Children's Home run by Flourish Children’s Services Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2562678 1 Registered provider: Flourish Children’s Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed 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 manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at 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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2562678 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2024 Full Good 06/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/03/2023 Full Inadequate 15/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2562678 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children experience a genuine sense of stability. A well-established team of staff, who know the children well, use a therapeutic approach to provide warm and nurturing care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are heard and captured through planned and spontaneous discussions and children’s meetings. Children are encouraged to participate in their care planning reviews.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, their transitions are carefully planned. Staff are supportive and work with other professionals and families so that children’s experiences are positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education has not always been a positive experience for the children, and they have not always received the educational hours they are entitled to. The manager has been proactive in liaising with the appropriate authorities to raise this issue and advocate for a provision that can best meet the children’s needs. Staff and the manager encourage children to engage in informal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are healthy, and staff have a good understanding of their individual health needs. Children do not always want to attend their health appointments, but staff work tirelessly to encourage them to attend and ensure that they are aware of the importance of being healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not currently engaging in regular activities because spending time with their families is a priority. This leaves little time for regular planned activities. When the children have the opportunity, they like to go to the cinema or bowling with staff. One of the children attends regular football training. Children go on holiday during the school summer holidays and thoroughly enjoy their time away.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff want to provide a homely environment for the children in the home. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms according to their tastes, and their photos and artwork are displayed on the walls throughout the home.

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

Children are kept safer by staff who know them well and understand their risks and vulnerabilities. Staff have received safeguarding training tailored to the children’s needs. Risk assessments are up to date and regularly reviewed by the manager. These reflect the children’s current concerns and worries. Inspection report for children’s home: 2562678 4 Children do not often go missing. However, when this happens, they receive a positive response from staff and the police, in line with their risk assessments and care plans. Children can speak to someone independent when they return home.

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

Children rarely need to be physically held or guided. When holds are used, it is for a minimal length of time to keep children or others safe from harm. Staff use effective distraction and de-escalation techniques to help prevent the necessity for physical intervention.

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

Allegations are managed appropriately. Children are listened to and informed of the outcome.

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

Children are kept safe when using the internet and gaming, as staff have a good understanding of what signs to look out for and what steps to take if they have concerns.

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

The staff use rewards to encourage positive behaviour. When necessary, they use natural consequences. However, these are not recorded in a way that allows their effectiveness to be evaluated or reviewed.

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

Feedback from professionals is positive. One said, ‘Children are safe in the home, and communication is very good.’ Another said, ‘The support and warmth that is given to the children has always been evident.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong, reflective and aspirational leader. She role models a calm, respectful and child-centred approach. One member of staff said, ‘I feel well supported by the manager. She has an open-door approach and is easy to talk to.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong and effective advocate for the children. Professionals report, ‘The manager has been present and has made contributions at all meetings. The manager and staff have been able to share concerns they have honestly, openly and professionally when they have arisen.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is creative at being able to bring training to life for staff and the children. She delivers training in such a way that makes it interactive, interesting, and easier to learn.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an effective and robust system of oversight. She reviews all documents relating to the children. The manager’s monitoring systems enable her to ensure that staff consistently deliver high-quality care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular child-focused supervision that provides a platform for reflection and learning to enhance their practice. Furthermore, staff have regular team meetings, each of which focuses on a specific theme, and they participate in quizzes. This allows the Inspection report for children’s home: 2562678 5 manager to quickly identify any gaps in staff’s knowledge, allowing her to provide additional training in specific areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff record information in children’s files so that if children wish to view them at any time, they will see that they were written thoughtfully and in a child-friendly manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When recruiting new staff, the home adheres to safer recruitment procedures to ensure that they are safe and suitable for the role. After successfully completing their probationary period, staff are enrolled in the relevant qualification, and their progress is regularly monitored to ensure that they attain it within the necessary time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

One staff member said, ‘This is an amazing place to work, and that is all down to the manager and the other staff. We are just like one big family, and I enjoy coming to work every day.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2562678 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, in particular consequences, are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and their effectiveness is evaluated to further inform children’s plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: 2562678 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flourish Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 96 Blacker Road, Birkby, Huddersfield HD1 5HN

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Jill Witherspoon-Smith

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Inspector

Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2562678 8 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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