Children's Home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 1 Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire 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

This home is privately operated and provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Four 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Outstanding 08/03/2023 Full Good 27/07/2021 Full Good 24/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children living at the home contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff deliver outstanding care to the children. They speak to children in a consistently kind and thoughtful manner. Children seek out staff for hugs. Children feel a sense of happiness and security in their home. One child said that they ‘wouldn’t change a thing about it’. Playful exchanges between adults and children were observed, which showed the positive and trusting relationships that they have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is homely, well-furnished, thoughtfully decorated and featuring photos of the children on the walls. Each bedroom reflects the personality of the children living there, with one child expressing pride in their personalised space. Staff have contributed to creating a warm, cozy and welcoming atmosphere that the children feel safe in. There are generous communal spaces where children can relax together, playing hockey and basketball in the games room or watching television in the lounge. Bedrooms are clean, tidy and tailored to each child’s interests and preferences. A change since the last inspection is the transformation of the staff office into a dedicated homework room for the children. This thoughtful alteration has shifted the environment from feeling like a workplace like setting to more of a family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager and staff speak highly of the children, showing a deep understanding of their individual personalities and needs. Children frequently approach staff for advice, highlighting the trust and support they feel in these relationships. This demonstrates that children value staff’s opinions and feel heard and cared for. Even in instances where children have not explicitly sought support, staff remain attentive and attuned to their emotions. Recognising subtle signs of distress or worry, staff proactively offer nurturing care to reassure and support the children. This thoughtful approach reflects their commitment to the children’s well-being and emotional security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have beautiful memory books and keepsake boxes. These contain letters and mementos from significant people in their lives. These collections document the children’s time in the home, preserving special memories. Life-story work is thoughtfully tailored to match each child’s individual pace and level of understanding. Staff are actively undergoing training to understand life-story work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting children’s family relationships, and staff have supported families to successfully rebuild their relationships. Staff have actively facilitated family time within the community and one child was supported in taking a family holiday for the first time in many years. Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 4 Professionals and parents expressed their appreciation for the home, particularly for the exceptional efforts of the registered manager. One parent stated that the team consistently goes ‘above and beyond’ to provide support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

From their starting points, children have made considerable progress across all areas of life. All children are encouraged to attend education and are inspired to pursue their aspirations for the future. They are encouraged to take positive risks, helping them gain experiences like those of their peers.

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

The staff place importance on ensuring the safety of the children. Despite many of the children having lived together for several years, the staff remain vigilant, avoiding any complacency regarding potential risks between them. Children’s voices are consistently heard, and their views are acted on, giving them a sense of control over their lives. The registered manager collaborates with a multi-agency team of professionals to assess each child’s individual needs and vulnerabilities, and support strategies to ensure their continued safety. With a positive approach to risk management, the registered manager focuses on educating children about risks and equipping them with the skills to mitigate them. As a result, children are supported to take carefully considered risks that enable them to work toward their goals of greater independence.

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

When staff are challenged by children’s behaviour, they employ a range of strategies to help children express themselves safely. Consequently, the use of restraint is rare. However, when restraint is necessary, it is always proportionate and used to prevent harm to the children or others. Following any use of restraint, follow-up sessions are conducted with both staff and children. These sessions provide an opportunity to reflect on the incident, discuss emotions and explore ways to manage similar situations differently in the future. Staff also prioritise repairing relationships with the children, checking in with them promptly to ensure their well-being.

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

A medication error occurred, prompting the registered manager to take swift and effective action to address the issue and prevent recurrence. Staff underwent refresher training on medication procedures and engaged in collaborative discussions about administration protocols during team meetings and supervision sessions.

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

The work undertaken by staff with children is both comprehensive and creative. Great care is taken to help children understand the purpose behind this work, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe both now and in the future. Weekly sessions focusing on online safety and healthy relationships play a vital role, equipping children with practical and valuable life skills. By involving children in the creation of their plans, staff ensure that they feel invested and motivated to make these plans a success.

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

Challenging conversations are approached openly and constructively between staff and children, fostering a secure and supportive environment. The registered manager and Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 5 deputy manager are strong role models, employing therapeutic practices to guide their interactions and nurture positive relationships with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational leader, who is highly respected by staff. One staff member said that they feel ‘well-supported under their guidance’ and that they ‘give me confidence’. Staff receive regular, reflective supervision sessions that address their developmental needs, which they appreciate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager demonstrates a deep understanding of the home’s key strengths, including its relationship-focused practice, strong collaboration with professionals and child-centred approach. They are also committed to enhancing the service to meet the children’s evolving needs, particularly as they transition toward adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered managers leadership plays a significant role in shaping the home’s culture and ethos, which are defined by warmth, nurturing care and compassion. The children are supported in overcoming their challenges and are encouraged to express their difficult emotions in a safe and understanding environment. This is made possible by the staff, who not only care about the children but also take joy in spending time with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager upholds exceptional standards for the home, ensuring a supportive and well-maintained environment for the children. Staff are held to equally high expectations, and the registered manager has demonstrated strong leadership in addressing recent staff-related concerns. Through a thorough investigation and the establishment of clear expectations, she has effectively reinforced the values and professionalism that define the ethos of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff demonstrate exceptional enthusiasm for the care of the children and their ongoing progress. They hold aspirational goals for each child, instilling in them a sense of self-belief and motivation. Children’s achievements are celebrated both individually and with the staff team, providing positive recognition for their efforts and inspiring them to continue striving for exceptional outcomes. With thorough oversight of the home, the registered manager ensures that the care provided for children is of the highest standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team is dedicated to enhancing the lives of children, using research and evidence-based practices. For instance, the registered manager has successfully embedded research findings, such as the importance of curiosity when engaging with children, to help foster positive relationships. This approach has become a core part of the home’s ethos and practices, highlighting her forward-thinking and innovative leadership. Additionally, all paperwork and assessments are comprehensive, meaningful and tailored specifically to the children’s needs. Emphasis is placed on valuing the perspectives of both children and staff, creating an environment where children feel genuinely heard and staff are empowered to inspire and implement positive change. Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 6

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2504494 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 131a London Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5DP

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Toni Bartholomew-Smith

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Inspector

Karen Hallam, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2504494 8 regulates 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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