Children's Home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 1 Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Limited

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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 registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s position has been vacant since May 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Good 27/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 3

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a commitment to meeting children’s needs. However, outcomes for children are mixed. One child reported that, despite living at the home for over two years, they do not feel supported or cared for by staff. They expressed feeling less valued as they have grown older. This perception has impacted on their sense of belonging and emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children do not build meaningful relationships with one another. The lack of peer interaction limits the development of a nurturing, family-like environment. As a result, the home does not consistently promote a sense of community or emotional safety.

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improvement to be good

The physical environment is clean, spacious and appropriately equipped. However, the home is not personalised for the children who live here. Decorative items and personal touches, such as photos of the children, have been removed since the last inspection. Although the living room has been redecorated, it feels bare and does not contribute to a warm or homely atmosphere.

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improvement to be good

Staff speak positively about the children and demonstrate an understanding of their individual needs. They are child focused in practice and committed to building relationships. However, this positive intent is not always translated into effective support. One child stated that staff have threatened to end their placement if their behaviour does not improve. The same child reported being unable to access food in the home when they forget to buy their own as part of their independence plan. These experiences undermine the child’s sense of safety and security.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of new admissions to the home have not been positive. One child described the placement of another young person as having a significant negative impact on their well-being. They felt unsupported during the transition and reported that staff did not manage the situation appropriately. The child perceived that staff were prioritising the needs of the newly placed child due to their higher staffing ratio, which contributed to feelings of rejection and resentment.

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improvement to be good

Admission processes are not robust. Although a compatibility risk assessment was completed, it did not sufficiently consider the impact of the new child’s behaviours on the existing child. The acting manager at the time lacked the skills and experience to manage this process effectively. As a result, the placement of a child with high and complex needs has led to serious incidents, including peer-on-peer violence and assaults on staff. These events have significantly disrupted the stability of the home.

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improvement to be good

One child has lost their education placement, which they attribute directly to the placement of another young person in the home. The lack of proactive planning and Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 4 risk assessment has had a detrimental effect on the child’s educational progress and overall well-being.

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improvement to be good

The arrangements to help and protect children require improvement. The admission of a new child during a period of managerial instability contributed to several serious safeguarding concerns. Staff were not sufficiently prepared or equipped to manage the complex behaviours that followed, placing both children and staff at risk.

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improvement to be good

The home has experienced a period of disruption, including assaults on staff and damage to property. There has been a high frequency of physical restraint used with one child. While these interventions appear to have been appropriate, proportionate and in accordance with the home’s behaviour management policy, the frequency of incidents indicates that preventative strategies were not always effective. All staff have received the required training to carry out physical interventions safely.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of peer-on-peer violence and bullying behaviours have occurred between children in the home. These incidents highlight weaknesses in the management of group dynamics and the response to emerging risks between children. Staff do not always intervene effectively to prevent or de-escalate these situations.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are in place and are reviewed, but they are not consistently updated with current or accurate information. Significant risks, such as ongoing tensions between children, are not clearly outlined. There is also insufficient guidance for staff on how to manage and reduce these risks. In one example, a risk assessment contained negative and unhelpful language about a child, which does not promote a supportive or respectful culture.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are not consistently captured in the records of physical interventions. This means that the child’s voice is not adequately reflected following incidents, and opportunities to support their understanding or recovery may be missed. Additionally, some records lack detail and are not written in child-friendly language. The responsible individual acknowledges these shortfalls and has plans to improve practice through further staff training.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to raise concerns and complaints. Complaints are responded to appropriately, with clear records of outcomes. In one case, mediation following a child’s complaint against a staff member was successful, helping to repair the relationship and demonstrate that children’s views are taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always respond appropriately during periods of heightened stress or crisis. De-escalation techniques are not used consistently or effectively, and in some cases, staff responses have escalated situations further. This has impacted on the safety and emotional well-being of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 5 There are procedures in place for when children go missing from the home. Staff understand these procedures and follow them appropriately. However, missing-from- home records are often brief and lack sufficient analysis to support learning. This limits the ability to understand patterns and improve safeguarding responses. Child debrief discussions following missing-from-home episodes do not always occur, and management oversight of these records is inconsistent. This is a missed opportunity to keep children safe and to better understand why they go missing.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment procedures are followed, and all necessary checks are completed before staff begin working in the home. However, once employed, risk assessments relating to staff suitability are not always updated or followed, reducing their effectiveness in ensuring ongoing safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager since May 2024. Despite efforts to recruit a permanent manager, the current acting manager has been in post since November 2024 and has not applied to register with Ofsted. This is not in line with regulatory expectations, which clearly state that acting managers should apply to register within six weeks of taking up the role. This lack of stable and accountable leadership has contributed to weaknesses across key areas of practice and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff report that they enjoy working at the home and feel supported by the acting manager. They describe receiving appropriate training and working cohesively as a team to support the children. Staff speak with passion about their roles and show a commitment to building relationships with the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual has a realistic understanding of the shortfalls and has begun to implement support measures. They have remained visible and engaged, including during the inspection. However, the lack of effective leadership and monitoring systems has significantly limited the ability to improve outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from one parent was not positive. The parent stated that communication with the home was poor, particularly following incidents. They reported learning about events from their child rather than from staff and expressed concerns that the support provided to their child was not sufficient. This indicates that partnership working with families is not consistently effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is insufficient management oversight of key aspects of care. Gaps in incident recording are not routinely identified or addressed. Supervision discussions are irregular, and opportunities for staff reflection and learning following serious incidents are missed. This limits capacity to improve practice and ensure consistent safeguarding for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to produce a quality of care report for the current inspection period. Leaders have not established effective monitoring and auditing systems to Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 6 evaluate the quality of care. As a result, they are not able to clearly identify patterns, assess progress or take timely action to improve the experiences and outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring there is adequate oversight of the home to ensure that it is meeting the needs of each child and that there are clear systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care the home is providing. 1 August 2025

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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 to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 1 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 8 This relates to ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and reflect all current risks for the child and that staff follow the risk assessments for the children.

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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.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the required report is produced and sent to the regulator once every six months. 1 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring a suitable manager is appointed and applies to register with Ofsted in the appropriate timescales. 1 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 1 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 9 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the reactions of staff to children’s behaviour are appropriate and that children are supported to form positive relationships with one another without causing harm or damage.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that impact risk assessments are completed to a good standard to ensure a smooth transition for children into the home and to consider children already living in the home. 1 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 10

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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)

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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: 2680525 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 118 Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent DE13 0UW

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Inspector

Lauren Barwell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680525 12 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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