Children's Home run by Unique Care Homes Support Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC481015 1 SC481015 Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support 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 operated. It provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection, and two of them were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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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 outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: SC481015 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2024 Full Good 03/01/2024 Full Good 26/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 22/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC481015 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and filled with memories for the children living there. Children's bedrooms are personalised to their individual tastes and needs. There is a large outdoor space as well as various communal areas for children to access. One includes a music room that supports children’s creativity to play and make their own music.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress because the staff invest their time in building positive relationships with them. These relationships continue when children move on from the home. One child said, ‘The home is a phenomenal place to live.' Furthermore, the positive relationships in the home are recognised externally, with one professional commenting that children have ‘sibling like’ relationships and staff are like ‘extended family’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to explore and express their individuality. Staff support children to attend events that celebrate equality and diversity and staff celebrate culture in the home. One child uses music to express their feelings and process their experiences. Children’s achievements are displayed throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to enjoy new experiences such as sports and going to the cinema. Staff have taken children on holiday abroad to locations chosen by the children. Special events are celebrated in the home including birthdays and religious events. Equally, children are also encouraged by staff to participate in extra-curricular activities, including exercise and by attending community groups. This enhances children’s life experiences and builds their confidence and social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and managers have embedded a child-centred approach in the home and actively seek children’s thoughts, wishes and feelings. This includes weekly children’s meetings, where children are encouraged to share their views in an open and honest forum. Children are supported to take a lead in their own meetings and discuss relevant topics of interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are also making progress in education including significant improvements in attendance. When children are unable to attend their education setting, staff support children through alternative approaches. This includes home tutoring and accessing alternative ways of learning.

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

All children have individualised care plans which provide clear guidance for staff. Equally, risk assessments provide detailed guidance and are reviewed regularly. Staff work closely with partner agencies, where there are specific concerns around risks affecting children. This includes specialist work around substance misuse and weapons. This is Inspection report for children’s home: SC481015 4 complimented by discussions with staff at the home to help children to understand associated risks. Furthermore, room searches are completed when concerns arise, to help increase the safety of children in the home.

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

When children become distressed, staff provide support to de-escalate behaviours. This includes using a variety of strategies to support each child to manage big feelings. On occasions, children need to be held by staff to prevent harm. The manager has oversight of these incidents to ensure holds are both appropriate and proportionate.

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

Complaints and allegations are taken seriously by staff and managers and are quickly acted upon. An investigation takes place and the relevant partner agencies are involved and kept informed. Learning and reflection on practice is a focus and when necessary, adjustments are implemented.

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

Some children are vulnerable to self-injurious behaviour. When this occurs, incidents are well managed, and staff follow individualised care plans. Medical attention is sought when necessary, and staff provide support and reassurance to children. Staff are supported by managers to reflect on incidents and consider ways reoccurrence can be avoided. This helps staff to keep children at the centre of their practice and provide safer care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understand of the children and their individual needs. They are enthusiastic about their role and strive to provide exceptional care to children. The manager has high ambitions for children and is a strong advocate on their behalf, particularly around matters that are important to children such as seeing family members and loved ones.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a strong presence in the home and leads a positive culture where staff are committed to the children. The manager is motivated to upskill staff through developing their knowledge and experience. This is supported by regular supervision sessions, which have a clear focus on reflection and learning. The manager is guided by research informed practice, which is threaded into the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A range of monitoring tools, used well, help the manager to keep on top of practice. The manager is diligent in their oversight of the home. They consider patterns and trends in children's behaviour and are reflective. As a result, the ever-changing needs of children are thoroughly considered and well met. This helps the manager and staff to maintain good standards of care and continually improve for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a clear development plan in place. They recently introduced an improved interview and induction process for new staff. This helps to ensure that the right staff are recruited to the home and well prepared, through induction to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481015 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: SC481015 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Barbara Velasco Valdes

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Inspectors

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector (lead) Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC481015 7 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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