helps them feel increasingly settled.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is dual registered as a manager for this home and another home owned by the organisation. The deputy also works across both homes. They strive to minimise the effect of this for children and staff. The manager knows the strengths of the home and areas for development. The manager has spoken with senior managers about the effects on her and the deputy of managing two homes. She advocates with senior leaders in relation to management capacity and support for them and the home.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 7

p.6

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: 2688405 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Detail Personnel Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 32, 18 High Street, High Wycombe HP11 2BE

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jennifer Henderson

p.8

Inspector

Helen Gronhaug, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688405 9 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 children looked after, 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