Children's Home run by Amicus Residential Care Ltd in Reading

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059221 1 SC059221 Registered provider: Amicus Residential Care 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 small home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children aged between 12 and 16 years on admission. The home provides care for children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 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 requires improvement to be good

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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: SC059221 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 03/05/2023 Full Good 05/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC059221 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they feel happy at the home and describe staff as ‘really caring’. Staff understand the uniqueness of each child and spend dedicated one-to-one time with them, which helps children to open up about their feelings and seek support when they need it. The positive relationships that children have with staff help children to feel valued and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to learn and achieve in education. Staff work closely with external professionals to secure school placements and arrange appropriate structured activities for children who are not attending an education provision. However, staff do not always prioritise children’s attendance at extra-curricular activities in line with children’s individual plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health is prioritised by staff, who support children to attend all necessary health appointments. Staff work proactively alongside external professionals to meet each child’s individual health needs. As a result, children benefit from consistent, high- quality healthcare and receive timely interventions when required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are regularly sought, valued and acted upon. Children are meaningfully involved in everyday decisions, such as choosing meals and planning activities. This inclusive approach promotes independence and strengthens the sense of belonging children have within the home. Children take part in regular meetings where they can discuss topics relevant to them, such as the risks of substance use and keeping their bedrooms clean.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a variety of activities that they enjoy, such as boxing, mixed martial arts, gaming, go-karting, bike riding and fishing. These opportunities contribute to children’s overall well-being and help them to develop their social skills. Staff actively encourage children to try new experiences so that they can broaden their interests and build their confidence.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and act on them accordingly. Safeguarding incidents are clearly recorded and reported by staff to the appropriate external professionals. However, the current whistle-blowing policy does not currently specify the appropriate contact information for when staff wish to raise concerns within the organisation and externally. The registered manager understands what needs to be done to improve the guidance within the policy.

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

Staff understand each child’s vulnerabilities and are confident at managing the risks presented when children are missing. The registered manager readily and skilfully challenges other professionals if the actions taken to safeguard children who are missing Inspection report for children’s home: SC059221 4 are ineffective. Staff make use of the partnerships they have developed with other professionals and agencies to elicit effective multi-agency protection and support for children.

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

Children benefit from the support of an experienced and familiar staff team. One child who recently moved into the home has settled in well because of the personalised support they receive from knowledgeable staff. This consistency ensures that children receive reliable care tailored to their needs.

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

Staff help children develop the skills they need to become more independent. Children receive pocket money when they maintain the cleanliness of their bedrooms, assist with laundry tasks and prepare meals. This incentivises children to learn practical skills and develop a sense of personal responsibility for household tasks.

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

Children are supported by staff to have safe and meaningful contact with family and friends. Staff build relationships with children’s loved ones to strengthen the connections that children have with the people who are most important to them.

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

Managers do not consistently consider the full range of children’s needs before they move into the home. Managers do not ensure that they have received all of the necessary information to make informed decisions about how to meet these needs or whether children can live harmoniously together. Some children have had difficult relationships with one other and have left the home prematurely as a result of this.

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

The registered manager has systems in place to monitor incidents and review staff recruitment files. However, these systems are not always fully effective. As a result, there was an occasion when support for a child was delayed following an incident and essential identification documentation was missing from a staff member’s file.

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

Staff feel supported, valued and genuinely happy in their roles. Staff receive regular supervision and feel that managers pay attention to their standards of practice and their well-being. In addition to practice supervision, staff benefit from reflective supervision with a psychologist, which helps to enhance their understanding of the children. This supportive environment has contributed to high staff retention, ensuring children are cared for by a consistent and committed team.

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

Feedback from professionals is positive. Staff were praised for their thoughtful approach and effective communication. As a result, children benefit from well-coordinated support from all relevant professionals.

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

The home is led by an experienced registered manager who is supported by a suitable deputy. Managers know the children and staff well and have high aspirations for the children. They are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development and have plans in place to make the required improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059221 5

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(x)) 1 October 2025

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they use effective monitoring systems to ensure timely management and oversight. 1 October 2025

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059221 6  The registered person should ensure that they only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31–33. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This includes ensuring that they have up-to-date identification for all staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that they include information about whistle-

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Recommendations

blowing as part of the policies for protection of children. This should include clear procedures for how a staff member should report to an appropriate authority any concern they have about a child within the home being either at risk of, or already experiencing, significant harm. The policy should reflect the principles set out in the Francis review, ‘Freedom to Speak Up’. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.15)

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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: SC059221 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amicus Residential Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR

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Inspector

Chido Mangava, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059221 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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