Children's home run by Mutual Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2839371 1 Registered provider: MUTUAL CARE LIMITED Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered by Ofsted on 14 April 2025. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties and/or physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and was present throughout the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2839371 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who lives in the home has made progress. Staff have reflected on the way in which they work to allow them to break down barriers that are present that may hinder the child’s progress. They consider the child’s experiences and how these have impacted on them and the care that they need. They have worked incredibly hard to form relationships with the child. This has allowed the child to develop some trust and to start showing their emotions and vulnerabilities to staff. They have begun sharing vital information with staff. This has informed the assessment and management of risk, led to a reduction in missing-from-home episodes and increased the child’s safety when they are out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form close working relationships with other professionals. They share information and consider how care planning can be revised to better meet the needs of the child. Two professionals said that the regular communication they have with staff is of good quality and beneficial. They said that staff advocate for the child and are committed to keeping them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to have a relationship with their family. Staff understand the complexities of family relationships and the importance of the child’s time with their family being positive. They have listened to the child’s wishes alongside considering the risks of certain locations. This has led to family time taking place in the home and safe spaces in the community. A parent said that their child is safe and well cared for. However, due to differences in parenting styles, building relationships with staff has been difficult at times. Staff acknowledge the difficulties, and work to develop better ways of working together has already begun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carefully monitor and support the child’s health needs. They provided high levels of care and nurture when the child was unwell and ensured that medication was given as prescribed. When staff identify potential health needs, they discuss these with the child. Staff promptly contact medical professionals for advice and act on it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported and encouraged to engage with education. Staff have worked with teachers to promote and sustain the child’s attendance at school. They have gone above and beyond their roles by going into school and caring for the child to avoid their exclusion. Staff talk to the child about the importance of education. They celebrate the outcomes of the child’s hard work, some of which are displayed around the home. On days that the child does not attend an educational provision, staff engage them in educational activities in the home and the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use activities to engage with the child, knowing that this can strengthen relationships and trust. Experiences such as eating a whole lobster, visiting a chilli farm and trying new hairstyles are all captured and collated to provide an account of the Inspection report for children’s home: 2839371 3 child’s time living in the home. When it is appropriate to, staff give the child choices. This promotes their autonomy and supports the development of independence skills.

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

The child said that they feel safe living in the home and that they are developing relationships with staff. Staff are aware of the risks that the child is exposed to. They regularly talk to the child about risks, such as going missing from home and friendships. Staff are aware of the need to balance conversations about risk against more general chat to avoid overwhelming the child.

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

Planning to manage and reduce risk is comprehensive. Staff value the expertise of other professionals and welcome a collaborative approach to decision-making and risk management. Documents designed to support staff to manage and reduce risk and provide the child with day-to-day care are informative. They provide staff with the guidance they need. Regular reviews of risk have led to restrictions being reduced. This provides a more homely environment for the child.

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

Responses to instances when the child goes missing from the home and from other locations are thorough. Staff follow robust protocols. They work with those who know the child, and when it is possible, they communicate with the child to track and find them with the aim of getting them to a safe place. Strategies used by staff have evolved over time. They have recognised the importance of listening to the child and involving them in planning. This has reduced the frequency and length of missing-from-home episodes. It has also reduced the risk level when the child is away from the home.

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

Management oversight of missing-from-home episodes is reflective. Information is gathered and collated to allow for evaluation and analysis of themes and behaviours. Staff have conversations with the child when they return home and encourage them to reflect on their actions and experiences. Staff encourage the child to learn from their actions by implementing natural consequences. These are fully explained to the child to aid their understanding and learning.

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

Safeguarding concerns are clearly logged and acted on. Information is collated in helpful chronologies. This provides access to essential information at a glance. Staff request and attend meetings. They provide valuable input into the multi-agency management of risk with the aim of protecting the child.

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

The child has raised concerns about individuals who are external to the home. Staff have listened to them and quickly acted on the concerns. They have shared information with other professionals and ensured that action is taken to resolve the issues. Staff keep the child updated on the progress of investigations and support them to have a voice.

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

The recruitment of staff ensures that the checks necessary to determine whether they are safe to work with children are completed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2839371 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a consistent, knowledgeable and reflective leadership and management team. Leaders and managers work well together and demonstrate positive communication. The registered manager leads the team by example. His commitment to the well-being of the staff team and understanding of the difficulties and stresses of lone working have led to him being in the home some evenings and being available at weekends.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the home. They spend time with staff and the child. This has allowed them to form positive relationships. Managers talk confidently about care planning and how to achieve the desired outcomes for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child receive care from a consistent, experienced and committed staff team. Staff value the ongoing support from their colleagues. This is in addition to the unwavering guidance and support from leaders and managers. Staff are confident that the high level of support will continue to be there for them as and when they need it. Staff are highly reflective and understand the challenges of their role. The open and reflective culture in the home allows them to challenge managers and openly discuss any concerns that they may have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers provide staff with regular, reflective supervision sessions and team meetings. These focus on the needs of the child, safeguarding, well-being and practice development. To further aid the development of practice, managers engage staff in reflective conversations following missing-from-home episodes. Staff said that they find these beneficial. Clinical supervision is used to further develop practice and care planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Planning for the child to move into the home was thorough. Managers gathered essential information about the child and considered this alongside the skillset and experience of staff. They spent time with the child, answering their questions and gaining their views. One professional said that the commitment from managers and staff to making the move positive for the child was excellent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2839371 5

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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: 2839371 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: MUTUAL CARE LIMITED

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Grafton Lodge, Battery Lane, Portishead, Bristol BS20 7JD

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Inspector

Carla Simkiss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2839371 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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