Children's home run by Home Comforts Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 1 Registered provider: Home Comforts Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has appointed a new manager, and they have applied to register with Ofsted. The registered provider has recently appointed a new responsible individual. Ofsted is currently checking if this person has the appropriate capacity, experience and skills for the role.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 3

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improvement to be good

The child spoke to the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. Group dynamics have not been well managed. As a result, the number of incidents has increased, which has had a significant effect on all the children. One child’s move ended abruptly due to staff being unable to meet their needs and an increase in serious incidents. Consequently, children’s experiences are not always positive.

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improvement to be good

Instability in the staff team has led to a lack of consistency for the children living in the home and has affected their continuity of care. Due to staffing shortages, the home has relied on the use of agency staff. However, leaders and managers are taking action to address this issue. This will provide more stability and deliver consistent messages and boundaries.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s education. When children do not attend school, they receive support to maintain a structured routine. Ongoing discussions take place with the child’s educational provision, and staff support children with their schoolwork in the home.

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improvement to be good

The staff facilitate children’s relationships with the people who are important to them. This helps children to maintain important relationships and increases their sense of identity and belonging.

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improvement to be good

The child engages in activities with staff in the home, such as fitness exercises and playing football. Staff promote positive activities outside of the home. This helps children to gain confidence and improve their social skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child in maintaining their health and hygiene. They take the child to planned and emergency health appointments. When a child requires additional professional support, this is prioritised. However, meaningful conversations around the risks of using electronic cigarettes and substance misuse are not documented. This does not help the child to understand how to stay healthy.

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improvement to be good

The environment is homely and tidy. There is sufficient space for the child who lives in the home. However, the external fire risk assessment has not been carried out in line with the home’s policy. This does not ensure that children live in a safe environment.

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improvement to be good

The child said they feel safe and are happy living in the home. They are developing trusting relationships, and interactions between staff and the child are positive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 4 Risk management and behaviour support plans consider previous and current risks. However, strategies to reduce risk lack guidance for staff to follow to keep the child safe. This means that children are not being helped to safely manage their feelings and behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s responses to children’s behaviours are inconsistent. Consequences for negative behaviours do not provide the child with helpful learning opportunities, and it is not always clear why consequences are given and if they are effective.

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improvement to be good

There have been several serious incidents during this inspection period. This has included the police being contacted to help staff manage children’s behaviour. Records of incidents include details of actions taken by staff and the support provided to the children. However, not all serious incidents have been notified to Ofsted as required by regulation. This limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, they receive a well-coordinated response. Staff understand the risks and are proactive. The manager has worked closely with external professionals to provide the best plans of care for children when they have gone missing. Children are spoken to on their return, and their views have influenced changes, including increased family time for one child.

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improvement to be good

Children can express their views, wishes and feelings and have made allegations. When allegations are made, leaders and managers notify relevant safeguarding professionals and put measures in place to ensure that children are safe.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices have been implemented. This ensures that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been several changes in the leadership and management of the home since the last inspection. The new manager is enthusiastic and motivated. She is supported by a recently appointed responsible individual. However, due to the distance the proposed responsible individual lives from the home, face-to-face support and opportunities to develop relationships with children and staff are limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager. They enjoy working at the home and are committed to improving outcomes for the child. However, staff are not receiving supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This does not help staff to carry out their roles effectively or provide formal opportunities for reflection. This is a missed opportunity to support staff’s understanding of the needs of the children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have not received training to meet the child’s needs. The home’s workforce development plan is not regularly updated to reflect the home’s aims and objectives. Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 5 This means that staff do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to work consistently and effectively with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

When external complaints are made, leaders and managers take appropriate action. Leaders and managers are committed to improving external relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Regular team meetings take place. They create an opportunity for learning and reflection and, on occasions, are supported by an external therapist to better enable staff to provide trauma-informed care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not have effective internal monitoring systems in place. This limits opportunities to monitor and evaluate the care provided to children. However, leaders and managers can identify opportunities to further develop the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home overall aims and outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets the children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help children to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills to prepare the chid to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult.

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(v)(vi) (3)(b)(c)(ii)) 27 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 7 the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the way child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that identified health needs for children are followed up. Direct work should be carried out with children to help them understand their health and risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes and substance misuse.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk form harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 8 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible person ensuring that risk management plans and behaviour support plans are regularly reviewed and include clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 27 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 9 research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision in line with the home’s policy. 27 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

An incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

There is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 27 June 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature and help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them, and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that they comply with relevant health and safety legislation, including fire safety. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 10

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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: 2792482 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Home Comforts Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit F Whiteacres, Cambridge Road, Leicestershire LE8 6ZG

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2792482 12 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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