Children's home run by Applecast Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 1 Registered provider: Applecast Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides short-term emergency, respite and bridging placements to allow the local authority time to decide on the most appropriate long-term provision for children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The child had been living there for one week. The inspector spoke with the child during the inspection. Since the last inspection, 2 children have left the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2025 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 25/01/2023 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home receive a good standard of care from a stable and experienced staff team. Staff are committed to the children they care for and work through challenges with them. Children are supported to build positive, trusting relationships with staff. When children move on, staff support them to move back to family or to identified permanent placements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are excellent plans in place for children moving into and out of the home. The manager carefully considers the needs of each child alongside the skills and experience of the staff team. The manager speaks with people in the child’s network, shares information about the home and meets children before they move in. Staff arrange visits so that children can get to know staff before moving in. These steps help children build familiarity and reduce anxiety before moving in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s statutory care plans are not always obtained at the time of moving in. This means the manager and staff do not have the information they need to ensure that care aligns with the local authority plans.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with key healthcare professionals and staff support them to attend their appointments. However, medication reviews are not carried out routinely. When children display changes in their behaviour that may be linked to medication, reviews are not prioritised. As a result, children may not always receive the most appropriate treatment for their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff promote education. One child has been able to maintain 100% attendance at school. Children are encouraged to complete GCSE exams and actively plan for further education to support their ambitions and talents.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities, including cricket, football, fishing, singing and running. These opportunities help them develop hobbies based on their interests, use their energy positively, build confidence and develop social skills and friendships in the community.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff understand the importance of family for children and support them in building and maintaining family connections. Staff facilitate regular family time for children. Family members have said they feel fully supported by staff, and children are happy living in the home.

p.3

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

The staff team has remained consistent, with minimal change over the past year. Communication between staff is detailed which means boundaries in the home are consistent. The staff build positive, trusting relationships with children and children Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 4 identify staff as trusted adults who they can speak to if worried or concerned. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children do not make complaints about their care; however, they know how to do so.

p.3

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

The manager ensures that staff receive training that is specific to the identified needs of the children they care for. As a result, staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and how to best respond when they are in crisis. However, risk management plans do not always provide clear guidance for staff to follow in crisis situations. This does not ensure that all staff are consistent in their approach.

p.4

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

The manager and staff work with specialist agencies and professionals to ensure that children receive support with issues such as substance misuse, going missing from care, bereavement and family connections. Staff encourage children’s engagement with specialist services. As a result, children have access to the support that they need and are fully supported in line with their care plans.

p.4

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

Incidents in the home are managed well. Staff know the children well and use their support strategies to de-escalate situations effectively and help children return to their daily routines. Staff also have conversations with children after incidents to help them develop healthy coping mechanisms.

p.4

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

Staff are trained to carry out physical interventions. Interventions are rarely used and when they are, they are low-level guides used to prevent children from harming themselves or others. However, not all guides are recorded as physical interventions. This means they are not consistently reviewed or responded to in line with the home’s physical intervention procedures.

p.4

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

Follow-up conversations take place with staff and children after physical interventions. However, children are not always spoken to by someone who was not involved in the intervention. This means children do not always have an opportunity to raise any concerns with an independent person.

p.4

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

Consequences are used to help children understand and take responsibility for their actions. Staff speak with children about any consequences so that they are clear about the reasons for them and the expectations going forward. Staff also focus on positive reinforcement and recognition of positive behaviours. Staff recognise and reward children’s positive behaviours and achievements.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager are motivated and ambitious in their vision for the children. They have high expectations of the staff and are committed to improving outcomes for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. All reports and plans show clear evidence of management oversight. The deputy completes monthly audit reports, with clear actions for the month ahead. Checklists are also used weekly to oversee daily tasks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 5 However, key documents such as the statement of purpose and quality of care reviews are not always shared with the regulator. This prevents the regulator from having oversight.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment procedures. This means that staff are fully checked before they can provide care to children. New starters receive a clear and comprehensive induction programme, supported by experienced staff, to help them develop the skills and knowledge they need.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular good-quality supervision from the manager and deputy. Supervisions have a strong focus on outcomes for children and are reflective and supportive. Staff report feeling well supported in their roles. They enjoy working at the home and feel valued and respected.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive timely appraisals which focus on career development and celebrate their achievements. However, managers do not seek children’s views or the views of professionals who have worked with the staff over the year to support appraisals.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place every 6 weeks and are well attended by staff. These meetings are used to prepare staff for new referrals, reflect on practice and ensure that staff remain familiar with children’s risk management plans. Staff also plan for the month ahead. The manager uses case reviews to support staff to understand how children’s behaviours may be linked to past trauma and to promote a non ‑ judgemental, trauma ‑ informed approach.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have formed positive working relationships with the children’s networks. External professionals report that managers and staff communicate well, work collaboratively and remain child focused. This ensures that everyone is working together towards shared targets for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.6

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.6

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 8 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any physical guides used with children are recorded as physical interventions and responded to in accordance with the home’s physical intervention procedures. In addition, they must ensure that children are spoken to about any physical intervention by an individual who was not involved in the incident.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.7

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that routine medication reviews are completed, and that additional reviews are carried out when changes in a child’s behaviour may be linked to their medication. 8 April 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children(“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.7

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 8 April 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 8 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 8

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan and risk management plan, agreed with the placing authority, must set out the day ‑ to ‑ day steps staff will take to manage any identified risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should challenge any placing authority that asks them to accept a child without a complete and current plan. A placement should not proceed without the essential information needed to support safe and effective care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)  The registered person should ensure that annual staff appraisals consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of children in the home and of professionals who

p.8

Recommendations

have worked with the staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

p.8

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: 2632727 9

p.8

Inspector

Renée Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2632727 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10