Children's Home run by Destini Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 1 Registered provider: Destini Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced to oversee this children’s home.

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: 16 January 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The three children living in the home are settled and making good progress. All three children spoke to the inspector. Two children have moved in and one child has moved out since the last inspection.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual needs and tailor their care to meet them. Staff spend quality time with each child doing things they enjoy. This has helped staff develop trusting relationships with children and allowed them to gain a detailed understanding of children’s behaviours and lived experiences. As a result, staff know children well and how best to support them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are warm and loving interactions between children and staff. Staff play, laugh, sing and dance with children to support them to unwind after school. Children feel loved and cared for by staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since moving into the home, children have made positive progress in all aspects of their lives. Staff support children to develop positive routines, share their feelings and attend school daily. This is particularly positive as all three children were previously not consistently engaged in education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are considered when making decisions about their care and the home environment. Children are encouraged to share their views during weekly children’s meetings and in one-to-one conversations. Children feel involved in decisions being made around the home and feel valued by staff, which supports them in developing confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Through observations, staff have developed a thorough understanding of the needs and wants of a child who is non-verbal. Staff have created ways of communicating with them in a way they are able to understand. This approach ensures that all children feel heard and understood by staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered a variety of activities in line with their interests. One child has been attending gymnastics classes and is now being supported to find a dance class as her interests have changed. Staff are actively looking for a specialist football club for another child, due to his developmental needs. Children take part in activities they enjoy and can experience new activities in line with their developmental needs and interests.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well decorated and immaculately clean and tidy. Children’s bedrooms are decorated beautifully to reflect their age, interests and personality. Photos of the children and staff team are displayed around the communal areas of the home. The children feel a sense of belonging in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 4 Transitions into and out of the home are not always managed well. One child moved into the home with no preparation. This resulted in their move being a negative experience and impacted on their ability to settle in. Children are not always well prepared when moving into the home, which causes feelings of distress and confusion.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s lived experiences and the impact on their behaviours. Staff support children to manage their emotions and make good choices by using a gentle, calm and nurturing approach. Staff provide children with consistent boundaries and routines. Children feel safe, secure and emotionally held.

p.4

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

Robust risk assessments and clear behaviour management plans are used by staff to manage children’s individual risks. Risk assessments and care plans are reviewed and updated regularly. Staff have clear guidance on how to meet children’s needs. Children are safe in the home and community.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s triggers and behaviours, so can de- escalate challenging behaviours effectively. Staff use distraction techniques, play and gentle encouragement to support children in regulating their emotions. As a result, physical interventions are rarely used.

p.4

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

Children are supported to enhance their development in areas where development was delayed due to past traumas. Staff have worked closely with two children to encourage them to develop their speech and language skills and to promote healthy sleep routines. Children are developing skills to improve their communication and daily routines.

p.4

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

Staff work closely with the professional network for each child. Staff provide regular updates and share information efficiently to ensure that all professionals are aware of any changes experienced by children. Children receive the same messages and level of care from all involved in their care, which provides stability and structure for them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly experienced and invested in ensuring that children achieve the best possible outcomes. She strives to provide care that is child centred and therapeutic. She is available in the home and works closely with staff and children, which ensures that she has a good understanding of how children are feeling and progressing.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Auditing processes are used to provide oversight of all aspects of the home, including monitoring the progress of children. When shortfalls are identified, the manager is generally proactive in addressing these areas swiftly to minimise the impact on children. However, the manager’s six-monthly review of the quality of care offered to children lacks detail in how the home will maintain the current level of care or make improvements going forward. Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 5 Children’s records completed by staff are not always child focused and sometimes lack detail and context. Children’s lived experiences in the home are not always clearly documented.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the manager and feel well supported. One member of staff said, ‘She is the most supportive manager you could ask for.’ Staff receive regular supervision sessions and feel able to share any concerns they have with the manager. Team morale is high, and staff enjoy coming to work. Children receive care from staff who are happy to be at work, which supports children in feeling cared for and wanted.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak highly of the manager and the care offered to children by staff. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘I can’t say anything negative about the home. The progress of children is amazing.’ She said the communication between the manager and parents is very positive and support the chid to maintain family relationships.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The decision to accept a chid with complex needs into the home was managed poorly. The child moved into the home with limited preparation. The manager did not complete a robust assessment of the child’s needs, the impact of those needs on the children already living in the home and the staff team’s ability to meet those needs. The staff team was not adequately trained or skilled in managing the complex needs of this child. This resulted in an extremely negative experience for the child who came into the home, the other children in the home and the staff team. This child has now left the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 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

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure a robust assessment of the child’s needs, the impact of those needs on the children already living in the home and the staff team’s ability to meet those needs is completed prior to accepting any child into the home. In addition, the manager must ensure that all children have a meaningful transition plan when moving into and out of the home. 30 April 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating - 30 April 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 7 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the review includes a clear action plan for the development of the home.

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.7

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: 2732195 8

p.7

Inspector

Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2732195 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9