Children's home run by One Home UK Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2797450 1 Registered provider: One Home UK Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care for two children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since being registered.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in December 2024 and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: 2797450 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home since it was registered. One child with complex needs moved out before the inspection. Initially, the child was making progress. Staff were building good relationships and were committed to supporting the child. However, the child’s well-being and related behaviours declined significantly, and the manager made the decision that the staff’s skills and environmental factors meant that the home could not meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living in the home is making good progress. The staff have shown resilience and commitment to supporting the child through a difficult transition from their previous home. Staff are energised in their approach to providing the child with positive experiences and genuine care. Staff have supported the child to access a wide range of activities which they enjoy. They have introduced new ideas to help the child integrate into the community and build peer relationships. This is helping the child to build confidence and improve their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in how they support children to access health services and routine appointments. The child’s anxieties about seeing the dentist were overcome because staff used role play and laughter to ease the child’s worries. This meant the child received the intervention they required and now feel more confident about future appointments. Staff have supported the child through specialist assessments. The child’s diagnosis has ensured that they have access to required support and will help in identifying an appropriate education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite children being young, staff ensure that they are supported to learn important life skills. Children are encouraged to develop healthy routines around sleep and self-care. Children’s communication needs are assessed, and specialist resources are used to ensure children have options for communication. This ensures there are no barriers to children expressing their views and feelings. This has supported children to be part of decision-making about plans for their day, which has helped in reducing anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large, modern and spacious. Children have several areas in the home in which to relax, play or explore their sensory needs. Significant damage has been caused by children when they were struggling to manage their emotions or process their environment. The staff generally maintain and repair any issues in a timely manner. However, some rooms do not have blinds, which affects the homely feel and does not provide privacy. Children have been involved in the look of their bedrooms, which are warm and personalised, reflecting their interests.

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

Children have clear and effective safety plans in place. Plans are subject to continual review and the manager ensures they include any changes or patterns in children’s risks Inspection report for children’s home: 2797450 3 or behaviours. Staff know the plans and how to support children to keep safe. Children are supported to develop their skills and understanding of risks. This helps children keep themselves safe when accessing the community or taking part in activities.

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

There have been a high number of incidents involving the use of physical restraint with children. The use of restraint is a last resort and necessary to keep children and staff safe. Staff receive the required training to use restraint safely and in line with children’s support plans. The recording of incidents is clear and detailed. All records of incidents are shared with the relevant professionals to ensure transparency of practice. Staff use positive behaviour support and invest in building relationships. This has meant the number of restraints has significantly reduced for the child living in the home. The manager reviews all incidents that involve restraint. However, there are times when more curiosity and analysis is required to be fully assured that interventions used are safe.

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

The child living in the home has made several allegations. These have been made at times when the child is upset, and staff have intervened to support the child and keep them safe. The leadership team has worked closely with other professionals in managing allegations. A response plan has been implemented to manage allegations, and this has been praised by other safeguarding professionals. The plan has raised staff’s confidence in working with the child and maintaining boundaries. The number of allegations made by the child have significantly reduced.

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

Incidents of self-injurious behaviour are safely managed. Staff are given clear guidance on how best to support the child during periods of crisis. They know how to respond when children are struggling to communicate and making attempts to harm themselves. Staff ensure that children have access to specialised items to reduce harm when they are distressed and the environment is adapted when risks increase. Any potentially hazardous items are locked in safe places so children do not have access to items that they could use to cause harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced and dedicated manager. The manager has navigated a particularly challenging time in the home with a new and relatively inexperienced team. Staff have been extremely well supported by the manager and senior leaders during a period of crisis when staff were being harmed and the home damaged. Despite the incidents, staff feel positive about their roles and are committed to supporting children to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is due to leave the home. The deputy manager is currently away from the home, so there is some instability in the leadership team. However, the senior leaders have ensured that effective support from managers from a sister home has been in place. They are actively recruiting for an experienced manager to ensure continuity of standards in the home. The current manager is committed to a smooth transition and supporting a new manager into their role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797450 4 Staff receive effective training and support with their development. The manager identifies training that focuses on children’s specific needs. Staff are enthusiastic about the training provided which is held face to face.Staff receive regular and effective reflective supervision from managers, and staff well-being is always prioritised. Staff feel valued by leaders for the work they do. Team meetings are held regularly, well planned

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and inclusive. Staff feel that their opinions and ideas are listened to and implemented. Staff have been provided with specialised therapeutic support to help them reflect on challenging incidents they have been involved in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals speak highly of the home and the team’s commitment to the children’s care, and commented on the resilience shown by the team in challenging circumstances. They all said that the manager and team ensure there is regular and effective communication, which has created an effective team around the child. They added that records are child focused and reflect the progress being made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior leaders have continually challenged external professionals when they feel services are falling short or children’s needs are not being met. The manager has advocated tirelessly on behalf of children to ensure they receive the appropriate interventions and that significant decisions about their welfare are considered. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797450 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive and provides appropriate boundaries in relation to children’s behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and

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Recommendations

reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice through detailed analysis and oversight. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2797450 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: One Home UK Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Burley Heyes, Arley Road, Appleton, Warrington WA4 4RS

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2797450 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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