Children's home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2685995 1 Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a suitably experienced registered manager.

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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: 16 January 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: 2685995 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2024 Full Outstanding 13/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2685995 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. All the children contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive extraordinary care from staff. Staff go to great lengths to understand the children and carefully tailor care to their needs. Managers ensure that staff develop specific knowledge and receive additional training relating to the children’s needs. This results in competent staff who support children to make significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children living at the home are flourishing and have grown in confidence. There is a strong focus on structured routines and boundaries. Effective staff practice provides consistency and stability for children. Children are consulted about any decisions in the home. They participate in the recruitment of new staff to help the manager consider the staff’s long-term suitability. Children experience a sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from excellent relationships with staff. They trust the staff who care for them, and they enjoy spending time together. Staff focus on the individual children’s needs while recognising the importance of the children’s relationships with each other. Staff have supported the children to develop their relationships, having regular holidays away and eating meals together daily in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make progress in all areas of their development, including in education, health, social and emotional skills. Children are making significant achievements at school, and this is helped by their high attendance. If children have gaps in their education, additional tutoring is delivered to help them catch up. By meeting children’s educational needs so effectively, children will reap the benefits later in life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff have sourced and completed specific training to meet the complex health needs of one child. Staff take the child swimming to a hydrotherapy pool weekly and support them to do recommended exercises twice a day. This has strengthened their body and their confidence. The child was reliant on a wheelchair to get around. Now they use leg splints and are enjoying their newfound independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s hobbies and interests are enthusiastically encouraged and supported by committed staff and managers. One child has been supported to have weekly horse- riding lessons since arriving at the home. They have successfully gained a place at college to further their interest and pursue a career working with horses. They have increased their confidence and improved their well-being through regular achievements and continued enjoyment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There are strong, respectful relationships between external professionals and care staff. This ensures that children benefit from the expertise of specialists and clinicians and Inspection report for children’s home: 2685995 4 receive consistent support in all settings. Professionals speak highly of leaders and the staff, citing effective communication and the home’s warm and nurturing environment.

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

Staff understand the impact of trauma on children. Research is used to develop their understanding of incidents such as self-harm. Staff have accessed bespoke training from specialists to be able to provide the children with innovative ways to manage their feelings safely. The registered manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the individual risks for each child. Highly effective and proactive planning identifies potential risks and ensures that staff manage these well. Risk management plans are well recorded and contain clear actions for staff to take to minimise the risk of harm.

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

The response to children going missing from the home is exceptional. One child was vulnerable to child sexual exploitation, and they were missing often. Managers and staff were committed to keeping the child safe, and went above and beyond while the child was missing to search with the police until they were found. Managers worked extensively with multiple agencies to keep the child safe. The child was taken away from the area by staff to ‘break the cycle’. They had valuable time with staff who completed extensive one-to-one work with them, which increased the child’s knowledge and understanding of risk and how to keep safe. The child was then able to move on from the home in a planned and positive way. The child has not had any further incidents of being missing.

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

Staff adopt a restorative approach to managing children’s behaviour. However, at times, physical intervention has been used to protect children from harm. On the occasions when a child has been held, this has been proportionate and necessary. Incidents are well recorded and evaluated. The registered manager sensitively consults with children and staff after incidents. She carefully considers everyone’s views about the incident and changes care practices if necessary. This demonstrates a learning environment for staff and children.

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

When a child has raised concerns about a staff member’s practice, managers have followed safeguarding procedures purposefully. The managers have been inquisitive and explored the concerns systemically. They work successfully with other agencies to ensure the child receives appropriate support and that effective processes are in place to safeguard the child and the staff. The child feels listened to and supported.

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

Staff understand the risks associated with children’s use of the internet and mobile phones. Children, together with staff, have put in place their own safety plans. Children understand why this is necessary. There are age restrictions and downtimes, and live location is shared. This means children are supported to remain safe and develop a positive understanding of technology. Inspection report for children’s home: 2685995 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is suitably qualified. Her knowledge of the home and the children is exceptional. She is child focused and supports children to make excellent progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s progress is recorded through clear and precise monitoring systems. Children are receiving high-quality care from a consistent and stable staff team who place the needs of the individual children at the centre of their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example. She and staff have excellent working relationships with partner agencies and schools. Professionals involved with the children report that the children are receiving the best possible care and enjoying experiences that will support them in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is inspirational and has maintained the ethos in the home, where there is a culture of learning with a focus on therapeutic practice. This is reflected across the staff team. Staff are encouraged and supported to understand and develop their practice through research, in areas such as trauma, life-story work and understanding attachment. This supports children to make exceptional progress in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager shows a high level of dedication and commitment to children, which helps them to experience a positive family home and feel stable and secure. Leaders, managers and staff ensure children have positive and aspirational experiences in this home, the same as other children of a similar age. The children go on regular holidays with staff, spend time with their friends and families, and follow their hobbies and interests. Staff also support the children to participate in local fundraising events for charity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff are ambitious in their attempts to provide children with love and care so that they benefit from positive and nurturing relationships. Staff say that it does not feel like work and that they look forward to spending time with colleagues and children each day. Staff are committed to their work with children. One member of staff said, ‘Everyone is so passionate, and bounces off each other.’ They say that they are ‘one big happy family’. This helps children to flourish and thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made at this inspection.

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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: 2685995 6

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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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Inspector

Sarah Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2685995 7 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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