Children's home run by Inspirations Care Limited

Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 1 Registered provider: Inspirations Care Limited

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

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/11/2023 Full Good 18/05/2022 Full Good 02/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like where they live and the people who care for them. Both children have lived at the home for several years, and this has offered them real stability. Children can identify staff that they trust and can go to with their worries. The manager is considered when deciding when it is appropriate for a new child to be cared for. The needs of all children are factored into decision-making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with their families and other people important to them. Staff recognise the importance of strengthening these networks of support for children, especially as they prepare for independence away from the home. One parent spoken to shared that staff had supported them to rebuild a relationship with their child. They also felt that positive male role models had encouraged her child to treat female family members with an increasing level of respect. This had a positive impact for the whole family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to encourage children with their education. One child has recently begun accessing online learning after a period out of education. Another child has identified a college course, which they will shortly begin. Staff have prioritised learning at the home in the interim period, with a particular focus on developing skills for their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are regularly engaged in one-to-one discussions. Good relationships with staff mean that these are often productive conversations which link to the aims of their care plans. However, children do not currently have a space where they can collaboratively express their wishes and influence their care. However, the managers are already looking at ways to establish their collective views in an engaging way for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are of a good standard. They are clear, informative and guide staff on how to care for children and keep them safe. These could be enhanced by demonstrating how children’s views have contributed to these plans.

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

The children have not been involved in any serious incidents or needed to be held by staff. There have been no significant safeguarding concerns during this inspection period. Children have open and trusting relationships with staff, staff understand how to keep children calm, and this prevents incidents or behaviours from escalating.

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

Children do not regularly go missing from the home. The one occasion where a child has been missing was well responded to by staff and the child remained in communication with staff throughout their time away. The child returned to the home voluntarily. Good subsequent work with the child has helped them to understand the risk posed to them, and no further missing incidents have occurred. Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 4 Children understand how to make a complaint. When there are concerns raised by children, these are taken seriously by the manager and explored effectively. Decisive action is taken, and where possible, relationships between staff and children are encouraged to be rebuilt.

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

Risk assessments are clear and reviewed regularly. Emerging or reducing risks are identified in a timely way, and this informs the way that staff work with children. Several risks that were present when children moved in have now reduced, particularly risks of criminality when children spent time in the community.

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

The required safer recruitment checks have not consistently been completed. For example, a safeguarding concern raised by a referee was not addressed prior to the staff member starting employment at the home.

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

The manager understands the requirement to notify safeguarding concerns to Ofsted. However, the manager has not always identified patterns of behaviour that are indicative of cumulative risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a committed and nurturing management team. They are keen to create a calm atmosphere where both staff and children’s voices are heard. They understand the areas of development for the home and are ambitious for the children they care for. The manager understands the need for clear oversight and monitoring of the home and shares their reflection with the wider team. This makes it a meaningful monthly practice that informs the way that staff work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy their roles; they receive regular supervisions and feel well supported by the manager. Staff receive structured inductions, and their practice is reviewed through a clear probation period. As a result, children are cared for by staff who understand their roles and responsibilities well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with professionals and maintains good communication. One professional shared that the care offered to children is consistent and supportive even during times of difficulty. Staff are working collaboratively with the local authority in planning one child’s move to independence from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to appropriate training but do not always complete this in a timely way or as directed by the managers. The managers do not always effectively challenge staff appropriately where staff have not completed the required training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is visited regularly by an independent visitor. Regulation 44 reports are provided to Ofsted but do not consistently include consultation with children, families or professionals. This prevents holistic and impartial oversight of the home being provided. Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 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 registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

(a)children are effectively safeguarded; and (b)the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (2) (4))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that independent visitor’s reports include consultation with stakeholders and children. 25 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to 25 August 2025 Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 6 work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should consider the frequency of incidents and judge whether their cumulative effect makes notification appropriate even if in isolation each event

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Recommendations

would not warrant this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2622480 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cawley House, 149-155 Canal Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG1 7HR

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Inspectors

Louise Copping, Social Care Inspector Alli Tandy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for Children’s Home: 2622480 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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