Children's Home run by Blossom Children’s Homes Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2837858 1 Registered provider: Blossom Children’s Homes 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

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to six children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at 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: 2837858 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are providing the child with a good standard of care and are nurturing and patient in their approach. When children are new to the home, staff work hard to form relationships as soon as they are able, and at a pace which suits the child. Staff offer praise, show real empathy and positive regard for the child. This is reflected in all aspects of care and support received. Already, the child can approach staff and seek their help.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are learning about the child’s individual ways of communicating. Staff have various tools to support effective communication, and this helps them to understand what the child is requesting. Staff are beginning to learn a sign language, with the aim of using this in addition to other forms of communication. The child will then have several ways to communicate their needs which will promote their voice being heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has prioritised the child’s education and they are enrolled at a school attached to the home. This means that for this child, who has been out of school for a significant amount of time, they will now more likely develop a pattern of attendance. The importance of education is being reinforced by good partnership working between care and education teams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is beginning to make progress in several areas of their life. The manager has developed a tool to better evaluate progress. This means that achievements can be captured and evaluated. This allows the child to receive specific and relevant support so that they can continue making sustained progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff follow guidance from health professionals in terms of helping the child with their anxious behaviours, and to consistently deliver the best possible care to the child. Health professionals are highly proactive and involved and are effective advocates for the child’s health and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to spend time with their family. The staff understand the child’s experiences and that family time is important to them. There is effective communication that reassures families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Great effort has been made to ensure that the child lives in a house that is welcoming and feels like a family home. The home is well maintained and suitably furnished. The child’s bedroom is individualised and reflects their interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2837858 3

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

Behaviour management is good. When the child has struggled to control their emotions, this has led to incidents. Staff implement a consistent and nurturing approach to behaviour and implement actions from the child’s care plans. This is helping the child to regulate their emotions more effectively.

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

Staff continually build on their knowledge of the child and the most appropriate way to support them and keep them safe. The child has a detailed risk assessment. This document provides the staff team with the necessary guidance on how to meet the child’s needs on a day-to-day basis and to ensure they remain safe. However, not all staff are confident in their safeguarding knowledge.

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

The child has a high level of staff supervision to reduce risks. However, on one occasion the child had left the site unaccompanied for a short time. Staff reacted appropriately which meant the child remained safe. Managers have reviewed processes and have ensured that any risk of similar incidents is minimised.

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

There is a clear medication process in place. Staff receive training before they can take the lead in this process. There have been no medication errors. Staff follow guidance from the child and adolescence mental health service to ensure that medication is right for the child to help them with their health condition.

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

There have been no complaints or allegations. The manager is actively seeking further innovative ways of ensuring the child can make any complaint independently. This means that children with complex needs have further opportunities to make their views wishes and feelings known, in an accessible way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aspirational for the child. His primary focus is on ensuring that the child is provided with a loving home where they have every opportunity to thrive. The manager is proactive in his role. He works alongside his senior staff, and together they are forming an effective team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good management monitoring through a variety of quality assurance systems. This helps the manager to ensure that timescales are met for a range of activities that relate to the running of the home. Independent scrutiny is built into the quality assurance systems. However, this has not always been fully effective, and some records that have been quality assured were found not to be accurate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are establishing effective working relationships with a wide range of professionals and family members. They continue to develop networks to share and improve practice. A strength of the manager is working with external agencies. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive and commends their commitment to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2837858 4 The manager, and senior staff, provide staff with regular professional supervision. This process allows for staff’s competence and knowledge of children to be reviewed. In addition, staff are provided with guidance and support that contributes to help them develop into their roles. Team meetings are held on a regular basis and staff find these beneficial. Staff report feeling well managed and supported. Staff morale at the home is high, and there is a positive and energetic approach from staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2837858 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the homes policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential. (‘Guide to 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: 2837858 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blossom Children, Unit 7-8, Moran House, 449-451 High Road, London NW10 2JJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Wakeling

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2837858 7 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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