Children's home run by Positive Independence Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2831056 1 Registered provider: Positive Independence Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of inspection. They were spoken with and had their views considered.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was present throughout this inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection : not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2831056 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s home is newly registered. Adults in the home have, in a short period of time, created a positive environment for children to live in. The home feels like a family home, and children like living there. They use communal spaces such as gaming areas that reflect their hobbies and interests. Children’s bedrooms have been personalised, and children said they like their rooms. One child was in the middle of redecorating their room with help from adults during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults support children to see their families regularly and where this aligns with their plans. Children’s families and previous carers have been supported to continue to be part of children’s lives. Families are encouraged to visit and to be part of important celebrations, such as Christmas. This has helped one child to feel secure, because adults recognise how important family is to them. One parent said, ‘This is the best place my child could live, the relationship with them is amazing and we are like friends and made to feel welcome.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive moves into the home, and these are well planned and consider children’s needs carefully. Where children have moved to the home as an emergency admission, this does not impact on the care and attention from adults to reduce children’s anxieties. Professionals spoken with said that it was the most positive welcome they had ever experienced for a child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are currently experiencing barriers to attending education because providers feel they cannot meet their needs. Adults challenge decisions alongside positive and collaborative working with other professionals. Adults ensure children are advocated for in relation to accessing the right learning environments because they want them to have positive experiences in education. Where children do not access school, adults support home education through professional tutoring and informal learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults support and encourage children to share their views and feelings in ways that are natural and do not feel institutionalised. Adults prefer to capture children’s views informally rather than in ways that illustrate that they live in a care setting. Children feel listened to, and when they are upset about things they know they can share them. Children know adults will always consider their requests. Meaningful discussions with children about important topics are regular and well planned. They are effective because adults prioritise having positive relationships with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the language used by adults is not child centred or natural and does reflect a need for more consideration of children’s needs. This is not a significant issue and was acknowledged during the inspection as an area for improvement to align with the ethos of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2831056 3

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

Children have detailed and effective safety plans in place. The plans accurately reflect known risks as well as triggers to children accessing those risks. Adults know children’s plans and know the expected actions to support children in reducing the risk of harm. Children’s plans consider their experiences and past trauma. Plans help adults to have a deeper understanding of the reasons children seek out or initiate dangerous situations.

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

There is an effective approach to supporting children to regulate their emotions and process feelings. Children have extremely detailed behaviour support plans in place. The plan for a child who had only lived in the home for a short period of time was particularly in depth. Clear guidance for staff to follow means that the child is in receipt of consistent care from adults. Boundaries are combined with an affectionate and playful approach that the child can understand. Progress in relation to the child’s behaviour has been significant over a short period of time.

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

There has been a large reduction in incidents of one child going missing from the home. The response when the child has gone missing has been effective. Children have clear protocols in place to support effective safeguarding practice. Adults go above and beyond to locate children and work collaboratively with other professionals, such as the police. The response of adults shows children how much they care and how they want them to be safe. An additional strength is that children are included in their own safety plans. They have input, and are taking ownership of how they can communicate with adults when they feel they may need support.

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

There have been allegations made by one child about adults in the home. The response to this has been thorough. The manager has ensured that expected processes have been followed, and they have worked with safeguarding professionals to ensure that children and staff are supported. Plans to keep children safe are regularly updated, alongside exploration from the manager as to why children make allegations. The reason behind the behaviour is better understood as a result.

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

Adults have ensured they understand why children self-harm. Events and triggers are clearly identified in children’s plans so that staff can be prepared should children start to show signs of concern. The strong relationships that have been built with children mean that they confide in adults when they have struggled to manage and process their emotions. Children seek adults out after they have self-harmed for support and for welcome guidance and care. Specialist services are regularly consulted to support with children’s mental health and wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s manager is newly registered with Ofsted. They are highly committed and dedicated to children making progress. The manager is equally committed to the development of the staff team. The manager is highly thought of by adults in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2831056 4 Adults feel the manager offers consistent support and guidance, especially in more challenging periods of supporting children and navigating incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes a learning culture in the home. There is an effective balance of more-experienced adults working alongside some who are new to children’s residential care. This is helping to maintain and improve standards of care. Adults with experience are sharing valuable skills with the wider team. Planned development sessions are organised as a response when the manager identifies shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective one-to-one time with senior staff. Their wellbeing is a priority, and their development needs are reviewed and appraised. The manager knows the areas for improvement within the team. They are proactive in identifying training needs for the adults. In addition to required training, the manager sources more bespoke training that aligns with children’s specific needs and experiences. By doing this, the manager has ensured that adults are equipped to support children with problems they may face rather than acting retrospectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager feels well supported by senior leaders in the organisation. They can access effective support as they develop themselves in the role. The manager also benefits from a strong peer group of experienced managers in the company from sister homes. Good communication and outreach support mean the manager does not feel isolated when situations have been challenging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals all speak highly of the manager and staff. They say that communication and partnership working are strengths of the home. Those spoken with felt that adults in the home are helping children to make progress and reduce risk. One professional spoken with said, ‘The manager has been an amazing advocate for both children and that is something really special.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of all aspects of children’s care; they know the children well. Effective systems for quality assurance, reflection and review have ensured that practice is improving alongside children becoming increasingly more safe and secure in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2831056 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way, avoiding institutionalised language as well as considering their own use of language day to day. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2831056 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Independence Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northgate Business Centre, 38 North Gate, Newark NG24 1EZ

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Inspector

Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2831056 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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