Children's home run by Seashell Trust

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 1 SC035518 Registered provider: Seashell Trust

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to nine children with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Children live across four buildings on a site that includes a school and college. Most children attend the on-site school.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The inspection only considered the social care provision at the setting.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

In September 2024, an urgent condition was placed on the home to reduce the number of children living at the home to nine. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/08/2024 Full Inadequate 11/07/2023 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 3

p.2

improvement to be good

There are currently nine children living across four houses. Since the last inspection, no children have moved out of the homes or into the homes. Two of the children did not have the required documentation in line with statutory requirements. Furthermore, not all court-directed orders are up to date. The manager has been consulting with local authorities to try to address these issues.

p.3

improvement to be good

Each child has an individual health action plan. The manager has introduced health and well-being meetings to ensure that children’s health is prioritised. However, some plans lack clarity around children’s physiotherapy treatment. As a result, staff do not always complete all exercises with children that they need to improve their health.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff know the children well and place them at the centre of their practice. Staff communicate with children depending on their individual needs and adopt a range of methods, including pictorial exchange systems, Makaton and British Sign Language. As a result, children have made progress with their communication. For one child, social stories have been used to help them understand the sequence of their day and manage any anxieties they may have. This is supporting them to participate fully in daily life.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s cultural and religious needs are promoted and met. Staff ensure that food is stored and prepared in line with children’s religious requirements. For example, one child has an additional kitchen in the home to ensure that there is a separate space for dishes and for staff to prepare the food in line with the child’s needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are cared for affectionately by staff. Children enjoy activities in the home, but some children have limited opportunities to enjoy community-based activities. This is an area for development. A recommendation has been made to address this.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risks are understood, and plans provide staff with up-to-date information and guidance on how to manage and mitigate risks. Staff know when and how to respond to any concerns.

p.3

improvement to be good

Despite leaders and managers completing a premises audit, locks on internal doors remain in place in some of the houses. Additionally, when locks are used for safeguarding purposes, they are not risk assessed to ensure that they are necessary and proportionate for the children. The use of locks prevents some children from accessing all areas of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 4 Incidents in the home are managed well. Staff manage children’s behaviour appropriately. They understand and recognise when children are anxious and upset. Recently, staff have worked collaboratively with the positive behaviour support team to understand one child’s behaviours and implement strategies to support them. As a result, restraint is only used as a last resort.

p.3

improvement to be good

Medication systems in the home have improved, and there has been a significant reduction in medication errors. When errors have occurred, action has been taken to ensure the staff were retrained and competencies were reassessed. However, not all staff involved took part in a reflective session following one medication error. This is a missed opportunity for managers to review systems further and improve practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

Recruitment procedures and robust checks are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting work. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

p.4

good

Since the last inspection, the manager has registered and there is a new responsible individual. Staff are positive about the changes and recent improvements and say they enjoy working in the home. Some staff spoke about their plans to leave changing as a result of the management support they now receive.

p.4

good

Management oversight is in place and identifies areas for improvements. However, the manager has failed to identify shortfalls in the electronic recording system. As a result, some of the home’s records were missing.

p.4

good

There is a more stable staff team that has started to build positive relationships with the children. However, not all staff have received training in the provision of personal care and safeguarding children with disabilities. This means children are not supported by suitably skilled staff to help them manage their complex needs.

p.4

good

Overall, feedback from parents was positive. One parent said, ‘[Name of child] no longer has to fit into our world, he has his own world, and they ensure his needs are met.’

p.4

good

Feedback from professionals was positive. They say that communication from managers and staff is effective and there are consistent staff who are familiar with children’s needs. One professional said, ‘There has been a marked improvement in staff abilities.’

p.4

good

Rotas are planned to ensure that sufficient staff are available. However, the manager does not always update the rota to ensure that it reflects which staff have worked at the home each day. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 5 Staff benefit from regular, reflective and clinical supervision that supports them to improve their practice. Team meetings are well attended and cover a wide range of topics relevant to children’s needs. Good communication systems are in place, with daily handovers ensuring that staff are up to date about children’s plans and routines.

p.4

good

Managers are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development, and the home’s development plan is reviewed regularly. The leadership team appreciates the impact of external monitoring, which is helping it make positive changes. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that plans provide clarity around children’s physiotherapy regime and that staff complete the range of exercises that children need.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 8 August 2025

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child and

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h)) 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 7 In particular, the manager must ensure that all staff have the relevant training to meet the children’s needs.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Ensure that monitoring and reviewing systems are in place to support staff learning and practice.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that they challenge the local authority when documentation in line with statutory processes and missing documents are not provided. 8 August 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.7

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate; 8 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 8 is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (1)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that all locks are removed in the home unless there are regularly reviewed risk assessments detailing how they keep children safe.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that rotas are accurate and reflect which staff have worked at the home each day. 8 August 2025

p.8

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities, particularly outside of the home, and encouraged to take part in those activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

p.8

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: SC035518 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

p.9

Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035518 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10