Children's Home run by Heart and Home Living Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 1 Registered provider: Heart and Home Living Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home, and their views were sought.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is currently on extended leave and plans to step down from the role. The inspection was supported by the acting manager and newly appointed responsible individual.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/05/2024 Full Good 20/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive and meaningful relationships with staff who show them emotional warmth. As a result, children feel settled in the home and make good progress. One professional said, ‘Staff support well in all aspects and know [name of child] really well. I am really happy with the progress [name of child] is making.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with staff and participate in a range of activities in the home and the community. Activities include going on trips to theme parks and concerts. The children get to try new things and have experiences that they will remember. These are captured in memory books that children keep when they leave the home. One family member said, ‘I was so happy when [name of child] came to the home, as [name of child] is out and doing things, not just in their room on their phone.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in education. One child is now attending a full-time education provision after being out of education for several years. However, one child does not currently wish to engage with planned education provision in the home. Staff work closely with partner agencies to source support and help children engage in education using agreed alternative strategies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy good health. Staff encourage them to attend their medical appointments. However, one child does not wish to attend any medical appointments. Staff have one-to-one discussions with the child and work closely with them to highlight the importance of good health and continue to offer opportunities to promote their attendance. Staff also seek support from medical professionals. This helps to maintain the children’s physical and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that some children have complex needs and have experienced considerable trauma in their lives. Staff undertake training in safeguarding alongside specific training in relation to the children’s individual needs using a trauma-informed approach. Staff benefit from bespoke training from the organisation’s therapeutic team to understand the complexities of behaviours and their safe management. Staff also benefit from monthly clinical meetings that encourage consistent reflection and learning and embed the home’s preferred model of care. One professional said, ‘The staff team are engaging in consultation spaces and training delivered.’ They continued, ‘They are not afraid to ask questions and reflect.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop their independence and benefit from having new experiences. One child is being supported in developing their confidence using public transport independently, which is a skill that can be taken forward into adulthood. However, staff do not formally document individual independence plans, which means that progress is not tracked. Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 4

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

Staff are aware of the potential risks that children may face. Assessments of risk are balanced between keeping children safe and allowing them to take risks that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. The therapeutic team and the local authority swiftly identify and consider any emerging patterns and risks during monthly multidisciplinary meetings. They incorporate identified actions into individual risk assessments and share them with the staff team.

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

There is a proactive approach to missing-from-home episodes. When incidents occur, there is a comprehensive response from staff and managers. Following incidents, debrief discussions are held with the child and staff. Safeguarding professionals are appropriately informed and contribute to plans to minimise future risks.

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

The manager and staff strongly advocate for a child who is subject to a restrictive court order to ensure that any restrictions on their liberty are proportionate and are regularly reviewed within the wider safeguarding network. Consequently, a robust multi-agency approach is in place to meet the children’s individual needs. However, the most current court order is not available and has not been escalated in a timely manner.

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

Regular one-to-one discussions are held between staff and children to address important issues and concerns. They are well recorded and have management comments and actions. Effective children’s meetings provide further opportunities for children to express their wishes and feelings.

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

Children are helped to stay safe online. Staff educate the children on appropriate use and potential dangers. Staff also help children to know the dangers of child exploitation. This includes many one-to-one sessions between the staff and children regarding gangs and the way adults can exploit children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the entire leadership team has changed. The registered manager is on extended leave with a planned date to leave the role. In the interim, the deputy manager has successfully been appointed as acting manager and intends to register with the regulator when she completes her induction. The provider has also recently appointed a new responsible individual, and Ofsted is currently checking whether this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team has acted swiftly to address any shortfalls. The acting manager has developed systems to assist her in monitoring the quality of care and the daily operations of the home. She regularly carries out management audits and promptly addresses outstanding actions. This ensures that standards of care continue to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular one-to-one supervision discussions with the acting manager. They are helped to develop their practice through reflective discussions. Staff well-being has also been implemented as a central part of these meetings. Alongside this, the leadership Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 5 team has introduced competency assessments, allowing staff to identify any areas of support they require. This is then actioned, and progress is reviewed during professional supervision. This is a new initiative that is not yet fully embedded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has worked through a turbulent time at the home. However, staff report feeling supported by the acting manager and senior leaders. They remain committed to the children, and the support from leaders and managers has been key to staff remaining focused on the care and support for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager is always visible and regularly works with the children directly. She has a detailed understanding of each child and is fully involved in their care planning from the outset. This allows the acting manager to not only build strong relationships with the children but also model their style and strategies to support staff in their learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team has revised the format of several key planning documents, including risk assessments, care plans and individual support plans. Staff write the children’s plans alongside the children, and these are also made in collaboration with other professionals, including the local authority and the home’s therapeutic team. The individual plans are detailed and assist staff in understanding all aspects of the children’s lives. Staff consistently follow the plans, which outline the support each child should receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another children’s home or adult care, or live independently. This includes helping the child develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the support of the home, as well as teaching practical skills for independent living, such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input needed to meet a child’s needs during their time at the home or in preparation for leaving the home, they challenge them to meet the child’s requirements (see regulation 5(c)). The registered person must ensure that all required legal documents are received in a timely manner and that any

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Recommendations

delays are escalated promptly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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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: 2733224 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Heart and Home Living Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Highbank, Greenbank Crescent, London NW4 2LA

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Inspector

Caroline Coop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2733224 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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Inspector

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