Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 1 Registered provider: Hopscotch Care 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

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children's home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: 20 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: 2742263 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is settled and has an established routine in the home. They are able to recognise individual staff who can provide them with support and care around their specific needs. The other child has recently moved into the home and is in the early stages of establishing relationships with staff, routines and understanding expectations of behaviour. Both children had planned and detailed transitions into the home. The children’s guide was provided to them in advance of their move. Visits to the home and to meet staff were offered to both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and emotional needs are prioritised. Staff support children to attend routine and specialist health appointments. Therefore, children remain in good health and their well-being is promoted. Both children use vapes. One child vapes at the rear door of the home. Further support sessions need to be completed around the risks of vaping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s education is with a tutor provided by their school at the home’s multi-purpose centre, which is situated locally. However, the child regularly refuses to attend and there is no clear plan for the child to progress with their education. The other child is new to the home and wants to attend a school provision in the local area, which staff need to explore and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance and dynamics of family relationships and friendships for the children. They support the children to spend time with their family members and friends. They offer them opportunities to spend time at the home and away from the home together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has left the home to live independently. The young person remains in contact with staff, who have supported them by providing essential items and emotional guidance to support their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create videos and photos for the children as reminders of activities, such as concerts, walking in the lakes and themed fun nights in the home. The home is warm and welcoming. It is decorated and furnished to a good standard. Photos of the staff and children sharing positive times together are displayed throughout the home. At the time of this inspection, staff were helping the child who is new to the home to personalise their bedroom.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. They know the children’s risks and vulnerabilities and how best to respond to these to ensure that the children remain safe. Staff follow robust risk management and support plans and provide good-quality care, which has resulted in risks reducing for one child. Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 4 Due to the positive relationships that staff and the manager have built with children, they are able to successfully de-escalate incidents before it is necessary to physically hold a child to keep them safe. Staff and the manager speak to the children after every incident to help them reflect and share any worries, concerns or ideas about how the situation could have been managed differently. This helps the children to manage their feelings and emotions.

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

Staff receive training in child protection and safeguarding practices. They also receive tailored training on topics such as internet safety and self-harmful behaviours. Staff have access to a therapist to support them and the children in their care. Additionally, this helps the staff to gain a more in-depth knowledge of the children so they can support them appropriately.

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

The manager has oversight of incidents and acts appropriately when serious incidents occur. This enables the manager to make swift changes in the care provided for the children as necessary. Information is shared with family members and professionals, and notifications are made to Ofsted in a timely and effective manner. Medicines prescribed to children are stored in a lockable cabinet in the office. However, during the inspection, it was raised that the office was open and the medicine cabinet had the keys left in the lock. This does not demonstrate that medication is stored and secured to prevent children accessing it.

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

Children are aware of how to make a complaint about things that upset or worry them. Children know that they can speak to their social workers or family and can ask for an advocate to support them.

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

Sensors are in use on the children’s bedroom doors. This is not in line with the home’s statement of purpose nor the family ethos that is represented throughout the rest of the home. Leaders and managers took appropriate action during the inspection to address this. They requested that the maintenance team remove the sensors as they are not reflective of the children’s care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is absent from the home on planned leave. The home is currently overseen by a deputy manager from one of the other provider’s homes and is in the process of submitting an application to register with Ofsted. They have experience and knowledge of caring for children in residential care and running an efficient staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak highly of the managers. The interim manager includes the staff in decision- making and supports an open culture in which staff can express their own ideas to develop the home. One member of staff said, ‘The manager is always available to listen and support me when needed.’ The manager ensures that staff complete a programme of training and learning. Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 5 Staff benefit from regular supervision. However, this is not always sufficiently reflective and does not always focus on how staff interact and develop relationships with individual children. Team meetings take place consistently and are well attended by the staff. Staff also attend consultations that are led by the therapist for individual children. These are reflective sessions that provide a forum for staff to explore and review children’s progress and support strategies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has positive relationships with professionals involved in the children’s care. Professionals speak positively of the manager. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has settled and likes the home; they want to stay there if they can’t go home. They are learning about risk-taking behaviour and how to stay safe.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development and uses the independent person’s feedback to improve the care offered to the children. Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 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 may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child's age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child's need for privacy.

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Requirement Due date

This regulation is subject to any monitoring or surveillance requirements imposed by a court. (Regulation 24 (1)(c)(d) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that bedroom door sensors are not used to deprive a child of their freedom of movement and privacy unless it is necessary to safeguard them. 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them. (Regulation 23 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the medicine cabinet is locked and the keys are stored securely. 30 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. Specifically, the use of vapes in and around the home should be addressed. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 33, paragraph 7.10)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is a clear education plan for each child when not in full-time education, and children are supported to complete educational activities in line with this. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards' page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 2742263 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 19 Lancaster Road, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9LD

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Inspector

Deborah Turner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2742263 9 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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