Children's Home run by Fair Ways in Hampshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 1 SC385809 Registered provider: Fairways Care (UK) 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 and is registered to provide care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties. Children can access education at one of the provider’s two schools, and they can access therapy through the provider’s ‘hub’. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2023 Full Good 30/03/2023 Full Good 15/09/2021 Full Good 28/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have warm and positive relationships with staff, full of good humour and genuine connection. Staff work hard to develop their understanding of the children’s unique identities and lived experiences and apply this understanding when planning for their care. This helps the children feel cared for and builds relationships that support them to make progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear and comprehensive plans, informed by local authority care plans. The children’s views and wishes on plans for their care and future are sought by staff in everyday conversation and key-work sessions. As a result, children are heard and are supported to develop a sense of agency.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and education is a priority for staff. They are proactive and tenacious in their efforts to secure the right support for the children, so that their needs are met swiftly and fully. This has had a significant impact for one child, whose health condition is now, for the first time, fully understood and managed. This has improved the child’s physical safety and quality of life. For another child, staff have advocated for their right to education. This has resulted in an increase in their provision, which has had a positive impact on that child’s self-esteem. However, when the children are not in school full time, they spend lots of time in their rooms which undermines the value staff place on the children’s learning. Children are offered a range of activities outside of the home both individually and together. The children play an active role in planning these activities and last year

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

planned a holiday to France, which was a great success. This helps the children feel connected and valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving into the home benefit from well-thought-out and creative introductions. However, the quality of planning and recording for the children moving out is inconsistent, as is the approach towards preparing the children for adulthood. In the main, the children have been successfully supported to move on, but with varying levels of life skills and knowledge.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is maintained to a high standard and has a lovely warm, welcoming feel. However, alarms on the children’s doors do detract from this, and there is no regularly reviewed assessment justifying their use for two of the children.

p.3

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

Children are listened to. They have confidence in their relationships with staff and share concerns freely. The children speak openly to staff about their worries and feelings. When difficulties do arise, staff are quick to intervene and support the children to navigate their emotions. These interactions are underpinned by staff’s good understanding of safeguarding. This helps the children feel and be safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 4 Staff know the children well and have a thorough understanding of their strengths and vulnerabilities. When the children are at risk, staff take appropriate action, guided by plans that are regularly updated and reviewed with partner agencies. After incidents, the children are spoken to by staff to help them understand risks and support them to make safer choices. This shows the children that their safety is a priority.

p.3

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

In line with the statement of purpose, the manager guides staff to understand that behaviour is communication. Staff are encouraged to focus on relationships, connection and empathy, which informs helpful responses when the children are distressed. This provides the children with positive role models, which supports them in developing relationships both in and beyond the home.

p.4

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

Allegations are rarely made about staff, but when they do occur, managers respond swiftly to ensure the children’s safety and well-being. External safeguarding agencies are consulted before thorough investigations are carried out. This results in timely, independent scrutiny of the plans put in place to safeguard the children.

p.4

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

Physical intervention is rarely used in the home. When it does occur, there is a timely managers’ review to ensure that this approach was necessary and proportionate. The children and staff are spoken with following its use.

p.4

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

Children do not go missing from home. There are, however, clear protocols in place should this occur, which staff are confident in following.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager and deputy manager. They have a good knowledge of the service’s strengths and areas for development and are open and reflective, which makes them good role models for staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers lead by example. They have created a culture whereby the organisation’s model of care is well embedded into staff practice, which creates consistency in care for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers know the children well and speak enthusiastically about the children they care for, past and present. They are committed to maintaining relationships with the children and offer ongoing support, guidance and friendship to those who have moved on. For example, one child, who recently left the home, was invited for dinner and a quiz night with the other children. This creates a sense of community and stability for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about their roles and the support they receive. They describe the managers as knowledgeable, supportive and available. Staff model and describe a positive culture of care for the children and themselves. Staff receive regular individual supervision, the quality and frequency of which has improved owing to the manager’s good monitoring systems. Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 5 Staff complete a range of relevant training. Managers have effective systems in place to monitor this. Staff have regular opportunities to review their practice and share learning at team meetings and group supervisions. This creates cohesion in the staff team and helps children receive care from well-informed staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers work hard to build positive relationships with children’s families and other professionals. One parent said, ‘My child is safe and well looked after’ and ‘I would give it 10/10.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers respond to safeguarding incidents in a timely and sensitive manner. The record-keeping of actions taken is of good quality and the children are always spoken to. For example, medication errors rarely occur, and when they do, they have been identified by staff and reported promptly. However, managers do not always fully explore lessons learned from incidents or change practice as a result. Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the use of electronic door alarms is regularly reviewed, involving children, parents, and social workers to consider whether it continues to be necessary for safeguarding purposes in accordance with Regulation 24. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should ensure that when children are not in full time education they are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home and support them to develop practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should make use of information from errors or incidents to proactively explore lessons learned with a view to sustaining and improving practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

p.6

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: SC385809 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fairways Care (UK) Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fair Ways, Building 1000, Lakeside North Harbour, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3EN

p.7

Inspector

Becky Paradise, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC385809 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8