Children's home run by Slough Children First Limited in Bristol, City of

Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Slough Children First Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. The home is registered to provide care for up to six children at a time. It offers short breaks for children with learning and/or physical disabilities. In exceptional circumstances, the home may provide children with an extended or full-time care package.

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Information about this children’s home

The home currently provides short breaks to 17 children and longer-term care to one child. During this inspection, there were nine children accessing the service.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 24 August 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Outstanding 28/02/2024 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good 13/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children experience a wonderful time when they stay at this home. This is because of the emotionally warm and nurturing relationships that they have with staff and the wide variety of activities that they enjoy. Staff know each child’s needs and plans in meticulous detail and use this knowledge to plan for each child’s stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who access this service have a wide range of disabilities, needs and challenges. Staff are creative and forward thinking to ensure that barriers do not compromise what children can achieve and do. For instance, children enjoy days out at water parks, go swimming, visit farms, go out for an ice cream, attend camps and have regular trips to a local park. These enriching activities give children ample opportunity to explore the world around them, have fun and in turn look forward to their stays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s introductions to the home are creative and well planned and are managed at a pace suitable to each child and their family. Managers and staff liaise with children’s professional networks and family members to ensure that they have secure knowledge of their complex needs, likes and interests. They use this knowledge to plan exciting and meaningful experiences for each child. This, in addition to the positive relationships that children have with staff, means that children are cared for by a consistent team whose members know them extremely well. Staff are intuitive, kind and respectful when meeting children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The progress of children is incredible. For one child, their progress is nothing short of phenomenal. This child came to stay at the home under a longer-term arrangement due to a serious life event which resulted in them experiencing significant loss. Since being in the home, the child has flourished. They now sleep without the aid of medication, attend school consistently and have started to communicate using signs. Their health has improved in terms of diet, continence and self-care. This child now regularly sees their brothers and there is a clear plan in place for them to move on from the home in a secure way. The child has been helped to understand, in a way that they are able to, their loss and why they are living in the home. Staff have completed additional training in order to understand how bereavement and loss can impact on children and how to support them. This child is looking forward to an imminent holiday, which staff have

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The progress of other children who access the service is also excellent. For example, one child can now tolerate some self-care tasks, another has learned to brush their teeth independently and one child has experienced a significant decrease in incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is excellent advocacy for children. This is a strength of the service. Children’s wishes and feelings are paramount, and managers and staff are tenacious in their advocacy. For example, one child’s education, health and care plan was updated, and Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

significant changes were implemented following the professional challenge of managers and staff for this child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s bedrooms are beautifully presented. They are personalised in readiness for each child’s stay and represent their likes and interests. The home was decorated in readiness for Halloween and children were excited by this. Other holidays, such as Eid and Diwali, are also celebrated. Photos of children are displayed throughout the home, and their achievements and successes are celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children use a wide range of different methods to communicate and many children are nonverbal. These methods are well understood and supported by staff. In addition, some children know English as an additional language. However, due to the diversity in the team, some staff know children’s first languages. This has aided communication, not only with the children but also their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health needs are met to a high standard. This is due to effective partnership working with children’s professional networks and close involvement with children’s families. However, for the child who lives in the home longer-term, there was an oversight in ensuring that the child was registered with a dentist.

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

Staff have in-depth knowledge of their roles and safeguarding responsibilities. Children are happy and relaxed and appear at ease in the home’s environment. This contributes to their feelings of safety.

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

Staff work in collaboration with positive behaviour support specialists. They ensure that they fully understand children’s behaviours and known risks, ensuring that children are supported effectively in line with their individual plans. As a result, incidents involving aggression towards staff have significantly decreased. There have been no incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection.

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

Considerate and thoughtful measures are taken by staff to ensure that children’s rights are protected, particularly when receiving personal care. Children experience privacy, respect and dignity at these times.

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

There are effective arrangements in place to evacuate the home in the event of an emergency, should this be required. All children have personal emergency evacuation plans that are routinely reviewed. These plans are individualised for each child and provide thorough guidance to staff.

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

Incidents and accidents are infrequent. When they do occur, swift and appropriate action is taken and there is a sharp focus on learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management arrangements remain unchanged since the last inspection. This has resulted in consistency for staff, children and families. The registered manager continues to have high aspirations for children and staff. As a result, staff are committed and dedicated to their roles and take great pride in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides consistent and effective support and supervision for staff. Staff are provided with a thorough induction, and there are strong processes in place to monitor performance during probation and beyond. This helps staff to develop in their roles and provide consistent and high-quality care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive training from specialist professionals to ensure that they can confidently meet children’s needs. For example, the registered manager has sourced trauma training for staff to assist them in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When children are referred to the service, leaders and managers consider the needs of the child and those of other children who also access the service. They consider friendships and which children may already know each other from school or other settings. They use this information to meticulously plan for children’s stays. If additional training is required for staff to help them to meet a specific need, this is put in place prior to a child starting at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers manage any complaints received swiftly and effectively. They show an openness and commitment to learning and welcome feedback of all kinds. Any complaints raised are resolved and have reached positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is a significant strength of this service. For instance, parents and families are actively involved. They help staff to fully understand how to take care of their children’s specific needs. This can include helping staff to understand how a child may sleep and what they like to have in their bedroom to help them feel at home. Managers and staff ensure that parents receive a detailed update about their child’s stay following visits. Feedback from parents is overwhelmingly positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from external professionals is equally positive. One social worker said that the communication methods used by a child are fully mirrored in the home. There is also close partnership working between managers and staff and children’s schools. This ensures that consistent approaches are used to support children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any child who lives in the home longer term is registered with a dentist. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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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: 1183479 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Slough Children First Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Observatory House, 25 Windsor Road, Slough SL1 2EL

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Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1183479 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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