Children's home run by Shyne Together Limited in Rushcliffe

Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 1 SC441865 Registered provider: Shyne Together 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

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who 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. One child has moved out of the home during the inspection period.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is overseen by a registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 2 December 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/12/2024 Full Good 13/03/2024 Full Good 27/04/2022 Full Good 16/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 3

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improvement to be good

The home has not been maintained to a good standard. Several areas feel worn and in need of redecoration. The gardens have been neglected and are overgrown with weeds. Several unused household items in the gardens need to be disposed of. Consequently, the outside spaces are not inviting places for children to spend time. Managers have recognised these shortfalls and have plans in place to address them.

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improvement to be good

One child raised that staff have not always respected their cultural views, particularly when preparing food for themselves while working at the home. Managers have not clearly directed staff to discontinue this practice or reassure children that their concerns have been addressed.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care and risk management plans inform staff about children’s current needs and the aims of their care while living at the home. Staff understand how to care for children and feel that the staff team work collaboratively to keep children safe. Children have received statutory reviews of their health as required; however, the manager must ensure that recommended actions are addressed in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

Children regularly engage in one-to-one discussions and children’s meetings. Children engage well with staff when exploring identified risks, such as mobile phone usage, online safety and the risks associated with vaping. Staff care for children in an empathetic way and explore strategies to increase their safety at home and in the community. The manager ensures that children’s requests are responded to. This assures children that their wishes and feelings are heard and validated.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their families and support them in spending regular time with them. One child has begun to develop friendships at school and has had the opportunity to attend a music festival over the summer. Another child would benefit from opportunities to explore their interests and hobbies away from the home and to lessen their social isolation.

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improvement to be good

When children make allegations against staff, they are not always explored robustly. The manager has sometimes failed to ensure that investigations delegated to senior staff members were carried out. This has prevented escalation to safeguarding partners occurring in a timely way and has the potential to put children at risk of harm. A recent audit by the responsible individual has identified this shortfall and addressed these matters retrospectively. A clear system for escalation is now in place but has not yet been embedded into practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 4 The required safer recruitment checks have not always been carried out for new staff members. As a result, managers could not be assured of the appropriateness of all staff who have worked with children at the home. Where gaps have been recently identified by managers, there are additional risk assessments in place to ensure children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Children’s medication is stored safely, and effective monitoring is in place. Staff support children in taking their medication as required. When medication errors have occurred, managers have promptly addressed them. Staff’s understanding and competence are subsequently reviewed, and retraining is provided. Managers should ensure that staff understand the process to follow if children's medication is not administered as required.

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improvement to be good

Children have engaged in self-harming behaviours when upset. Staff support children in a non-shaming manner and ensure that they have access to first aid or medical support if required. One child said that they have staff who they trust and who understand them well. Therefore, self-harming incidents are now reducing for children. Staff carry out room searches when necessary to ensure children’s safety in their bedrooms; however, records do not always capture whether children have been informed of these searches.

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improvement to be good

There have been long-standing concerns raised by children that they do not enjoy receiving therapy from a director of the home. Children’s views have now been heard, and children have begun accessing support from an external therapist who can offer more specialist help. This reassures children that they can speak openly and confidentially about personal matters or experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that staff have appropriate training or qualifications to meet children’s needs. Staff have not received timely refresher training to ensure that their knowledge remains current. Staff have received ligature training; however, this was not considered robust enough to meet children’s risks of self-harm. The responsible individual took immediate action to address this issue during the inspection. There has not been a commitment to ensuring that staff have access to therapeutically informed or bespoke training to support the skill base listed in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has lacked confidence in making strategic decisions since the departure of the previous responsible individual. The manager has not carried out a comprehensive audit of the home. This prevents the manager from understanding children’s progress and ensuring that staff practice is as expected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has undergone a period of change recently. The appointment of a new responsible individual has helped identify and address matters of concern in the home. Proactive action has been taken to address concerns about staff practice and ensure that there is appropriate oversight from an independent visitor. This assures Ofsted that planned changes will be actioned as intended. Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 5 Staff have access to regular team meetings. These focus on practical issues in the home, the children’s experiences, and learning therapeutic practice. Staff value the manager’s warm and open communication style and feel that their views are heard. Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 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

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 15 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 7 In particular, ensure that the registered manager undertakes appropriate oversight and auditing of the home and that staff receive training in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered manager has oversight of all safeguarding concerns and escalates to safeguarding partners where required. 15 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 15 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 8 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff are enrolled on the diploma and complete it within the necessary time frame.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the planned redecoration and maintenance of the home are carried out and staff are respectful of children’s religious beliefs when preparing food at the home. 15 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being, such as, but not limited to, nutrition and a healthy Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 9 diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception, and the use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  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 about individual children in a non-

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Recommendations

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 Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home’s plan for their care. Each child’s talents and interests should be understood and nurtured, with children selecting activities based on their personal preferences and abilities, so far as is reasonable. Staff should also encourage children to try activities that are ‘new’ to them, where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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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: SC441865 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Shyne Together Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chancel House, East Street, Bingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG13 8DS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shaneaka Taylor-Pinnock

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Inspectors

Louise Copping, Social Care Inspector Rebecca Barker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC441865 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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