Children's home run by Cornerways Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 1 Registered provider: Cornerways Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2025.

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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: 6 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 16/05/2022 Full Good 15/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. All were seen and spoken with by the inspector. Since the last inspection, four children have moved in and four children have moved out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff embrace diversity. Children share positive experiences with staff, who encourage them to be accepting of differences and to embrace their own unique identities. One child was supported by staff to attend an event linked to their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff take children to see their families, who live a significant distance away. This helps children to maintain relationships with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are well supported. Relevant referrals to health professionals have been made to support children with their emotional well-being. Staff are respectful of the individual ways children wish to communicate. For one child, the use of individualised communication methods helped enable an increase in verbal communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain good progress in their education. Children have bespoke plans of learning that are tailored to their interests and capabilities. This has resulted in some children being able to increase their educational attendance, while others maintained good academic attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move in or out of the home have carefully planned moves that are centred around their needs. Before children move in, staff research children’s culture and preferences. When children move out, staff plan leaving celebrations and meaningful memory books are given. This shows the children from the start that staff take an interest in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to have fun, and they plan activities around the children’s interests. Children have attended meals out, visits to a trampoline park and have attended a concert. This helps children to take part in activities that they enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint and are supported to make suggestions regarding their care and home routines. Staff respond to the children’s concerns in their individual communication style. This ensures that children understand the outcome and progress of their suggestions. This provides valuable experiences for children to feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have created an environment that is welcoming and warm and where children are spoken about with care and compassion. The staff and the Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 4 welcoming home environment contribute to family-style living for children. Two children complimented the staff for making them feel safe and loved.

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

The home is very settled. There has been a low number of incidents in the home. No children have had to be held for their safety since the last inspection.

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

The staff encourage children to think about their safety. Well-planned and effective meetings between children and staff cover important and emerging topics to increase children’s knowledge about how to keep themselves safe. Over time, for one child this resulted in a cessation of their substance misuse.

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

Children’s care plans are detailed and comprehensive. They contain all the relevant information and are updated regularly. Children’s risk assessments are clear, individual and easy for staff to follow.

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

Children’s individual risks are assessed prior to moving in. Staff are supported to complete training to aid them in understanding and identifying concerns. The staff take quick and effective action to address any concerns to safeguarding children in their care.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are rare. When they do occur, they are managed appropriately. Staff follow protocols and contact the police to report children missing.

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

Bedroom door sensors are used to monitor all children’s movements overnight. However, this is not subject to regular review or individually assessed. This blanket approach does not ensure that this is proportionate or that children’s privacy is protected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a permanent and registered manager. The manager has high aspirations for children. The manager and staff know the children well and use their views to help develop the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. This supports staff to develop their knowledge and reflect on their practice. Staff report that they feel supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive about the home. A consistent message from professionals is that they are very happy with the care children receive at the home. Professionals highlighted good communication with the staff and strong relationships between the staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completed regular monitoring that supports her to identify patterns and themes at the home. Internal and external monitoring provides a helpful overview of the home and contributes to changes in staff learning and practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 5 There is a comprehensive training package available for staff. The manager is proactive in seeking additional training opportunities to further upskill staff knowledge based on children’s individual risks. However, three staff have not achieved a level 3 qualification within the required timeframe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not sought updated information from relevant people when reviewing the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises. This does not ensure that the provider has an accurate understanding of the risks and benefits presented by the location of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 6

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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,

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 6 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 7 The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b) 1 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when completing the review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home, up-to-date information is sought from relevant people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 2583142 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Eastway Enterprise Centre, 7 Paynes Park, Hitchin SG5 1EH

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Inspector

Naomi Starbuck, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2583142 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 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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