Children's home run by The Little Flower

Inspection report children's home: SC462631 1 SC462631 Registered provider:

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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 provides care for up to three children with physical or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The home and the manager have been registered with Ofsted since March 2013.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, two children and one young person aged 21 were living at the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC462631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2025 Full Good 05/03/2024 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC462631 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children extremely well and have developed warm, affectionate and stable relationships with them over time. Although the children do not communicate their needs verbally, they express themselves through sounds, gestures and subtle changes in their behaviour. Staff understand these individual cues and are highly attuned to the children, quickly recognising when they are not feeling themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff plan activities that reflect the children’s interests, abilities and developmental needs. They adapt activities to ensure that every child can participate. As a result, children have day-to-day experiences that are fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate children’s birthdays and achievements in a meaningful and inclusive way, they invite family members and social workers to join in the celebrations creating opportunities for shared experiences and positive memories. Children exchange gifts, wear party clothes, enjoy cake and take part in activities to mark the occasion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school or college regularly. Staff promote the importance of education and support children to engage positively with their learning. As a result, children consistently have good attendance, and this is further helped by routines that support structure and provide stability so that they are ready to learn.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is important to all children. Staff have good relationships with all the children’s families. Family time is positive and staff ensure that the home is comfortable for families to enjoy this time. Families comment on the positive care their child receives. They are reassured that their children are loved and cherished by the staff team.

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

Detailed care plans clearly reflect each child’s individual and complex needs, enabling staff to provide well ‑ informed and responsive care. These plans are used to develop risk assessments, which helps to ensure consistency in practice. Staff have a strong understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and strengths, which supports them to manage risks effectively and sensitively.

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

Staff know the children well and understand their individual needs. As a result, children do not experience incidents in the home. Staffing ratios support this. Staff notice when children become unsettled and respond quickly, using different strategies to help them feel calm.

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

Staff use restrictive practices only when necessary to keep children safe. These measures are clearly identified in the children’s plans and are supported by risk assessments and where necessary by health professionals. Inspection report children's home: SC462631 4 Medication is managed in line with children’s health plans. Staff are suitably trained to meet the children’s needs. When children require specific or specialist care additional training is provided to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge.

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

Staff understand that the children have complex health needs, and they take additional precautions to promote their safety and wellbeing. This includes the use of body maps and regular temperature monitoring. These systems help staff to identify, record and respond promptly to any changes in a child’s health or presentation. They also support staff to check that specialist equipment fits appropriately and to take swift action if any concerns arise.

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

The home is warm welcoming and has a strong sense of family life, although some children require medical equipment this does not dominate the environment. Instead, the home is personalised with toys, books, photographs of the children, staff and families and the children’s artwork. As a result, this helps create a nurturing and child centred space.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Families speak highly of the registered manager and say they feel reassured by her genuine care and commitment to their children. Staff actively involve parents in all aspects of their children’s care and they are kept well informed. The manager promotes an open and inclusive culture welcoming families into the home and supporting children to maintain relationships with extended family whenever this is appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints and concerns are taken seriously. The manager responds to issues and takes actions to resolve them. While the manager is passionate in her responses, concerns are listened to and considered carefully. Feedback is used to improve the home. For example, recordings of children activities and daily experiences have improved. This now gives professionals a clearer understanding of what children experiences are.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has recently recruited new staff to strengthen and stabilise the team. Although agency staff are used, they are consistent and know the children well, which helps to provide continuity of care. All staff spoken to including agency staff said they enjoy their roles and they feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from their line manager, providing valuable opportunities to reflect on their practice and to discuss the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager recognises that children’s outcomes must remain central to all aspects of practice. For one young adult, transitional plans are already in place. These plans include provision that mirrors the environment and support offered in their current home, ensuring continuity of care and meeting their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations were raised that this inspection. Inspection report children's home: SC462631 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 children's home: SC462631 6

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Cheridah Caesar-Mejias

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Children's home details

Registered manager: Cheridah Caesar-Mejias

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC462631 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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