Children's Home run by Anchor Care and Education Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775281 1 Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in role since the home was registered on 5 November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and was spoken to.

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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: 2775281 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives playful and supportive care from staff. The home has toys in communal areas, and the child’s doll has pride of place in the living room. Staff play lots of games with the child, and they keep her entertained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that the child has suffered from loss and instability, and they adapt care accordingly. For example, when the child moved in, they were given a double bed. The child did not want this and instead wanted their cabin bed to be rebuilt. This bed was given to them by their family. Staff rebuilt the bed and made this space a nurturing place to sleep and play. The child struggles to cope with people in their bedroom, which is an area where staff need to further support the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to engage with their tutor, who visits the home daily. The tutor shared that staff support the child to be ready for learning. The manager has been a good advocate for getting the child a school place. An induction school visit is planned, and the child is part of their decision-making as to what school they go to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager recognises that the child needs the social aspects of education as well as the academic stimulation. To help support the social side of learning, the manager has supported the child to make friends with another child who lives locally. Furthermore, staff have supported the child to attend activities such as gymnastics, and they are on the waiting list to start horse-riding lessons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood by staff, and health records are detailed and include pertinent information such as appointment dates and allergies. Staff support the child to eat a balanced diet. The child is active and spends time cycling and trampolining to stay fit. There are some anomalies in the recording of the child’s medication, which is an area for development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child’s independence skills in a way that is personal to them. The child has experienced gaps in their development, and this is thoughtfully recognised and responded to by staff. Staff praise the child when they bring down their laundry, and they are thankful when the child bakes them a birthday cake. The child’s kindness is a celebrated attribute by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s history, and they know who is important to them. Feedback from family about the child’s care is positive. Staff know the child’s ethnicity; however, the child needs support to fully understand their cultural heritage and what this means to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775281 3

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

The child’s risk assessment is accessible for staff to understand. It is clear about what strategies staff should use to try and de-escalate situations that could become unsafe. Staff do reflect on the child’s routine and recognise when a change in routine may be supportive or instead cause an escalation in the child’s behaviour.

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

Staff continue to build meaningful relationships with the child. This is sometimes challenging after staff have been hurt during behavioural incidents. Despite being hurt, staff persevere and repair their relationship with the child. This helps the child to reflect and recognise when they need to apologise to staff. Staff are responsive when the child is sorry for what they have done.

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

On occasion, staff have needed to hold the child to keep them safe. These instances were proportionate, and the documentation has been clear. When the child has damaged property, they are encouraged by staff to reflect on what has happened and contribute to the repair process.

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

Significant incidents are well recorded, escalated and shared with multi-agency safeguarding partners. When allegations have been made about staff, these have been taken seriously, and all parties have been listened to. Care records show investigation processes and management decision-making.

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

There has been a recent incident that relates to the child being exposed to risk online. This incident was promptly responded to by staff and reported to the police, the child’s social worker and Ofsted. The manager has been proactive following this incident and is working on improving their online security to better safeguard the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a strength-based approach to care, which is shown in how she talks about the child and in how staff write about the child in all their records. There is a focus on writing about the child’s talents and positive attributes. For example, the child is described as kind, clever, friendly and polite. The manager and child have worked on a very complicated handshake, which they are both very proud of.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff inductions are comprehensive in terms of the training that they receive. Staff receive regular supervision and have monthly team meetings. There are some dynamics between staff that do not match the ethos of the home as outlined in the statement of purpose. The manager is aware of these dynamics and has taken steps to address this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has devised a tool that helps to build on the child’s strengths from their individual starting point. For example, the manager identified that the child needed help to understand and manage money. In response, the child was given a bank card, which supports them to spend their pocket money safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775281 4 Staff write daily messages for the child in their personalised positivity journal. These messages include nice comments about what the child has done well and why staff are proud of them. The child likes to read these comments, and it helps to support meaningful relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is well supported by the responsible individual. The responsible individual has good knowledge of the child and spends time with them regularly. The manager receives regular supervision and receives up-to-date training to support their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the home is registered to care for up to four children, only two bedrooms are complete with suitable furniture. The manager does not intend on caring for more than two children presently and so is using these spaces for staff and education. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775281 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides care that meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account of the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. This specifically relates to the manager further exploring the child’s heritage. Staff should also support the child to maintain their bedroom and cope with others needing to go into her bedroom when necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.2)  The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage and administer medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect

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Recommendations

and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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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: 2775281 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ensors Accountants LLP, Saxon House, Moseley’s Farm Business Centre, Fornham All Saints, Bury St. Edmunds IP28 6JY

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Inspector

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775281 7 regulates 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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