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

Unique reference number SC454838 Inspector Phillip Morris Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Care Today (Children's Services) Ltd Registered person address Lansdowne House 85 Buxton Road STOCKPORT Cheshire SK2 6LR Responsible individual Vivien Anne Snape Registered manager Terence Poulson Date of last inspection 11/06/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 10/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

The home is effectively led by a committed, experienced and suitable qualified Registered Manager. He has been in post since the opening of this home. He leads an enthusiastic and committed team who are passionate about improving outcomes for young people placed at the home. The manager and staff effectively monitor the welfare of young people placed and the quality of care they receive. Monthly quality assurance visits from an independent person takes place. These visits together with the Registered Managers own monitoring ensures continuous evaluation of the service.

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This inspection

The home is due to undergo significant construction work with a purpose built school being established on the site. Additional construction work is planned and decorative work in the home and window replacement. The Registered Manager continually updates the risk assessment for young people both in relation to the building and decorative work and environmental security.

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This inspection

The routine of the home does ensure that all young people are engaged in educational activities. Those young people without formal educational placements do have a structured day including education provided on site. This means that young people keep school hours during the day and undertake education, including a full range of curricular activities. As a result, young people are encouraged and enabled to reach their full potential. Consequently outcomes for young people are improved relative to their starting point when admitted to the home.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection there have been both discharges and admissions to the home. The admissions have not all been planned, with some emergency admissions. The Registered Manager strives to ensure that where possible transitions are planned. Where this is not the case appropriate information is sought, together with planning meeting taking place as quickly as possible. 3 of 5 The Registered Manager has ensured that Ofsted received notification of significant events. One such notification concerned a young person self-harming. The home acted appropriately in managing incidents concerning this young person. The young person has subsequently left the home. The Registered Manager and staff group learnt from these incidents. They have developed their approach to caring for young people with emotional difficulties and exhibiting self-harming behaviour.

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This inspection

Young people’s health outcomes are met. Registration with primary health services are in place for all young people and the home ensure that young people attend all statutory health medicals in line with regulation.

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This inspection

The home has developed a therapeutic approach to caring for the young people. There is a qualified and experienced therapist providing assessment of the young people and providing ongoing direct therapy if required. Support to staff caring for the young people is also well established through group work and individual support. Therapeutic support is also provided to the management and leadership of the home. This ensures a consistency of approach across the service. This benefits the young people because those caring for them provide consistency in care practices.

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This inspection

Young people’s relationships with their families are promoted by the home. The manager and staff team ensure that young people see their families regularly and that telephone contact takes place. The home ensures that all contact is agreed and in accordance with the young person’s plan and appropriately assessed. The result is that young people are able to maintain relationships with family members and others important to them.

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This inspection

The home promotes the young people’s individuality and values their identity and diversity. Young people understand their backgrounds and culture and supported in understanding the reasons why they are in care. Young people are valued for who they are. They are supported and encouraged to develop their strengths and abilities to achieve their maximum potential.

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This inspection

Partnership working with agencies to safeguard young people is good. The home works with other professionals such as social workers, health professionals, youth offending teams and police. Key professionals meetings take place regularly, such as looked after children’s and health reviews.

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This inspection

The manager and staff work well and in partnership with agencies to ensure young people are kept safe. There have been occasions when young people have placed themselves at risk of harm through going missing. One young person has been missing from the home for a significant period of time. The agencies responsible for this young person are managing this situation. The home acted appropriately and in accordance with the missing from care protocols and the local safeguarding board procedures. The home attended and contributed to important child protection strategy meetings. They have kept the young person placement open should he return to their care. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a large private company and may provide care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties; it is located in a rural area. It also offers therapeutic input and education at an introductory level. The home is privately owned by an established organisation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2014 Full good 19/03/2014 Interim good progress 10/10/2013 Full good Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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