Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stockport

Unique reference number SC008607 Inspection date 17/07/2012 Inspector Angela Whiteley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 08/03/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

The home provides care and accommodation for up to two young people on a medium- to long-term basis in preparation for future placements with foster carers, rehabilitation home with family or independent living.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive a good quality of care and say this is a good home to live in. New young people admitted in emergencies settle well and feel fully informed about the home. However, initial review meetings for emergency admissions are not taking place within the required time. Effective policies and procedures underpin the knowledge and practice of staff in ensuring that young people feel safe and protected from harm. Staff take appropriate action to implement safeguarding measures when required, for instance when young people go missing from the home; these incidents have significantly reduced.

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Overall effectiveness

There is good communication between young people, staff and others who have an interest in securing positive progress for young people. Monthly written feedback forms from family state, ‘staff keep me well informed’. A committed and well-trained staff team demonstrate detailed knowledge of each young person. They advise and support young people and continue to work imaginatively to provide opportunities for them to succeed, for example, supporting young people into paid employment. There is a strong focus on young people developing new skills and emotional resilience at their own pace, in preparation for adult life. However, the staff team does not include both genders to reflect the needs of the young people placed.

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Overall effectiveness

Some young people benefit from personalised and well-planned care with detailed risk assessments tailored to their individual needs, which helps them develop a positive self-image. Documents are reviewed regularly to keep young people safe in a supportive environment. However, not all young people have up-to-date care plans, or pathway plans for ‘eligible’ care leavers, as the placing authority has not made these available to the home. Staff are proactive in chasing missing documents and requesting review meetings where a change of care plan is needed. This ensures young people are cared for in line with their individual placement plans and have opportunity to fully understand and contribute to their reviews. Young people say they feel listened to. They regularly express views and wishes and see results, which are central to the running of the home and are actively involved in planning processes.

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Overall effectiveness

Four requirements and four recommendations are made to improve practice and outcomes for young people. These mainly relate to minor shortfalls in auditing and quality assurance systems, including the content of the Statement of Purpose and any further review of the document being notified to Ofsted, the Regulation 33 visitor consulting with young people and partners and monitoring and auditing processes being robust and evaluative to promote continuous improvement. The breaches in regulation mainly relate to administrative procedures and have minimal impact on young people. Staff act in accordance with policies and procedures and this promotes the safety and welfare of young people.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the home's Statement of Purpose consists of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1; in particular, the age range of the children for whom it is intended that accommodation should be provided (Regulation 4 (1) Schedule 1 (8) (a)) 14/08/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure Ofsted are notified of any revision to the Statement of Purpose within 28 days (Regulation 5 (b)) 14/08/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure young people's files contain all the information and documents specified in Schedule 3; with particular reference to a copy of the placing authority plan for the care of the child, or placement plan and pathway plan (Regulation 28 (1) (a) & Schedule 3 (18)) 14/08/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) interview with their consent and in private, such of the children accommodated at the home, their parents and relatives as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the home. (Regulation 33 (4) (a) and Volume 5, statutory guidance, paragraph 3.13) 14/08/2012

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the home contributes to the development of each child's care plan, including the pathway plan for 'eligible' care leavers and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker or personal advisor in implementing the plan (NMS 12.2)  ensure a review is initiated no more than 72 hours after an emergency admission to consider whether the child should remain at the home (NMS 11.7)  ensure the staff group who are in day-to-day contact with children includes staff of both genders wherever possible (NMS 17.10)  ensure clear and effective procedures are in place for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home. In particular, demonstrate how information within Regulation 33 and 34 reports including the captured views of children and partners is being evaluated and used to promote continuous improvement and development. (NMS 21.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff help young people to understand and address the impact their life experiences have on the behaviours they exhibit and help them bring about positive changes. Some young people are extremely settled and make good progress from the start of their placement. This is closely linked to positive behaviour management strategies, which includes the effective use of incentives and rewards, which has meant there has been no incidents of physical restraint. Other young people have only recently been admitted to the home and continue to display some of the same behaviours that were presenting prior to their admission. At this early stage, not all young people are willing to accept that their behaviours need to change or that their risk taking behaviours place them at significant risk of harm, particularly when they go missing from the home. Staff respond quickly to these situations and take appropriate action to implement safeguarding measures to protect young people and

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Outcomes for children and young people

safeguard their welfare. Staff are committed to helping young people achieve stability and help them engage with support services on their return; that can help to protect them from future harm.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff promote and support young people with their education. However, not all young people manage to achieve full attendance due to their recent history and lack of stability, which means some are struggling to achieve their potential. Staff are addressing this with some success, through an alternative education provision and a carefully planned re introduction programme to mainstream education, which will assist a return to full time education in September. The home has strong links with school and education providers and communicates regularly to monitor progress and enable a consistent approach to young people’s care. Other young people have completed their statutory education and are now awaiting final examination results and have been successful in gaining paid employment.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have a strong sense of identity, reinforced by regular contact with their families and friends. They have agreed overnight stays with family in preparation for moving on. There is excellent communication between the home and families, which helps to inform planning.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff encourage young people to lead a healthy lifestyle through the provision of a range of health services and specialist support services, such as the drug and alcohol service. They benefit from healthy foods, appropriate meal choices and a range of appropriate leisure activities. However, some young people are being encouraged to develop the skills they will need in independence, which includes making their own arrangements for meals and planning their own social and leisure time. Recording the skills they achieve in preparation for leaving care is not clear, as despite regular requests from the home, placing authorities have not made pathway plans available to them.

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Quality of care

Young people say they receive good quality care and that they get on ‘ok’ with staff. Another professional felt that staff were, ‘sympathetic to the needs of young people’. Young people are able to approach staff and hold open and honest discussions with them. Their views and feelings are central to the planning and day to-day running of the home. The staff have a broad range of experiences and knowledge and are able to demonstrate a good understanding of young people’s needs. Staff promote young people’s education and employment opportunities helping them to achieve economic well-being. Young people have access to a range of services that promote health and embrace diversity and culture, for example; they attend a school that meets their religious background and have specialist drug and alcohol services that support them to reduce or quit when they are ready.

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Quality of care

Young people have individualised care packages, which are reviewed regularly. However, not all plans are available on young people’s files, as placing authorities have not provided plans for some young people who have only recently been admitted and have been missing for some of the time. Some assessments of young people admitted in an emergency are still underway, hampered due to the time that they are absent. An initial review of the emergency placement was not held within the required timescale, but has since been held to determine the placement should continue, as the home is meeting the young person’s needs. Staff are in regular contact with the placing authority to chase up missing documents and to request review meetings if a change in the care plan is needed. Young people know how to make a complaint if they unhappy or have any concerns about their care. There have been no complaints for some time and bullying is not an issue at the home.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a compact but comfortable, homely environment. The home is well decorated with modern furnishings and provides enough space for young people to have some privacy should they wish.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they feel safe in the home and can talk to any member of staff if they are concerned about anything. They benefit from consistent boundaries provided by a staff team who are fully trained in safeguarding issues and show confidence in implementing the home’s policies and procedures. Staff take a highly proactive approach to any concerns. There are no child protection referrals for this home. Individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans are in place, which help to protect young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Some young people continue to put themselves at risk of harm when they go missing from the home. However, the home acts quickly in accordance with safeguarding policies, the local authority care plan and within the legal status of the placement. Staff are proactive in communicating with parents, placing authorities, the police and special safeguarding initiatives to highlight the safeguarding issues. They share information and agree strategies for the safe return of young people that helps to improve young people’s individual care. The strategy is successful in engaging young people who are then able to work with services to confront their risky behaviours, which helps to protect them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people enjoy a safe and secure environment. There are good health and safety systems in place. Regular evacuations ensure young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly in case of an emergency

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate .

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Leadership and management

The home benefits from an enthusiastic and appropriately qualified Registered Manager who has responsibility for the management of two other local homes within the organisation. The manager divides his time between the homes according to the needs of the young people placed; this allows him to maintain an appropriate oversight of them all. There have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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Leadership and management

The home is well resourced with sufficient staff numbers; however, this does not include staff of both genders, which is not fully reflecting the needs of the young people in placement. Staff are experienced and well supported through regular supervision, training and team meetings. This ensures they have frequent opportunities to develop their practices to meet young people’s needs. Young people benefit from the home’s commitment to a broad range of training, which includes yearly refresher training in child protection and specific training on missing from home protocols, raising self-esteem and sexual health training. All the staff hold appropriate professional qualifications and all have relevant experience in working with children and young people. Staff are well supported by their management team. The home has a comprehensive Statement of Purpose, which outlines its aims and objectives; however, it does not fully meet the requirements of Schedule 1 of The

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Leadership and management

Children’s Homes Regulations 2001, as it does not provide information about the ages of the children accommodated at the home. In addition, the provider has not notified Ofsted when its Statement of Purpose has been reviewed.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring systems which ensure young people enjoy a good standard of care are in place. However, Regulation 33 and 34 monthly monitoring reports are not consistently capturing the views of young people about their care and reports do not provide an in-depth analysis of information, which can restrict the identification of weaknesses and strengths. The current review of the homes monitoring systems is intended to make these processes more effective. The home has a development plan in place to drive forward improvements that have been identified, such as the training needs of staff and the up-keep of the building.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s records generally present a good overall picture of their experiences at the home, but some records are missing, such as pathway plans, care plans and personal education plans. This is primarily the responsibility of the placing authority and has been chased up by the manager on several occasions. However, the absence of this information hinders staff in supporting young people, particularly with their education and independence planning and does not give young people a full understanding of their care journey. The recommendation raised at the last inspection in respect of ‘eligible’ care leavers having a pathway plan has been raised again at this inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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