Children's home run by Inspire Scotland Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 1 Registered provider: Inspire Scotland Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. The inspector spoke to both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

The new proposed responsible individual has provided information to Ofsted to allow suitability checks to be completed.

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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: 21 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: 2680492 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/10/2024 Full Good 03/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they like living in the home and that they get on well with many of the staff. Staff speak about each child in high regard and know what is important to them. Professionals and family members say that the care provided to children is personalised and that staff understand children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make progress from their starting points. Children who have left the home have been supported to return to family or foster care. For those living in the home, progress mainly relates to building relationships with those caring for them and behavioural incidents reducing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational progress is sporadic, which is in line with children’s fluctuating emotional needs. Where possible, staff encourage children to have a daily routine. Staff and managers engage children in discussions about potential barriers to education and offer them reassurance. The manager advocates on behalf of the children to request plans that meet their needs and wishes. This has supported some progress, with one child writing a curriculum vitae and one agreeing to work with a tutor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote developing children’s independence, and they are making progress in this area. This includes supporting children to budget, cook and complete household tasks. The manager recognises that there needs to be a pause when children’s emotional needs take priority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children to access activities and opportunities in line with their interests. This supports children to have cherished memories. Staff also build positive relationships with family members to support children to spend time with those important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is in a good state of repair. There is ongoing decoration to further improve the environment, which children have a say about. Children have personalised their bedrooms in line with their wishes.

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

The manager ensures that children have a care and safety plan that reflects their current needs and any known risks. The plans are personalised for each child, which provides staff with relevant information and clear guidance to follow to support children’s needs and manage any risks.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff proactively follow the child’s individual plan. Staff liaise with professionals and those important to the child to ensure that they return safely. Management oversight of missing-from-home incidents aims to identify triggers and explore what, if any, changes to care or safety planning are needed. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 4 manager ensures that he liaises with the local authority for each child to ensure that return home interviews are completed. This has reduced the missing-from-home risks for one child. One professional said, ‘He is much more open about his situation and is communicating where he is and what he is doing. Before, we did not know if he was safe. He trusts people more.’

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

When incidents occur, staff manage these in line with children’s care and safety plans. The need to hold children is rare, although at times staff do guide children. There is a focus on reflection to understand the triggers and if ways of working need to change to better support the child. Staff engage children in discussions about concerns or incidents; they listen to children’s views while also providing guidance. This has resulted in behavioural incidents for children reducing in severity and frequency.

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

When children make allegations against other children in the home, these are reported quickly to the relevant agencies. Staff provide support to all children involved. Internal investigations are undertaken to identify any lessons learned and areas for improvement. This supports the manager to address matters and reflect with the staff, which helps future decision-making.

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

When staff make complaints about other members of staff, these are investigated promptly by an external manager. There is a focus on understanding any impact that there is on children. Conclusions of such investigations are proportionate to the concerns outlined and inform decision-making.

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

Safeguarding notifications are not always submitted to Ofsted within the required timescale, for example when the manager is on leave from work. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of safeguarding matters at the earliest opportunity. A requirement was raised in relation to this issue at the last full inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers speak about their commitment to the children, which provides children with a sense of stability. The manager and responsible individual are visible to the children and engage them in discussions to better improve the quality of care offered to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual identify aspects in the service that may impact on the children negatively, and they address these quickly. They have developed an action plan to drive improvement and are actively working through this. They both have a good understanding of the service’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions, and team meetings are reflective in nature. Staff say that the manager is supportive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager attends meetings with other professionals to advocate on behalf of the children. However, there is little challenge or escalation to acquire key statutory Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 5 documents, such as one child’s pathway plan. Therefore, they do not always have the most up-to-date information for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The language used in some documents is not always ‘language that cares’. For example, staff use opinion rather than fact to describe matters and do not always use the child’s preferred name. This is not helpful to the child or others reading these key documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person does not routinely seek feedback from the children and others involved in their lives. This prevents them from making a rigorous assessment of the quality of care. The manager and responsible individual have recognised this but have not implemented plans effectively to address the matter. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they receive key statutory documents from placing authorities. 23 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 23 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. In particular, ensure that feedback is sought from children and others. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’,

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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: 2680492 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Scotland Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Inspire Scotland Limited, Red Tree Magenta, 270 Glasgow Road, Rutherglen, Glasgow G73 1UZ

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Inspector

Jess Elliott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680492 9 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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