Children's Home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 1 SC020595 Registered provider: Family Care Associates 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 owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to four children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and has completed their level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: SC020595 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2024 Full Good 08/02/2023 Full Good 21/04/2021 Full Outstanding 20/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. All the children were spoken to as part of this inspection. Two children have been welcomed into the home, and one child has moved on since the last inspection. Their placement was appropriately ended to ensure their safety. Staff are dedicated to children having positive endings. The manager challenges external agencies when moving-out plans are not known or well structured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff creatively support group living. They have implemented afternoon tea to encourage interactions between the children. They also have pamper evenings and quizzes. Children have improved social skills and have a sense of cooperation with one another.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with the children. This is helping children to be open and talk about their feelings. Staff further support these relationships by ensuring that children’s progress is celebrated. Work with the children is varied and of good quality. Staff encourage engagement using different tools. Children’s self-esteem has improved, and they enjoy recognising their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of children are actively addressed. Staff use their initiative to pursue referrals even when these have previously been declined. They actively collate information to strengthen the referral. The provider’s therapist has assisted staff to sensitively help children with their health diagnoses. The manager has successfully challenged waiting lists for external support, gaining the children help sooner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is well supported. As a result, all children who previously found learning challenging are now enrolled in formal education. When home learning is part of the children’s timetable, staff are innovative in how this is delivered. They make learning fun to encourage the children to participate. All children’s attendance and engagement in learning has improved since they moved into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are keen for the children to pursue their interests. The manager ensures that the children can access their chosen hobbies. This has included bike riding, horse riding and ice-skating lessons. Children have enjoyed various holidays, and one child was taken abroad for the first time. This develops self-awareness and contributes to happy childhood memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a warm environment that is nicely decorated. The large rear garden is equipped with a choice of activities for the children to use. Throughout the home there are photos of the children and pieces of their artwork. Children’s bedrooms are decorated in accordance with their choices. This helps them to feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging in their home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 4

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

All children told the inspector that they feel safe. Each of the children’s risks are carefully understood by staff. Children have individual plans which outline clear strategies to be used by staff to reduce risks. These plans are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect any emerging concerns.

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

Staff use a therapeutic model, so practice is consistent. An internal therapist supports staff in their roles. The therapist visits the home weekly and facilitates monthly consultations. The work is centred around the needs of the children so staff can respond both appropriately and therapeutically. Staff often call the therapist for advice and to reflect on incidents. A clinical evaluation tool is completed and updated for each child every three months. This ensures that managers and staff can track children’s progress and taken action to improve the outcomes of children.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are mostly managed appropriately. Staff usually follow the protocol outlined in the children’s plans. There was an incident where the door alarms were not activated properly by staff. This impacted on the staff’s ability to ensure that the children were safe. The manager responded to this appropriately. Further alarms for the external doors were also fitted to prevent a similar incident occurring in the future.

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

Physical intervention is used as the last option. Incidents are documented in detail and include staff reflection. Reports evidence staff using a broad range of de-escalation techniques. This often prevents incidents from worsening. Restorative work is actioned promptly to ensure that staff maintain positive relationships with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably skilled and experienced. They model therapeutic practice and are dedicated to the children receiving good-quality care. The manager has an extensive understanding of each child’s needs and their progress. Since the last inspection, they have worked hard to implement positive changes in the home for the benefit of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As well as the provider’s mandatory training, staff undertake training that is relevant to the children’s individual needs. Where these areas have been more complex, external expertise has been sought. This advances staff’s practice and knowledge, improving the support that the children receive and their lived experiences in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a reflective leader who challenges staff practice to improve outcomes for children. They have an in-depth knowledge of staff’s individual strengths and vulnerabilities. This is applied to strengthen practice and develop the skills of the team. The manager is keen for staff to progress. Team meetings and supervision sessions are facilitated regularly. These encourage staff development and learning. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 5 Managers practise safer recruitment. New staff speak positively about their experience of induction into the home. They consider the training and the support from other staff to be valuable to their learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from family members and external professionals was unanimously positive. The manager and staff form positive relationships with the children’s networks, which strengthens multi-agency working. The manager is a strong advocate for the children and has escalated complaints on their behalf.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed effective monitoring systems. As a result, they have good oversight and review all reports and documents held by the home. They make use of external monitoring, including the independent visitor’s reports and auditing by the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Three staff members have not completed their qualifications within timescales, which impacts the development of staff practice. They are all enrolled on the course and the manager has developed an action plan to address this. Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 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, 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; or 20 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 7 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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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: SC020595 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Family Care Associates Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor Offices, The Unit Berry Way, Euxton, Chorley PR7 6RA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Johnson

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Inspector

Latoya Morgan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC020595 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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