Children's home run by Cornerways Children’s Services Limited in Reigate and Banstead

Inspection report for children’s home: SC014848 1 SC014848 Registered provider: Cornerways Children’s Services 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 owned and run by a private provider. The home provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2020.

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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: 25 February 2025

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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: SC014848 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Good 04/10/2023 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 06/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC014848 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive personalised care that meets their specific needs. They make good progress because the staff know them well and provide them with effective help and support. The staff have regular discussions with the children. They provide opportunities to explore events in their lives. Children have good relationships with the staff, making this process a positive experience. Children know that they can go to staff with any concerns that they might have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are positive working relationships between professionals, staff, children and their parents. This creates an environment where the children’s needs are at the forefront. They work together in the best interests of the child. For example, the moving-in process of two children involved the views of all in their network. This enabled an experience that moved at the child’s pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are welcoming. They present a happy and relaxed environment for children. The children personalise their bedrooms. Staff recognise these rooms as their personal space and the children appreciate this. The management and staff work to make the house as homely as possible, for example moving one of the internal door alarms to external doors. This ensures that the sound is less intrusive to their daily lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make progress in many areas of their lives despite the complexities. The staff support them to access therapy and a range of specialist appointments that helps them to maintain a good level of health. All children access education at varying levels. The staff support children’s learning. They provide educational experiences to a child that is not accessing full-time education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a range of opportunities to express their views, wishes and feelings. The staff achieve this through children’s direct requests rather than through house meetings. Informal discussions at the dining table offer further opportunities to express views. The staff consult each child about their care plans, and they can suggest changes. This enables children to feel involved and have more say in decisions that affect them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have time with their families. Staff travel significant distances to ensure that this happens. Because of this, children know that staff understand the importance of their time with family. This also helps to promote children’s identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good and varied experiences at this home. Staff offer group activities such as cinema trips and holidays, while supporting children to have their own interests. This helps to enrich their lives. For example, staff have promoted the creativity of one child. This has enabled them to create a mural for their bedroom wall.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Excellent plans are in place for children moving into and out of the home. Preparation is effective and in consultation with the child. Staff and managers work well together with Inspection report for children’s home: SC014848 4 families and a range of professionals to ensure that children have positive experiences of moving in. One child is preparing for moving on. They have good independence skills. However, staff were not aware of hazards in this child’s bedroom. This included many extension leads and cables attached to each other.

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

Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe. When concerns arise, they take appropriate action to ensure that children get the support that they need to stay safe. This includes keeping safe online. The staff involve the children in their risk management. They work effectively with children to help them understand risk and how to stay safe. One parent mentioned how well they believe their child is being cared for.

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

There is an effective protocol in place for the management of children who go missing from home. The staff know this protocol well and follow it. Staff have received specialist training, and this includes the management of self-harm. Additionally, staff have a good understanding of abuse and have received training around this. They work with the children around understanding unsafe relationships.

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

There are clear boundaries in place, which provides an element of safety and stability for children. The consistency of these boundaries positively influences the children’s behaviours, for example around e-safety, where there is an expectation that children hand in their mobile phones at night.

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

There are good safeguarding arrangements in place that help to protect children. Staff know how to respond should concerns be raised about children or other staff members.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management group have high expectations of what children can achieve. The exceptional outcomes for one child are testament to this. Leaders and managers understand what needs to be in place to help children to make progress. This includes consistent, warm, involved and committed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are well supported despite the challenges caused by staff vacancies. The staff value the regular supervision that they receive. This includes clinical consultations that help them to understand the children’s behaviours. The training provided to staff meets their developmental needs. One staff member has not completed their diploma within required timescales. There are explanations for this and a plan in place to support them to achieve this goal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the strengths of the service and act where there are areas of weakness. For example, they respond effectively to staff vacancies and ensure the use of consistent bank workers who know the children well. Inspection report for children’s home: SC014848 5 Good-quality professional relationships enable a strong commitment to working together. This in the best interests of the children. The leaders and managers are strong advocates for the children. They confidently challenge other services to effect positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers show a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. The relaxed atmosphere and warmth of the staff provide children with an environment where they can speak openly about their identity and explore who they are. Managers include children and consult them in matters that affect them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC014848 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC014848 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ashcombe Court, Woolsack Way, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1LQ

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC014848 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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