Children's home run by Gracebridge Care

Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 1 Registered provider: Gracebridge Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It can provide care for up to four children who have experienced childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably experienced manager is in post and is completing a relevant level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. All of the children spoke with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Good 02/10/2023 Full Good 27/02/2023 Full Good 14/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 3

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outstanding

Children make strong progress due to receiving individualised care filled with love, warmth, nurture, patience and empathy. Living in a family orientated environment helps children to thrive. For example, when they return from school, children are met with a cuddle and the smell of a freshly prepared family dinner ready for them to enjoy.

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outstanding

Two children have lived at the home for over two years and the third child for over a year. Children are cared for by a consistent, experienced and skilled team of staff who have provided stability and who are committed to helping them achieve their very best. As a result, the children have strong relationships with each other and staff, and they are excelling from their starting points.

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outstanding

All of the children are doing exceptionally well with their education. For example, one child, who previously had numerous school detentions and exclusions, has moved up two academic levels and now has strong attendance levels. Another child has achieved 100% attendance from a starting point of 56% and, as a result, is now meeting all of his learning targets. Children’s teachers are overwhelmingly positive about children’s attendance and academic achievements and how the unwavering support, encouragement and care they receive from staff has helped them, including when there have been challenges in school. Children continually meet their targets and have clear aspirations for their futures.

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outstanding

The emotional and physical health of children has improved because of the support of staff, who draw on developmental theory to help them understand each child and the support they need. For example, the sensitive support of staff has helped one child remedy a health issue that was impacting on their daily living. As a result, the child has grown in confidence and self-esteem, and this has helped him form friendships in and outside of school. Strong advocacy by the registered manager and staff contributed to one child receiving a medical diagnosis and support that has improved his emotional wellbeing and helped him to make significant measurable progress with his learning.

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outstanding

Children grow in understanding, skill and confidence through participation in an array of activities that meet their individual needs and reflect their creative and physical skills and their social interests. For example, due to consistent and stable care, two children play for football clubs and have won awards for their skill and contribution to their team. Another child enjoys regular sessions at a music studio, where he writes and produces his own music. All of the children have enjoyed holidays abroad and, more locally, at the seaside, and home activities such as cooking and baking. Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 4 Children’s voices are a priority. Children are central in decision-making about how they want to be supported by staff. Being fully involved in their care and having their views taken seriously helps them to feel valued, to engage and to want to continue to make progress. For example, the children are routinely involved in developing

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outstanding

their plans and setting out what support they need from staff and what would help them to engage with this support.

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outstanding

Children have been helped to rebuild significant relationships and to start spending time with family and friends independently despite previous constraints. This is helping them to build a positive support system with the aim of preventing social isolation when they move on from the home.

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outstanding

Children feel accepted and have a positive sense of belonging. Staff ensure that diversity is celebrated and that children have what they need both practically and emotionally to fully embrace their heritage and identity.

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outstanding

The home environment is beautiful and is a comfortable home for children. The children were proud to show the inspector around their home and to showcase the effort that they have put into personalising their own bedrooms and really making these spaces their own.

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

The registered manager and staff know the children exceptionally well. Children enjoy positive, nurturing relationships with staff and feel comfortable in confiding in them when they have worries. Staff follow safeguarding processes and work in collaboration with other professionals to formulate safety plans as needed to keep the children safe and reduce risk.

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

Professional curiosity is at the forefront of staff practice. Regular reflective practice helps staff to spot, and take time to understand, any trends and patterns in children’s behaviour and what needs to happen next. When safeguarding incidents arise, the circumstances are reviewed in a timely and thorough way to ensure learning, information-sharing and to request support from partner agencies, as necessary.

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

Children are helped by staff to understand risk and how they can keep themselves safer. Good-quality one-to-one work with children helps them to understand the ways in which they might come to harm and how to keep safe. Consequently, children’s risk-taking behaviours have significantly reduced.

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

The use of physical restraint is rare and used only as a last resort to keep the child safe. When a child has been held, they are given the opportunity to discuss why restraint was used and if they want to raise any concerns. This helps to ensure that children have a voice, that relationships can be repaired and that adjustments can be made to their care as needed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 5 The registered manager’s safer recruitment processes are clear and reduce the likelihood of children being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An exceptional leader leads the home. She is ambitious and relentless in advocating for the children. This has helped the children to make consistent and exceptional progress. She has genuine care for the children and drives the team to provide the best support that they can. She actively demonstrates a positive parenting model of care through her own work. Her role modelling has a positive influence on the practice of the team, and this has supported the children to be settled and make meaningful progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is invested in the staff team and sees the benefit of their continuous professional development for children. Consequently, staff have access to a range of training to help them in their roles. A professional development programme is also available for those who want to progress to different roles within the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Child-centred, reflective practice is at the core of professional supervision and team meetings. Research-based practice is used to help staff understand lived trauma, the impact of this on children’s daily lives and appropriate responses to support their ongoing growth. The staff feel valued by the registered manager, and in turn, they invest in the children. Staff retention at the home is excellent, which means children receive consistent care and have deep, meaningful, positive relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has extremely good monitoring systems. She is aware of the service’s areas of strength and areas of development. External professionals say that communication is excellent, that they are kept updated about the children’s progress and there is strong working together to ensure the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been raised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 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: 2556128 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gracebridge Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rear of Arden Lodge 946 Warwick Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 6QG

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, Ofsted Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2556128 8 regulates and inspects 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 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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Inspector

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