Children's Home run by South West Childcare Services in Plymouth

Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 1 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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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Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably qualified registered manager in post.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/11/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good 18/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 3

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, the inspector spoke with both children living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress and experiences are variable. Children’s health and emotional needs are not fully understood by staff, and more needs to be done to ensure that appropriate specialist support is available. Staff are not doing enough to encourage children to lead healthy lifestyles. Expectations regarding smoking and vaping are unclear, which is affecting children’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children have significant barriers to their school attendance, and both children are on part-time timetables. Staff are inconsistent in their expectations of children attending school or engaging in learning in the home. Staff plan for social and learning activities but do not actively pursue alternatives when children choose not to be involved. Leaders and managers do not always robustly challenge gaps and shortfalls in education plans.

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improvement to be good

Children are looked after by dedicated staff who are beginning to understand and celebrate their individual personalities. Staff are clear on the importance of building long- lasting and trusting relationships with children.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is warm and welcoming, and any necessary repair work is carried out swiftly. The home needs some redecoration, and there are plans to begin this work.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain healthy routines, including sleep and hygiene. Staff and children share shopping and cooking, with carefully planned menus that include various foods and recipes. Children are encouraged to cook for themselves and are developing their independence skills.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are heard and addressed in various ways, including access to independent advocacy. Staff support children in discussing a range of sensitive issues. Records are clearly written using child-friendly language and include management oversight and learning.

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improvement to be good

Staff are committed to ensuring that children enjoy regular, meaningful time with their family. Family members are welcomed into the home, and staff assist with making arrangements for children to see their loved ones. Staff have established trusted relationships with family members, resulting in a consistent network of adults around the children.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 4 Safeguarding is not fully understood. Plans to support staff to manage risk do not always accurately reflect levels of risk. Staff are not always clear on what actions to take to manage risk.

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improvement to be good

Children often lack consistent boundaries for their behaviour. Staff take time to recognise and promote positive behaviour; however, they do not adequately challenge behaviour that is unsafe or unacceptable. Consequences are not used. This affects the children’s understanding and development of their own coping strategies and emotions.

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improvement to be good

There are very few incidents for staff to manage. Staff do not use restraint. Staff support children in developing positive relationships with one another.

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improvement to be good

When safeguarding concerns are identified, they are appropriately managed and addressed. Incidents are clearly recorded, with management oversight and some learning from practice. Management oversight does not always take place in a timely way.

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improvement to be good

Immediate action is taken to keep children safe when safeguarding concerns about staff practices arise. Concerns are shared with the relevant professionals, and actions and outcomes are agreed. On one occasion, a child did not receive feedback following a safeguarding concern about a staff member.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they feel safe in the home and that they trust staff to look after them. Children can share their worries and concerns with staff who help them to explore feelings and emotions.

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

Leaders and managers are inconsistent in ensuring that there is effective oversight of practice. There has been a delay in the notification of some significant events, and some records lack timely management oversight. The registered manager does not share important information regarding safeguarding concerns with other agencies in a timely way.

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

Supervision and team meetings are held regularly. However, there is a lack of critical challenge in fully understanding the home’s performance and areas for development.

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

Leaders and managers have not sufficiently challenged services when there are shortfalls in care planning. This has resulted in a lack of clarity for one child and affected their emotional well-being.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that there are enough staff to care for the children, and agency staff are not used. Staff are beginning to get to know the children well and demonstrate commitment and compassion in their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 5 Systems used to record the child’s journey are clear and kept up to date. Leaders and managers have responded to feedback and taken steps to revise plans to ensure that they are clearer for staff to follow.

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

Staff enjoy their jobs and speak positively about the support of leaders and managers. Parents praise the staff's support and the relationships they have with the children. Professional opinions regarding children’s progress vary. However, it is acknowledged that improvements are being made by leaders and managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 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’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets 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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets the child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking into account the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child 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 that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff take time to understand the children’s specific needs and follow the care outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. 30 June 2025

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 18 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff actively support education plans for the children. In addition, the registered person should ensure that when there are gaps in education plans, robust action is taken to address them. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 8 The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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 healthy lifestyles.

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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 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

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have access to appropriate health and mental health services when there is identified need. In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff support and encourage healthy lifestyle choices.

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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; 30 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 9 help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; .

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the homes child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii) (e)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that plans to keep children safe are followed by staff. The registered person must also ensure that timely action is taken to share any safeguarding concerns with the required agencies.

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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: 1235576 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspector

Stacey Pellow, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1235576 11 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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