Children's Home run by Thrive Childcare Services Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 1 Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to three children who have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were three children living at the home and all 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 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: 21 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: 2679810 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2024 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about the staff who care for them and say they feel safe and cared for. Children benefit from positive relationships with staff, built up over a long period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to explore their hobbies and interests. This helps them build confidence and develop new skills. Staff provide a wide range of activities for children to enjoy. Weekly ‘food and feelings’ nights take place, when children are able to try foods from around the world and share their emotions with staff in a relaxed setting. Staff take care to capture special occasions by photographing children’s experiences and make thoughtful and personalised keepsakes as a reminder of children’s time living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children are in good routines, including setting boundaries around the time children can spend on their games consoles. Staff support children by providing a healthy balance between rest and activities, recognising the importance of moderation while still enjoying their hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to do well in their education by providing practical assistance, continuous encouragement and positive reinforcement. Staff maintain good communication with teachers. As a result, children are doing well in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff go to great lengths to support children’s relationships with their families and recognise the importance of these connections for their well-being. One parent said staff had gone out of their way to drive a considerable distance so their child could have a much-needed hug during a difficult time. This helps children to feel loved and supported while reflecting staff’s dedication to supporting children through difficult times. Other children are also supported to stay connected with friends that they made before they moved to the home, with staff driving them a substantial distance to see them each weekend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a welcoming and cosy home. They are able to decorate their rooms to their taste. However, some damage to one child’s bedroom has not been promptly repaired. This detracts from what is otherwise a homely place to live.

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

Staff are clear about the risks when children go missing from home. The manager ensures that there are clear plans to manage these risks and staff understand and follow children’s plans. This includes making extensive searches of areas where the child may be. After the child has returned, the manager follows up with the placing authority so that they have an independent return home interview. This helps provide the right support to prevent future occurrences of children going missing from home. Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 4 On some occasions, staff have been unable to de-escalate situations when children’s behaviour is unsafe and physical intervention has been used. The manager has good oversight of records of interventions to ensure that they have been carried out appropriately. The manager reflects on incidents with children and staff, and this encourages learning and improvement in how children manage challenging situations

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

and how staff support them at these times.

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

Leaders have a focus on strengthening positive behaviour. Children respond well to positive reinforcement and praise. The use of consequences is rare. When these have been used, the manager reviews the records to ensure that their use has been fair and proportionate. The manager takes learning when consequences have not been effective.

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

Managers ensure that when they recruit staff to work at the home, they undertake robust pre-employment checks. This helps them to make sure that the adults are safe to work at the home.

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

Staff recognise where children’s self-esteem has been affected by their early experiences and take proactive steps to build their self-esteem. Children are encouraged to participate in open conversations about their emotions and this helps them process their feelings in a safe environment. Positive affirmations are woven into daily interactions with children. This helps children develop a more positive view of themselves and supports their future growth and emotional well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example and is a positive role model to her team. She spends quality time with children and is committed to making improvements in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that regular staff meetings and supervisions take place. These sessions are well structured and provide an opportunity for staff to reflect and focus on the needs of the children. They also provide opportunities for the manager to improve the consistency of care provided to children. Staff are positive about the support they receive from their manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers ensure that there is frequent communication with external professionals working with children. One professional said that the child-friendly updates they receive each month are a rarity, the only such thing they had seen in their nine years working in the sector.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are supported to participate in meetings and staff assist them to express their views and wishes. This provides opportunities for children to be active participants in their care and helps empower them to be involved in key decisions that affect their life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation has a wide variety of training on offer for staff. The manager has systems in place to monitor training and it is kept under regular review. This enhances staff’s skills and knowledge to enable them to respond effectively to children. Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 5 The manager carries out regular monitoring of the quality of care provided to children. Overall, this is effective. However, she has failed to check that the placing authority has provided the most up-to-date care plan for children. This does not ensure that staff are adhering to the most up-to-date information about children and has the potential to impact the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the manager ensures the home has the most up-to-date local authority care plan for children. 7 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children, and that any damage is repaired promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2679810 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 225 5300 Lakeside, Cheadle SK8 3PG

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Inspector

Chrisoula Contoyianni, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2679810 8 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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