Children's Home run by MacIntyre Care in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 1 Registered provider: MacIntyre Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This home, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to 5 children between the ages of 11 and 18 years with learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children's home

Two children have moved in, and 3 children have moved out, since the last inspection. There were 3 children living at the home at the time of this inspection. One child was spoken with.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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 requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/03/2025 Full Inadequate 25/07/2023 Full Good 27/04/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, children have made some progress. They have built positive, trusting relationships with staff, enjoyed activities with staff and families and redecorated their rooms. This has all helped the children to feel valued and listened to. Incidents have reduced, and professionals and families have no safeguarding concerns. Some improvements have been made under leadership and management. However, some issues are yet to be addressed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively encouraged to contribute to decisions about their living environment, including how their bedrooms are designed and decorated, helping them to develop a sense of ownership, belonging and identity in the home. Staff recognise the importance of creating spaces that are meaningful to children and work with them to ensure that their bedrooms reflect their interests and preferences, contributing to a nurturing and child-centred environment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive, warm and nurturing interactions were observed between the children and staff, with lots of laughter and staff being responsive to the individual needs of the children. The children are very comfortable in the company of the staff team and have built trusting relationships with the staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use their knowledge of children's individual interests, strengths and preferences to plan activities that are meaningful and enjoyable and promote positive experiences. Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities both in and out of the home, including day trips, holidays and access to recreational equipment such as a trampoline, paddling pool, outdoor gym and basketball hoop. Staff also encourage and support children to develop age-appropriate independence skills, helping them to build confidence and prepare for the future.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education and encourage children to persevere with their education. When children have faced challenge or setbacks in education, staff proactively advocate for them. This helps children access education with support tailored to their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from professionals and parents is positive. One social worker said they were happy with the care provided to children, staff know the children very well and the children are happy living at the home. One parent said their child had made significant progress since living at the home. Another parent said, 'They [staff] are amazing, I can't fault them.' Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 4 Where safe and appropriate, the staff work hard to ensure that children maintain links with those who are important to them. All children have increased the time they spend with their families.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Repairs and refurbishment in the home have not always been completed in a timely manner. Damage resulting from incidents has sometimes remained unrepaired for extended periods, and there have been ongoing delays in addressing the general decor and presentation of the home. These shortfalls were also identified at the previous inspection.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs, vulnerabilities and risks. Their knowledge of each child enables them to respond sensitively and appropriately, helping children to feel safe and protected. Staff are assisted by detailed risk assessments and plans that guide their practice and ensure that children receive consistent, safe and effective care. Professionals speak highly of the safeguarding practice in the home.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers ensure that safe recruitment practices are followed. Staff are assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures help promote the safety of the children by reducing the potential of unsuitable adults working with them.

p.4

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

Staff are confident in their roles of reporting and escalating any child protection concerns. They understand the whistleblowing policy. However, leaders and managers failed to report an allegation to Ofsted and to the designated officer. This limits Ofsted's capacity to monitor safeguards at the home and the designated officer's oversight of safeguarding processes.

p.4

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

There have been no missing-from-home incidents. Physical interventions have been necessary and proportionate. However, leaders and managers do not always appropriately scrutinise these interventions. They do not speak to staff following the use of physical intervention. Similar management oversight shortfalls were identified at the last inspection.

p.4

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

Children know how to complain. However, when children have complained, leaders and managers have not ensured that children are informed of the outcomes of their complaints.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Some records relating to staff training and development were inaccurate and had not been updated despite showing more recent review dates. As a result, records do not consistently provide a reliable account of staff performance, development needs or the effectiveness of supervision and support. This limits leaders' and managers' ability to Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 5 effectively monitor practice, evaluate staff progress and identify areas requiring improvement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have undertaken a review of the location and premises of the home. However, this review has not been completed annually as required and has not included consultation with relevant external agencies. Consequently, the assessment does not fully consider potential risks and vulnerabilities within the local community.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently receive supervision at the frequency required. This reduces opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, discuss challenges, receive guidance and identify their development needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings and annual appraisals that provide opportunities to review their performance and contribute to their professional development. Team meetings support shared learning and discussion about the care provided to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff speak positively about their experience of working in the home and describe feeling valued and supported in their roles. They are enthusiastic, motivated and committed to providing high-quality care for children. Staff report that they receive effective support from managers, who are approachable and available to provide guidance when needed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from external professionals is positive. A social worker said communication is 'fantastic'. Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that allegations against staff are reported to Ofsted and the designated officer without delay. 24 August 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably.

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i)) 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 7 In particular, ensure that improvements to the decor and repairs to damage to the home are carried without delay.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are spoken to within 48 hours of the use of restraint. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 46, paragraph 9.36)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home's care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are informed of actions taken and outcomes after they have made complaints. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 22, paragraph 4.11)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home's location and strategies for managing these. When conducting the review, the registered person should consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 64, paragraph 15.1)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.2)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home's workforce plan is updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and is used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home's manager. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 8

p.7

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: 2510323 9

p.8

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Seebeck House, 1 Seebeck Place, Milton Keynes MK5 8FR

p.9

Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2510323 10 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.

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 .

p.10

Inspector

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