Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059755 1 SC059755 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child 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

The home is operated by a national private organisation and may provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties. Two children currently live in the home and were present at both this and the last inspection. Both children spent time with the inspector, including time alone.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 15 August 2023.

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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: 12 November 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: SC059755 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Good 17/08/2023 Full Good 10/08/2022 Full Good 23/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC059755 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home make good progress and enjoy positive experiences. Staff support the children’s shared interests, encouraging participation in activities and holidays. Staff also encourage children’s individual interests, arranging trips to scooter parks and museums and celebrating achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager have improved the home environment, making all spaces warm and welcoming, with photos on display celebrating the children’s activities and milestones. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and there is progress in ensuring each child has a memory book with added context to photos. A spare bedroom has been converted into a playroom, supporting both independent and shared play. The large garden is being developed and now has an area for growing vegetables, which the children enjoy and take pride in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in local community activities. One child has continued their membership at Scouts. Staff helped the child to develop strategies to cope with tricky situations. As a result, the child enjoyed a successful first independent camping holiday with the Scouts and is developing positive relationships and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager have high aspirations for the children’s education, celebrate achievements and support attendance, both practically and emotionally. One child has made progress in learning, making friends and engaging at school. When another child was at risk of a sudden end to their school provision, the manager used complaints processes and advocacy to delay the ending and proactively identified other options, involving the child in decisions. A place at an alternative provision, which the child wants to attend, has now been identified.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children’s health needs are well understood and responded to, including seeking specialist assessment. There was a delay in one child’s annual medical review. The manager identified this through their monitoring systems, and they have challenged the delay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time with their family and others important to them is practically and emotionally supported by the staff, ensuring that living far away from home is not a barrier to this important time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s cultural needs are well understood and supported, with the diverse team of staff using their backgrounds to promote positive discussions and celebrate heritage.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059755 4 Children benefit from having stable, positive relationships with staff, who work together under the manager’s guidance to provide therapeutic and nurturing care. This approach is aligned with the home’s statement of purpose and ethos, benefiting the children both in and out of the home.

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

Staff actions help to keep children safe. The manager ensures that staff are supported to understand the importance of safeguarding and to take appropriate action when concerns arise. Concerns about staff practice are managed well, with timely notifications to relevant professionals. The manager identifies and challenges other professionals when poor practice is seen, using escalation processes when necessary.

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

There have been 14 incidents of physical intervention used since the last inspection, . There is effective management oversight, and managers speak with children and staff following incidents. The manager leads a culture of reflection and learning, offering direction when alternate action may have resolved issues or mitigated concerns.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing since the last inspection. Clear protocols are in place if a child goes missing, but these rely on accurate and consistent information in each child’s plan. Currently, plans are inconsistent in quality, with some details being out of date and objectives not always specific or measurable. This occasionally affects the consistency of staff actions.

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

There has been one external complaint since the last inspection from a neighbour. Actions described by the manager include restorative conversations to help children understand the impact of their behaviour and maintain positive relationships. However, the records do not capture the detail described, missing how children are engaged in decisions and actions.

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

The manager uses restrictions, such as door alarms, appropriately and reviews them regularly based on risk. Some kitchen items are restricted for safety, while others are locked due to limited space. Children do not have access to sweet treats; these are portioned daily to encourage healthy eating, with healthy options freely available. For one child, these actions support a healthier relationship with food, with input from the therapeutic team. However, this restriction is not regularly reviewed and does not consider how to promote choice or independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides strong and compassionate leadership, placing therapeutic and nurturing care at the centre of practice. They are committed and have built positive relationships with both children and staff. The manager holds clear boundaries while showing care, affection and ambition for the children’s current well- being and future success. The manager and responsible individual work collaboratively, championing children’s individual needs and taking action to support their progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059755 5 The manager is actively involved in multi-agency meetings, contributes to specialist assessments and maintains positive relationships with professionals. The manager recognises the home’s strengths and most of the areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the manager and benefit from regular supervision, training and annual appraisals. Induction and probation processes are well monitored, and staff development is prioritised, with organisational support for ongoing learning and networking. The manager recognises the need for more support to help staff complete qualifications and maintain regulatory standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is strong organisational support and motivation for registered managers to inspire positive change at home level through development planning. The manager is enthusiastic about organisational training and networking, seeing these as valuable opportunities for individual and team development. This aspirational approach is positive, though still in the early stages of delivery. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059755 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are supported to understand and meet each child’s needs and fulfil their responsibilities through access to individual plans that are of consistent quality and contain the necessary and up-to-date information. The registered person should ensure that actions are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely to support monitoring and identify gaps and progress. Furthermore, the recording of discussions with children should capture their engagement and views. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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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: SC059755 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Five Rivers Childcare, 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy-John Matthews

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Inspector

Ashley Arkless, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059755 8 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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