Children's Home run by Culina Roc Ltd in Bury

Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 1 Registered provider: Culina ROC 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

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It 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

This is the home’s first inspection since its registration in November 2024. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children have moved into the home and one child has moved out of the home during this inspection period. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. The inspector was able to speak to both children about their experiences living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 2

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improvement to be good

Children have varied experiences living in this home. Two children are well settled in the home and are making progress. However, one child’s placement ended after a short period due to inconsistencies in the care and support provided.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of moving into the home are inconsistent. Some placements into the home are not planned well. Changes to plans meant that a child was not able to meet the staff who will be caring for them before moving in. This impacted the child’s ability to accept this home and form positive relationships with staff in the home.

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improvement to be good

Changes have been made, and other moves have included visits to meet children and children visiting the home to meet staff before moving in. This helps children to feel welcomed. The manager speaks to those who know the children and assess their needs alongside the needs of the children already living in the home before they move in. However, the manager does not consider the skills and experience of the staff. This does not ensure that staff are able to meet the needs of children.

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improvement to be good

When children move on from this home, they experience planned moves. Staff support visits to new placements and celebrate the children’s time in the home with meals and thoughtful gifts. Staff create thoughtful memory books with photos for children to be able to look back at their time in the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff promote children’s education. Both children are in full-time education. When children are facing challenges, the manager works with schools and headteachers of virtual schools on alternative timetables and one-to-one tutoring to support children’s learning.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to voice their views and wishes. Both children have an advocate, and children’s views are gathered through weekly and monthly meetings. This encourages children to contribute to day-to-day decisions about their care, helping them feel effective in their own plans.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend weekly clubs and groups in line with their individual interests. Children are also encouraged to spend time with friends outside the home. This has enabled children to form friendships in their local community and maintain established friendships.

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improvement to be good

The manager promotes positive relationships between the children living in the home. Time is set aside weekly for children and staff to do activities together in the home. The children enjoy board games, quizzes, creating dances and art and craft projects. The staff proudly display the children’s art in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 3 The home is warm and welcoming and is decorated well. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and children take pride in keeping them clean and tidy.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and the manager do not always seek to work with specialised services and the placing authority to put in place support plans to reduce risks around child criminal and sexual exploitation. Discussions have taken place between professionals. However, actions are not always completed by the child’s social worker, and leaders and managers do not escalate concerns when actions are not met. This has resulted in a child’s placement ending after a short period of time before alternative support could be explored.

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improvement to be good

There has been a high number of missing-from-home incidents and concerns of child criminal and sexual exploitation. Staff know the children’s missing-from-home plans and follow them. Staff try to remain in contact with the children and encourage them to return home. Staff look in places that the children are known to go and check with family and friends. This lets children know that staff care. On returning home, children are welcomed back warmly, and staff ensure that they are safe and well.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not consistent in teaching children about risks to themselves. Staff complete direct work with one child on child criminal and sexual exploitation, relationships and substance misuse, supported by resources. This enables the child to recognise risks and keep themselves safe. However, this is not completed with another child with the same identified risks.

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improvement to be good

One complaint has been made in relation to negative comments made towards a child, which was investigated fully. The child has consultations with social workers to ensure that they have the right support during the investigation, and referrals are made to professionals to allow for independent oversight. Outcomes of the investigation are fed back to the child and those who had made the complaint. This reassures complainants that they are being listened to. Leaders take effective action to prevent reoccurrences. Work is completed with those involved and the child to rebuild relationships following the complaint.

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improvement to be good

Children have positive and trusting relationships with their allocated key workers. New staff members are being supported to build positive relationships with the children. This is helping children develop a sense of safety and security in the home. Children say they are supported by staff and feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of self-harm and low mood are managed well. Staff have a good understanding of risk reduction support plans in place and follow them. Staff monitor the children’s moods and provide emotional support. This lets children know that staff care and are available. Staff know when to escalate concerns and seek medical support if required. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 4 Incidents of substance misuse are well managed. Staff monitor children for signs of use and know when to escalate concerns, seeking medical attention if required. Staff speak to children about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.

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improvement to be good

The children have access to specialist professional support, such as drug and alcohol workers and mental health support. Staff encourage and facilitate the children’s engagement with specialist professionals. This means the children have access to professionals who are most able to help them with their specific issues.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and the manager do not always notify the regulator of serious incidents, such as the use of an ambulance and admission to hospital. This prevents the regulator from having prompt oversight.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are put in place after consultation with children. This provides children with the opportunity to reflect on their actions, consider the impact on others and seek solutions to resolve conflict. Although led by the child, staff have put in place two consequences for one action.

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

The manager is motivated in her vision for the children and staff. She is committed to improving outcomes for the children.

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

The manager has good oversight of the home. All reports and plans have evidence of the manager’s oversight. The manager completes monthly audit reports with clear actions for the upcoming month. This ensures that the home is operating in line with regulation.

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

The home’s development plan is generic and not specific to the home. It identifies general areas of development for the home and staff team, but it fails to identify strengths and areas of professional development for individual staff members.

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

Team meetings take place monthly and are well attended. Team meetings are used to discuss current issues for the children, reflect on practice and ensure all staff are aware of, and working with, children’s risk reduction support plans. This helps promote collaborative working. The manager has also arranged for specialist services to attend meetings, such as drugs and alcohol services, to improve staff knowledge and awareness of risks.

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

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. Supervision sessions are supportive and focus on the management of risks, safeguarding procedures, personal development and on incorporating the home’s model of care into practice. Staff feel they are fully supported by the manager and enjoy working in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 5 The manager and staff are building positive relationships with professionals involved in the care of the children. Professionals report that the manager and staff are communicative and keep them fully updated on all aspects of the children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 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 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the home’s manager must ensure all children are provided with the same quality of care in the home. Also, the home’s manager must complete a home development plan that is specific to the home, the staff and the children’s needs, including a plan for moving forward for what the manager wants to achieve. 15 July 2025

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended 15 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 7 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and the manager must ensure that suitable plans are in place to support smoother transitions for placements into the home. When considering accommodating a child, leaders and managers must also consider the skills and abilities of the staff team supporting the child. Also, leaders and the manager must work with placing authorities on alternative plans to support children in placement before making decisions to end placements.

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that staff are having discussions with children to help them identify risks and understand how to keep themselves safe. 15 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; and 15 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 8 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and the manager must ensure that they are seeking support from specialist services to meet the needs of children. Also, leaders and the manager must challenge poor responses from placing authorities on actions set in meetings and have clear escalation plans in place to ensure that actions and requests are met by those responsible.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 15 July 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community and ensure that only one consequence is given for each action. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2808984 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fulmer Grange Cottage, Framewood Road, Wexham, Slough SL2 4QS

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Inspector

Renée Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2808984 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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