Children's Home run by Anchor Care and Education Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 1 Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education 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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for four children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection. Their views were sought as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is yet 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2024 Full Good 09/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff are very committed to children. They develop positive and enduring relationships based on love, trust and kindness. Consequently, children become very settled and live at the home for long periods of time. This provides them with a strong sense of belonging and permanence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved on since the last inspection. One child moved back to their family and another child moved to their own accommodation. Both children were well supported to achieve these outcomes, and they are continuing to make progress. For example, one child is attending college. The other child has a job and has learned to drive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers consider children’s needs carefully before accepting them into the home. Thorough planning is undertaken before children move in. Children already living at the home are consulted and their wishes and feelings are taken into account. This helps children to settle and minimises the risk of having to move on in unplanned ways.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have individualised care plans to meet their needs. The plans are reviewed regularly and adapted to new and emerging needs. Consequently, children have good routines, and they attend school and health appointments. They are supported to meet their potential in every area of their lives. Additional support is available for children if they are struggling with their emotional well-being. The in-house therapist undertakes regular direct work with children, which has helped them to work through difficult feelings to good effect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to stay in contact with people who are important to them. This is well organised through a specific worker. Children are also encouraged to make new friends, who are welcome at the home, and this is helping them to reduce feelings of isolation and build their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff ensure that children have new experiences, such as holidays, day trips, sports and leisure opportunities. Staff create meaningful films and memory books for each child to document their time at the home. These help children to feel valued and provide ways of remembering positive times and relationships in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are using some language verbally and in written children’s records which is institutionalised or abbreviated. Children are using these terms themselves. This detracts from the otherwise family-oriented values of the home.

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

The managers and staff work hard to keep children safe from harm. They are skilled at responding to serious incidents with empathy and confidence. One child experienced Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 4 periods of significant distress, and there were risks of self-injury. The staff provided considerable emotional support to this child and helped them to work through some very difficult times in their life.

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

Staff respond in a timely and coordinated way when children are missing from home. They work tenaciously with other agencies and family members to find children and ensure they are returned home. Children are spoken to after a missing incident in order to gather information, which is shared with relevant professionals. This shows good commitment to keeping children safe from exploitation and also demonstrates to children how much the staff care about them.

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

Children say they feel safe at the home. They have trusted adults they can talk to and share their worries with. One child shared that they were being bullied by other children at school. The manager acted swiftly to report this and ensured that it was investigated to prevent further distress to the child.

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

The manager and staff show good levels of professional curiosity, which helps to keep children safe in a range of situations. Risk management plans are well considered. They are regularly updated and reviewed. This means that staff always have current information about children’s risks and how to manage those situations.

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

Staff provide strong boundaries for children and teach them how to manage their feelings in healthy ways. Incidents where children could harm themselves or others quickly reduce over time. Consequently, physical interventions are rarely used to keep children safe.

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

The manager ensures that children are cared for by suitable and experienced staff through the required vetting processes.

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

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

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

Two managers have overseen the home effectively during this inspection period. The registered manager is currently away from the home on parental leave. A new manager has been in post for several months. Despite the change, children have received consistency of care throughout this period. The new manager has made a strong start to her role. She is already influencing practice and having a positive impact on children’s lives.

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

Managers have the respect of the staff team, whose members speak very well of them and the support they receive. The team is a huge strength of the home. There is a mix of new and established staff, which brings a good mix of experience, energy and ideas. New staff are provided with a thorough induction and training programme. All staff receive regular supervision and development opportunities. This helps them to carry out their work in a professional and caring way.

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

Leaders and managers are alert to any concerns arising in the home. These are rare. However, managers take timely action to address shortfalls through the supervision Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 5 process and team meetings. They identify areas of learning and make appropriate changes to ensure that practice remains at a good standard. Staff say that they are always learning and welcome opportunities to improve their practice.

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

Professionals have confidence in the care offered to children. The manager communicates regularly with relevant agencies and is a very good advocate for the children. One child was supported to make a complaint about their wider care plan. This complaint was taken seriously, and the child’s views were acted on.

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

Parents value the care and support provided by the manager and staff. One parent told me the home was ‘excellent’ and they ‘never doubted their child was safe’. This shows the level of trust that parents and families have in the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff speak about children and record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way, avoiding institutionalised language. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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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: 2680971 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Anchor Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ensor’s Accountants LLP, Saxon House, Moseley’s Farm Business Centre, Fornham All Saints, Bury St. Edmunds IP28 6JY

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Inspector

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680971 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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