Children's home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 1 SC437825 Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with all the children during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024. They were present for both days of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Outstanding 24/10/2023 Full Outstanding 14/06/2022 Full Good 09/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff embrace the therapeutic model used in the home, and it is embedded in all aspects of care children receive. Staff ensure that key-work sessions take place regularly, and staff recordings are child friendly and non-judgemental, and they help identify factors affecting the child’s needs and emotions. Words and pictures are used regularly and to good effect to help children understand complex topics. This means that children experience care that is consistently nurturing, helping them feel understood and supported even when incidents occur.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff continue to offer care and support to children even after they have moved on from the home. For example, they visit one young person, who is now an adult, monthly, taking groceries and providing practical assistance, including help with managing benefit payments. This young adult said, ‘I have lots of love and respect for the manager and all the staff; they are just like family to me.’ This demonstrates the staff’s commitment to supporting young people even after they have left the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and out of the home are planned and well thought out by the manager and staff. They take time to understand children’s individual preferences, including their likes and dislikes, and use this information to plan thoughtful welcomes, such as preparing personalised gifts for their arrival. Child-friendly summaries that capture significant moments, such as in a newsletter format, are employed to assist children in reflecting on and making sense of their time at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The work that has been done on the home has been carried out with the children’s wellbeing in mind, resulting in a warm and homely environment. The children’s individual personalities are clearly reflected throughout the home, making it feel personal and welcoming. This means that children live in an environment where they feel comfortable, valued and able to express their individuality, which supports their sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing.

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

Staff have a clear and shared understanding of risks and how to manage them, and children are actively involved in planning for their safety, which helps to promote safer care. Risk assessments are reviewed and updated following incidents or when new information becomes known. These provide staff with clear guidance about identified risks and the actions required to keep children safe. Where appropriate, photos of people of concern are included so that staff can identify them if seen with children. Risk assessments are detailed and clearly linked to the associated documents. Where appropriate, safety plans are written with children, ensuring that their views are included about how staff can keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 4 Missing-from-home episodes have reduced significantly. During the period when children were going missing, staff and managers reflected carefully on their practice and adapted

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

their responses, identifying what was most effective for each child. This helped children return home safely and strengthened staff’s understanding of their locations, peer groups and emerging risks, enabling more robust safeguarding responses. The manager has appropriately challenged partner agencies when return home interviews have not been carried out, and staff have carried out welfare checks when children have been absent for extended periods.

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

Staff carry out direct work with children in relation to substance misuse, alcohol and smoking. A range of resources are used to support this work, and staff access additional training to strengthen their understanding of these issues. Where appropriate, children are referred to external agencies for further support. Staff are clear in their expectations, and children are supported in making safer choices.

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

Complaints and allegations processes are well established. Children are actively encouraged to raise complaints, and staff ensure that all allegations are responded to promptly, with appropriate investigations and a clear record kept of all actions and outcomes. Children are kept informed of progress and outcomes throughout the process, which helps them feel able to raise concerns and be confident that their views will be heard and acted on.

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

Staff recognise that firmer parenting boundaries can support positive outcomes for children, and they have seen this approach used effectively in other situations. However, this practice is not applied consistently, including when supporting children who are reluctant to attend school. Despite this inconsistency, children have made overall progress, with improvements in school attendance since moving into the home. Staff continue to work proactively to overcome barriers to education and promote positive engagement in learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child focused and demonstrates a reflective approach to her role. She is tenacious in both supporting and constructively challenging staff, maintaining a strong commitment to continually developing practice in the home. Supervision sessions take place regularly and include reflective discussions, enabling staff to explore what has worked well and identify areas for improvement. Staff morale is high as a result, and staff say they feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers actively advocate for children and seek independent advocacy wherever possible. Social workers, a teacher and an assistant psychologist have all spoken positively about how well staff communicate and develop relationships with people in the children’s networks. As a result, professionals can work collaboratively with the home, which supports timely decision-making and helps improve outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 5 The manager proactively sources child-specific training, shows curiosity about children’s behaviours, and uses research and professional consultation to inform care. They remain committed to supporting staff development and respond constructively to feedback, such as adjusting the frequency of training when staff found the volume challenging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. They focus on staff development through exploring a range of topics and by giving team members the opportunity to prepare and deliver presentations. Staff are encouraged to contribute to the agenda and can nominate a ‘rising star’ to recognise good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently implemented a learning circle model, which is used to further consolidate practice. This model supports staff in reflective learning, but the fuller impact of this is as yet untested. Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 6

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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: SC437825 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 131a London Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5DP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Toni Bartholomew-Smith

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Inspector

Terrianne George, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC437825 8 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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