Children's Home run by White Orchid Care Limited in Milton Keynes

Inspection report children's home: SC465588 1 SC465588 Registered provider: White Orchid Care Limited

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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 4 children up to the age of 14 who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection there were 4 children living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and operated by a small private organisation.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2017 and is suitably qualified.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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: 11 February 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC465588 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2025 Full Outstanding 13/12/2023 Full Outstanding 21/02/2023 Full Good 07/02/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report children's home: SC465588 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Therapeutically informed staff ensure that children receive highly individualised care that promotes an increased sense of stability and belonging for them. As a result, children make substantial progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff demonstrate an exceptional commitment to creating the right environment for children. For one child, a staff member turned part of their bedroom into a circus, helping to create a safe place for them to express themselves. This action has been a fundamental part of the progress that this child has made since moving into the home. Although it has provided opportunities for fun, it is also helped this child better connect with their own place in the world and lessen their tendency to take on the personas of preferred television and story characters.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from an excellent range of positive experiences and staff work hard to create positive memories for them. This helps children to explore their interests and benefit from new opportunities. For example, trips to see animals at a local farm, visits to the home by Santa and an animal roadshow visit to the home. For one child, their day-to-day activities and engagement in positive social enrichment opportunities has a direct positive impact on the management of their neurodevelopmental needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

For another child, staff have been highly attuned to their experiences before moving to the home, which were characterised by frequent and repeated moves within foster care. The support of the staff has helped this child to settle and stop this pattern, with their social worker saying, 'This is the most stable home they have been in since leaving their parents' home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children engage well in education. One child was awarded student of the year in a particular subject. For two other children, feedback from their respective schools is extremely positive. One headteacher stated, 'Whenever we have needed to change our approach, we have been able to work as a team with the home so we can best support the child's individual needs.’ Another school leader said, 'Staff present as consistent, caring and genuinely invested in each child, they are always happy to return home. They take time to listen, understand children's experiences and respond with patience and empathy. As a result, children feel safe, valued and confident to share their thoughts and feelings.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child has benefited from specialist occupational therapy, commissioned through the wider organisation. This has been particularly important in supporting this child's engagement at school. The therapist has carried out work with the school to help them develop strategies to best meet the child's needs. This promotes important consistency between home and school for children. This therapist has worked alongside staff for several years. Inspection report children's home: SC465588 4 There is a strong focus on supporting children to express their wishes and feelings. Three children have benefited from external advocacy when this has been required. This has been important in supporting children to have independent perspectives relating to their expressed wishes and feelings, helping them to feel listened to and heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The physical environment provides a homely place for children. Staff respond to children's individual requests and their bedrooms reflect their personalities. Children's bedrooms have frequently been changed in accordance with their requests and changing interests. There is a high level of understanding about the importance of children's bedrooms being their place of safety and a fundamental aspect of their self-regulation.

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

Children feel safe and can identify several preferred staff in the home.

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

Staff are highly attuned to children. In one example, staff demonstrated exceptional practice by adopting the characterisation of them by one child, who classified each staff member as different Disney and children's television characters. This helped the child to make important initial connections with staff. Although staff embraced these roles, very quickly they adapted to 'humanise' themselves and the child, enabling increase transparency between this child's perceptions of 'fantasy' and 'reality'. As a result of this work, the child has increased their sense of safety towards 'human adults'.

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

Staff work very well with a wide range of professionals to ensure that children receive the help they need. One social care professional stated, 'I feel confident that whatever challenges the child is faced with, they are supported to work through these. Even when situations have a possibility of destabilising the child, staff are always clear that they will manage and support them, I never feel worried about this, they scaffold them well.’

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

Staff work hard to help develop their understanding of children, and benefit from external therapeutic consultation, through an occupational therapist and psychotherapist. Children can access this specialist help in accordance with their individual plans. Over time this support has helped staff to think about how they can better manage children's support needs.

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

Children benefit from strong and stable routines, promoting consistency and predictability for them. Staff use positive reward systems to help children work towards smaller targets and goals, and these micro-achievements promote a positive sense of self-efficacy in children. This enables children to understand the relationship between hard work, persistence and goal setting.

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

There is a comprehensive planning process involved in identifying areas that children may need extra support in. The lead staff member for managing this, ensures that staff carry out planned individualised conversations with children. This is in addition to the thematic conversations which provide broader topics to help children learn and enhance their wellbeing. Inspection report children's home: SC465588 5 When things don't go to plan, there is a strong emphasis on restorative approaches and staff help children to think about how they can manage their feelings more appropriately. Some children have not yet reached an age of maturity or emotional development where they can consistently self-regulate. In response, staff act as consistent role models for them and provide advice for them to take on board and learn from.

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

There is a new risk assessment form being developed. This is designed to streamline recording of information to provide a clearer understanding of children's support needs and how staff can help them. The format is more child friendly and will help children to have a better understanding of their time in the home, should they read their files in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager demonstrates an excellent understanding of the day to day running of the home. They have high standards of expectation for staff and can demonstrate how staff have a positive impact on children's lives. The manager and staff are strong advocates for children. Together they have a good sense of children's individual plans and what is required to help them make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are universal in their praise of the registered manager. One staff member stated, 'The manager is kind, caring, dedicated and goes above and beyond for everyone.’ Another staff member described the manager as, Amazing, supportive, approachable and always encouraging us to do our best for children, they create a positive atmosphere where staff feel valued and motivated.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable, turnover is low, morale in the team is high. Many of the staff team have worked together for several years and this has helped to promote a share sense of togetherness across the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular support and reflective supervision from a psychotherapist. This supports staff to reflect on their practice and considering their own learning and development. The therapist praises the willingness of staff to engage in therapeutic ideas and participate in reflective conversations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager identified two new training providers to provide opportunities for staff to learn more about children's neurodevelopmental needs, and contextual safeguarding linked to children's vulnerability to criminal enterprises. The existing training package is well received by staff, and the manager maintains positive oversight of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When the manager has had planned absences from the home, leaders have not always ensured that management cover, monitoring oversight, management of records and staff responses to safeguarding situations are of the usual high standard. This compromised the managers ability to share relevant information with other professionals and a delay in a safeguarding notification being submitted to Ofsted. In another example, a notification was lacking information when it was submitted in the absence of the manager. Inspection report children's home: SC465588 6

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are effective arrangements in place for when the registered manager is absent from the home. 30 April 2026

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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: SC465588 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: White Orchid Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 1 Chiltern Business Centre, 63-65 Woodside Road, Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 6AA

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Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC465588 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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