Children's home run by Flourish (Gloucestershire) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 1 Registered provider: Flourish (Gloucestershire) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in manager. The manager has been in post since July 2025 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: 16 October 2024

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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: 2651501 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/10/2024 Full Good 30/05/2023 Full Good 24/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were present during the inspection, and time was spent talking with them and observing staff’s interactions with them. One child said they like living at the home, and if they feel worried or upset, they have staff they feel comfortable talking to. They talked about going out on trips and how much they enjoy regular activities with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress at the home. They have learned how to manage their emotions because staff have built trusting relationships with them. Children are comfortable expressing their feelings and are receptive to affection and have learned to respect boundaries. One professional said that children are making considerable progress because staff provide consistent boundaries and care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the best efforts of staff, children are not attending school. Two children engage with mentoring, but they are not receiving a full education. However, leaders have challenged this effectively to ensure that education is prioritised for all children in the new academic year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff interactions with children are warm and caring. There are pleasant conversations and positive encouragement because of the relationships that staff have formed with children. The children feel relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff, so they enjoy spending time with them and engaging in activities with them, such as baking and going shopping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children maintain positive relationships and enjoy quality time with family members and people who are important to them. Staff recently arranged a sports day for children. The children participated in many activities alongside the staff, and the photos show that everyone had fun. Children take part in a range of days out and spend time visiting theme parks, going bike riding, and enjoying time at the beach. Children also engage in community activities, such as playing rugby.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Younger children have learned age-appropriate independence tasks, such as dressing themselves, making their bed and tidying their bedroom. Older children have learned to self-administer their medication. However, staff have not helped them to progress and learn practical skills in preparation for further independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children prepare for their move out of the home. Staff make plans that help alleviate anxiety so that children feel comfortable. These include overnight stays and visits for tea. Staff keep in touch with children who have left the home and visit them so they can continue their relationships. When children move into the home, staff help to prepare them so that they are ready for the move.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 4 There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home or any safeguarding concerns. However, staff are up to date with training, so they feel confident managing any concerns if they arise. The use of restraint has reduced significantly. When staff use physical intervention, it is proportionate and a final measure to minimise any risk of harm.

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

Staff support children with routine and boundaries. Children have regular structure at bedtime and settle well at night. Younger children enjoy reading with staff and having story time before they go to sleep. Staff consistently help children to follow and understand boundaries so that they understand expectations and have a sense of security and structure, which helps them feel safe and confident in their environment.

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

Children have access to devices with internet access. There are filtering systems in place, and staff monitor use to ensure that children have time away from technology. However, an older child has access to a mobile phone at night and social media that staff do not monitor. Staff have not helped children to learn how to stay safe online and so they do not know if this child has the skills to identify potential risks.

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

There have been no complaints made against staff. However, when children raise concerns about other matters, leaders and managers address these swiftly. They investigate and feed back to children, so they feel listened to and are aware of outcomes. There have been concerns raised about staff, but again, these have been addressed in a timely manner. Managers speak to external professionals to ensure that they make the best decisions for children.

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

One medication error has occurred in the home. However, managers have implemented an efficient system so that when they administer medication to children, they can track and monitor use in the home. Managers carry out regular audits so there is effective oversight, and they are confident that all medication is managed safely and appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager is a good advocate for children. When external professionals fail to meet children’s needs, he appropriately challenges them in the children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to upskilling staff to ensure that children continue to live in a stable and secure environment. He recognises the dedication of staff and the support they give each other so that children’s needs are prioritised. The manager identifies areas for improvement and has made plans to further develop the home to ensure that there is consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During the interim period, when there was no manager, leaders visited the home regularly so that they could maintain oversight and ensure that children continued to receive quality care. Additionally, they arranged for two deputy managers to support the Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 5 home, alongside other managers. This ensured that staff met children’s needs effectively, while leaders recruited a new manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home and said that leaders and managers are supportive. Staff said they enjoy spending time with children and demonstrate a good understanding of their needs. They shared examples of the progress children have made with their support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the team. However, three staff members who have left permanent roles continue to work in the home when needed, and leaders who are known to children have provided additional support. Furthermore, when agency staff work in the home, children are familiar with them. This has provided consistency and stability for children, so they feel settled. Recruitment checks are thorough and demonstrate that leaders follow safer recruitment policies and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. Leaders and managers carry out regular quality assurance audits so they can evaluate the care children receive. Additionally, managers produce monthly monitoring reports so that they can address any shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 6

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person tshould ensure that children receive support to learn to recognise online risks and understand how to keep themselves safe while using the internet. Furthermore, ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand online safety risks so they can monitor and protect children when using devices with internet access. 1 November 2025

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Recommendation

 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 placement or adult care, or living independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support, particularly where the child is moving to live independently. In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff help older children learn and develop practical skills, such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27) Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 7

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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: 2651501 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flourish (Gloucestershire) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 20 Westend Office Suites, Westend, Stonehouse, Gloucester GL10 3FA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Summers

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Inspector

Emma Fryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2651501 9 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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