Children's home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since March 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 good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home had an assurance inspection on 22 January 2025 and serious shortfalls were found in safeguarding practice and in the leadership and management arrangements at the home.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

As a result, Ofsted decided to issue compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 2 A monitoring visit was completed on 10 March 2025. The provider had taken sufficient action to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/06/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living at the home has made good and sustained progress in the important areas of their life. Staff have developed positive and trusting relationships with the child. The child benefits from clear routines and boundaries, and staff are consistent in their approach. The child says that they are happy living at the home. A family member said, ‘They seem much more content.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager advocated for the child to attend an appropriate school provision, where the child has recently started. Prior to attending school, the child was supported by tutors who would visit the home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is consulted about the quality of care they receive, and their views and wishes are consistently recorded. The child knowshow to make a complaint, and staff complete direct sessions to support the child’s understanding of importantissues. Staff have helped the child to understand how to manage their emotions more effectively. The child engages with meaningful incentives to encourage positive behaviour.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to have a healthy lifestyle. The child likes to visit the local butchers and is helped to choose and prepare their own meals. They are supported to stay physically active, and they attend regular rugby sessions. They also enjoy swimming, riding their bike and taking the staff’s dogs for a walk. The child has engaged in a range of activities and has visited the zoo, the beach and a theme park.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to attend routine health appointments and has engaged in specialist assessments to ensure that their needs are identified and met. They have access to a therapist to support their emotional health and promote their well-being.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain relationships with their family. Staff understand the importance of family time and are proactive in planning for the child to spend time with the people who are important to them.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that the home’s physical environment is well maintained and furnished. The child has personalised their bedroom and helped to paint the walls and choose the furniture. Their artwork is proudly displayed in the kitchen. This homely atmosphere helps the child to feel comfortable, valued and relaxed at the home. However, further work is required to improve the driveway and the paving in the garden area to ensure that these areas remain safe and are maintained to a high standard.

p.4

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 5 The staff ensure that the child is safe, and they are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. The risk management plans provide staff with clear strategies to follow and are regularly updated.

p.5

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

The number of significant incidents has reduced. When an incident occurs, staff complete clear records that detail the action to support the child. The manager speaks with staff following incidents, which provides opportunities for staff to develop their practice. The manager has effective oversight of incidents and identifies any areas for development or improvement in staff practice.

p.5

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

The child’s risks have significantly reduced since living at the home. Staff support the child to take age-appropriate risks and develop their independence skills. The child had a court-directed order in place when they moved into the home to ensure that staff could keep them safe. Staff have worked with the child to help to reduce the restrictions by educating them on how to keep safe. This has been effective as the child is no longer subject to the additional restrictions. They have been supported to experience more freedom in a safe and planned way.

p.5

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

There has been one incident of the child going missing from the home. This is a significant reduction from when the child first moved into the home. Staff followed the child’s plans and worked effectively with the relevant professionals to return the child to the home.

p.5

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

Staff follow a detailed and tailored behaviour support plan, which helps to provide a clear and consistent approach by staff. The staff have been successful in de-escalating incidents and have not needed to physically hold the child. The use of consequences is appropriate, and the manager completes an evaluation to ensure that the measure is effective.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager has been appointed and has applied to register. The manager is child centred and strives to ensure that the child is supported to make progress. The manager is supported by the responsible individual and other registered managers who work in the organisation. The managers share good practice through regular management meetings.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to training opportunities to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills required to work with the child. However, some staff are overdue in renewing some training in line with the provider’s prescribed timescales. Most staff are qualified, and other staff are working towards the relevant qualification. Staff have completed some training in relation to research-informed practices and therapeutic models of care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the manager, and they enjoy working at the home. One staff member said, ‘I do not feel like I am coming into work, it just feels like coming into another home as things are so settled.’ Another staff member Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 6 commented, ‘[The manager] is approachable, easy to talk to, and always makes time if we need guidance or help.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are regular and of good quality. The manager uses team meetings to discuss the child’s progress and to improve staff practice. This helps to improve the quality of care received by the child.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides effective leadership and demonstrates a strong commitment to driving forward improvements at the home. Internal and external monitoring systems provide the manager with a good overview of the home. However, the manager’s record of staff training is not accurate and has not been updated with staff’s completed training dates. This hinders the manager’s ability to monitor and have oversight of staff’s development needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 7

p.6

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.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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)

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that all staff complete appropriate training within the provider’s prescribed timescales.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should ensure that there is an accurate record of staff training, which includes the dates when staff completed training courses. 3 October 2025

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and is homely and domestic. Specifically, they should ensure that the driveway and garden area are appropriately maintained to a high standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 8

p.7

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: 2642400 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/O Goss & Co, 15 Olympic Court, Whitehills Business Park, Blackpool FY4 5GU

p.9

Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Samantha Kean, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 10 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.

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