About us

Inspire's teams provide services to children and young people aged between 3 and 18 years old with:

• Learning disabilities
• Profound and multiple disabilities
• Complex health needs
• Physical disabilities
• Autistic spectrum disorder
• Attachment difficulties
• Life-limiting conditions

Our skilled teams offer the following tailored packages of care for individuals:

• Outreach from 1 – 10 hours a day
• Short breaks within one of our registered services – some of which are purpose-built
• Domiciliary care within the young person’s own home
• Residential care options, which include long-term placements, short-term and assessment placements, shared care and transition to independent living

Our care is a minimum of one-to-one, ensuring continuous support in the development of every young person. This is achieved through:

• Ensuring that the emotional needs and wishes of every child are at the centre of our care planning
• Providing an active approach to learning and living; children are supported and encouraged to participate in various social and leisure activities
• Understanding and addressing individual needs in terms of age, gender, race, sexuality and disability, and meeting specific cultural and religious needs
• Providing the opportunity for every young person to experience stability, a sense of belonging and the ability to explore and celebrate their own identity
• Supporting the development and improvement of daily living skills
• Balancing the needs of the individuals and developing their social skills and independence for them to be positively involved in the local community

It is crucial that every child has the skills they need to move on positively into adulthood. We work with young people to create a person-centred plan that ensures a successful transition from Inspire, continually looking forward in terms of their placement. We focus on what they can achieve next, developing independent living skills and helping them build a positive future.

Inspire's priorities are clear: that children and young people are kept safe; that their individual needs are met; and that they are healthy and enjoy their childhood.

We ensure that all of our children receive care and support that enables them to learn, grow and ultimately achieve their potential, whilst promoting and maintaining family-style living and giving them the best possible chances in life.

Inspire has developed strong links with a number of Local Authorities. In recognition of this, we have achieved positive ratings within a variety of framework contracts across the country. Our most recent success has been the award of a contract to provide a Local Authority with a purpose-built short breaks facility.

At Inspire, we go above and beyond the requirement for quality measuring, as well as the necessary checks (regulations 33 and 34, annual reports). We have annual stakeholder feedback days, young person's quality visits, parent’s and councillors audits and internal provider checks, where managers audit one another.

Being part of a wider group enables us to hold forums to share best practice whilst acknowledging specific skills within the business and drawing upon internal expertise.

We have a company quality assurance team that audits twice yearly, checking the standard of care and delivery, and ensuring that a corporate standard is maintained across the services.

Within the group we have a training division that offers accredited and specialist sessional courses.

1. Regulation 33 Visits
   The company will arrange for all of its homes to receive monthly visits. These visits are an ongoing process that identifies where you are at any given point in time and provides a potential basis in moving forward. The visits should usually be unannounced but can be announced if it is necessary to arrange to meet a particular person. Visits may be undertaken at weekends or early evenings and emphasis will be placed upon content in addition to the monitoring of paperwork.
2. Regulation 34 Reviews
   The Registered Manager must monitor the performance of the home against its statement of purpose and the detailed areas as decried in schedule 6 of the Children's Homes Regulations. The Registered Manager must use this information to identify any trends/patterns requiring action. The monitoring of the home must be completed on a monthly basis.
3. Annual Review of Quality of Care/Development Plan
   The Registered Manager must complete an Annual Review / Development Plan of the home performance. The report must include a summary of information gathered over the last 12 months via the Regulation 33 and Regulation 34 monitoring. From this information a clear action plan is produced highlighting specific areas of the home that will be improved over the next 12 months.

The report must also include the views of the child/young people, parents/Local Authorities and staff. The report must be presented in an appropriate format and made available when requested by, the child/young people, any parent, the placing Authority, staff or The Inspectorate.

We are a team of dedicated professionals from a range of different backgrounds who have come together to create 'Inspire Children's Services'.

Inspire's team works closely with children and young people, their families and significant others to create unique, person-centred support packages for individuals with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and complex health needs.

We pride ourselves on offering an integrated approach that is focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for young people, working closely with colleagues from health and education backgrounds to achieve this objective.

Our homes provide a comfortable and welcoming environment where, with the right care and dedicated support, every child can achieve and progress towards their full potential. Inspire's approach to planning and caring is as unique as the young people we work with. We explore every issue affecting a child, providing a nurturing, positive setting, with their interests, wellbeing and future at the heart of everything we do.

Mark O'Donnell

Service Director

As Inspire's Service Director, Mark O'Donnell is responsible for the overall operational running of the services within the group. He is also the company's Responsible Individual.

“Having worked in the care sector for 20 years, I joined Inspire in 2011. Creating and managing a service that enables children and young people to live fulfilling and happy lives is tremendously rewarding."

“My priorities are clear: ensuring that children and young people are kept safe; that their individual needs are met; and that they are healthy and enjoy their childhood."

“Along with the Inspire team, I ensure that all of our children receive the care and support that enables them to learn, grow and ultimately achieve their potential, whilst promoting and maintaining family-style living and giving them the best possible chances in life."

“We positively encourage families to continue engaging in their child's upbringing, building positive relationships with all people involved in placing children with us and working together towards the main aim of building a happy future. I am continually impressed by the commitment Inspire staff demonstrate to the young people in their care and their relationships with the rest of the team – a positive balance of professional care and genuine nurturing interest in the life of each and every child."

“I firmly believe our success is measured by the happiness of the children and young people in our care.”

Amira

“I have worked with children and young people with learning disabilities for the last 10 years in a range of different settings, including outdoor activities, short break facilities and schools. I have been part of the CareTech group since 2009 when I became a Registered Manager."

“I now manage The Oaks in Huddersfield; our service was considered 'Outstanding', as are my team and the young people we care for."

“I am a naturally caring person; I love managing a team and lead from the ground – I always seem to be the first to be nominated to climb walls or get wet on the lake when we're out on the boat!"

“Being positive is key to my role. Being able to measure and acknowledge what some may see as the smallest achievement is the most rewarding aspect of my work. I enjoy the challenge of working with young people who don't necessarily know the appropriate ways of expressing feelings, wishes and desires. Day-to-day, I provide a consistent approach for our young people and ensure that routines, structure and boundaries can be set and maintained in their best interests to achieve the best possible outcomes. I like to call it 'small steps to a big future'.”

Cherise

Key Worker

“I joined Inspire in 2010 as a care worker and absolutely love my job and the young people I work with. I am driven by the achievements of our young people; they are all so unique, so no two days are ever the same.

“One of my main attributes is my ability to communicate effectively with young people, some of whom have very little or no verbal communication skills. Assisting them in finding alternative ways of expression is both rewarding and insightful.

“In the home, we work as a close team; we know each other's strengths and weaknesses, thus providing a safe and secure environment for any young person. We are also able to bring our hobbies into the service. If someone has a keen interest in baking, those skills are drawn upon. In addition, a member of staff enjoys rock climbing and as such, one of our young people has also now developed an interest in this.

“We provide a very homely, friendly environment and the success and achievements of our young people is evidence of this.

“Two years on, I am now a Key Worker for one young person. Inspire has provided me with the opportunity to develop my existing skills through training and practical experience, whilst teaching me new skills along the way.”