Children's Home run by Ideal Social Care Group Ltd in Peterborough

Inspection report for children’s home: 2803293 1 Registered provider: IDEAL SOCIAL CARE GROUP

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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 run by a small, private organisation and provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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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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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 2024.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2803293 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have lived at the home since it was registered. The staff have built positive relationships with the children. The children are settled and are making good progress, and incidents have reduced since children have moved in. Children feel safe and cared about. One said, ‘They [the staff] treat me like part of the family, I’ve never felt that in other places.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children who are not in full-time education. Staff have linked with the virtual school. Plans are in place to help the children to engage in tutoring sessions and staff offer emotional support to keep children focused on tasks. One child had a successful work experience placement with the potential for a job once they complete their education. Staff have worked with another child and applications have been sent to specialist school provisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to the children and advocate for them. They support children to achieve their goals and aspirations and help them to become more independent. For example, staff have helped one child to apply for their provisional driving licence and a passport.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer lots of fun activities and children like to spend time with staff. Children have enjoyed axe-throwing, had meals out and like to go for a coffee and a chat with staff. One child likes to spend time gaming and staff organise events for them to attend linked to their interests. Another child has been away on holiday with staff, but spends a large amount of time with friends and feels they have outgrown activities with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children struggle to attend appointments that staff book for them, managers and staff are creative in helping children to attend these appointments. They invite nursing professionals to the home to carry out necessary procedures, such as blood tests, in an environment in which the children feel more comfortable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is generally safe and well maintained, clean and tidy, and has nicely presented areas. However, some rooms lack a homely feel, as pictures and photos that have been removed during times of distress have not yet been replaced.

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

There have been a number of physical interventions carried out to prevent children from causing harm to staff and damage to property. Staff have provided the rationale through accurate and good-quality recording, with senior leaders having good oversight. They ensure that staff are spoken to and children’s views are taken into account when evaluating incidents. Incidents are also analysed during team meetings, which provides time for staff reflection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2803293 3 When children go missing from the home, staff follow the correct procedures to ensure that the children are located and brought home safely. Staff work closely with external agencies where there are concerns around children’s vulnerability when they are away from the home, and have effective systems in place to keep the children safer.

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

Staff use therapeutic language by writing to the child when documenting incidents. This means children can look back and see staff remove blame/shame from incidents and consider them as a learning exercise for all involved.

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

One social worker said, ‘Incidents are reported in a timely manner, they are written to the child, which I feel is a more child-centred approach.’

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

Incidents have reduced in the home. Staff have built trusting relationships with the children and have gained a good understanding of how to read challenging situations and put measures in place to prevent escalation. This has led to children being able to reflect and think things through when in distress and feeling frustration.

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

The house is generally safe and well maintained. However, managers and staff do not always assess potential risks well. Bleach was left unsecured and black tape was left over a section of the wall, where an alarm panel was situated. It was not clear whether the wiring had been made fully safe. The manager addressed this during the inspection once it was raised and arranged for an electrician to attend and resolve the issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced manager holds the relevant qualification in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions are regular and effective. Leaders and managers listen to staff concerns and discuss strategies to help them to manage challenging situations. This has led to staff feeling more empowered and confident in preventing and dealing with incidents in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers take a strong stance on the importance of training and upskilling the staff. The deputy manager is enrolled on the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. Staff complete all relevant training and team meetings often involve a presentation, as leaders look to strengthen the team’s understanding of the home’s model of care and how to apply it in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One staff member said, ‘We can communicate with our managers anytime and if we are not sure, we get advice to solve issues. We work as a team, and we have well- established communication.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children have good relationships with the management team. Children have regular conversations with staff, and the manager attends church with one child at weekends, which supports the child with their identity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2803293 4

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. Homes will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2803293 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: IDEAL SOCIAL CARE GROUP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 83 Westbury Drive, Hampton Gardens, Peterborough PE7 8QW

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Inspector

Dan Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2803293 6 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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