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

Unique reference number SC005066 Inspector David Morgan 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 Stephen Richard Naden / Carla Jane Savery Date of last inspection 29/10/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 23/03/2015

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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This inspection

This home was judged adequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

Since the last inspection the service has declined in effectiveness. The service was adequate but seven requirements and six recommendations were made. Nevertheless, some of these matters have not been adequately addressed. Despite amendments, the Statement of Purpose does not yet describe this unusual service sufficiently well. New children often have highly complex needs. They immediately go onto a trip that can last up to 28 days and in some cases do not visit the home at all. This is a significant feature of the service that influences many other aspects of it. However, such effects are not clearly described for the benefit of new professionals or parents.

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This inspection

Also, although some work has been done on the house since the last inspection, it remains at an inadequate standard. The presentation inside and out is old-fashioned and under-valued. In places there is significant damage, for example to the doors on kitchen units, woodwork, plasterwork and to furniture. The organisation intends to purchase the property but in the meantime it has been allowed to decline to an unacceptable standard. Cleanliness also remains a shortfall in some places and means that staff are inadequately well organised on individual shifts. Young people's bedrooms are poorly presented and ill-equipped. Some items of bedroom furniture have graffiti on them; pet fish in one bedroom are inadequately cared for, and part of one bedroom is secured by use of a hasp and padlock. These shortfalls in effective leadership undermine children's dignity and self-respect and inadequately support their hobbies. Also, the privacy of young people when they are on the

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This inspection

landing is compromised. This is because a blind has been fitted in such a way that it cannot be opened or closed. These shortfalls indicate poor understanding, monitoring and leadership.

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This inspection

The registered manager has had responsibility for over a year but is also registered 3 of 6 for another home. The organisation has submitted an application to Ofsted for another person to manage this home. The manager has not spent sufficient time ensuring that standards are maintained. Records do not indicate that she has visited regularly and been in day-to-day charge. Instead, issues have been delegated to other personnel. This situation has been exacerbated by another manager supervising such staff and their meetings occurring off site. Staff do not always sign the record of their supervision meetings to verify the details. This arrangement is substantially flawed and has served to ensure that the manager has taken insufficient ownership of the service.

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This inspection

The same shortfall applies to formal monitoring of the home, which has been delegated by the manager to another member of staff despite the small size of the service. In addition, the distinct feature of the service is that staff are caring for children for long and continuous periods of time off site. However, there is no evidence that this is routinely checked, for example by regular phone calls or visits to see and consult the children. This increases risks that are already above average and does not apply the standards required of a regulated children's home. The shortfalls identified in this inspection also call into question the effectiveness of the independent monitoring.

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This inspection

A written development plan is in place and shows that certain improvements are planned. It is not signed or dated by the author and it is not clear that the registered manager is involved. Other important documents are signed-off by staff other than the registered manager, including risk assessments, the locality assessment and monthly monitoring reports. This contributes to the lack of coordination. Also, it is not evident that all members of staff are familiar with guidance such as the risk assessments. This has a potentially direct impact on the care of children, particularly when they are involved in outdoor activities. The service has been open since 2002 and on very few occasions has it been judged by inspectors as better than adequate. The organisation anticipates that the planned allocation of a registered manager solely for this home, the purchase of the property and its refurbishment, will help

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This inspection

the critically necessary process of improvement.

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This inspection

Records indicate that children are kept safe and enjoy themselves. The summaries of key worker sessions, for example, and feedback from external professionals is positive. Several professionals have recently judged the service as 'excellent' and one noted how her young man had 'thrived' and improved his self-esteem. Incidents of negative behaviours are low and physical intervention has not been required since before the last inspection. The model of service allows for emergency admission of children who are likely to be in crisis. Staff are successful in engaging such children in nearly all cases. The nature of children's circumstances means there is a relatively high turnover. Discharges are carefully planned, whenever possible, to other children's homes or specialist provisions. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It provides short term, crisis placements. The home is owned by a private company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2014 Full adequate 19/03/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 04/11/2013 Full good 12/02/2013 Interim satisfactory progress

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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

4 (2001) compile in relation to the children’s home a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as “the Statement of Purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1. This is with regard to the statement sufficiently reflecting the specialist function of the service (Regulation 4(1)) 27/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

9 (2001) ensure the registered manager manages the home with sufficient care, competence and skill. This is with regard to ensuring there is effective monitoring, supervision and shift management both on and off site (Regulation 9(1)) 27/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) keep a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the children’s home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. This is with particular regard 27/04/2015 5 of 6 to the manager's visits (Regulation 29 (1), Schedule 4 (11))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children’s home used by children are kept clean and reasonably decorated and maintained (Regulation 31(2)(e)) 27/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the children’s home is suitably furnished. This is with regard to children's bedrooms.(Regulation 31(4)) 27/04/2015

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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 that children's privacy is appropriately protected. This is with regard to the blinds on the landing being fully operational (NMS 3.7)  support children to pursue individual interests and hobbies. This is with particular regard to providing adequate care of pets (NMS 7.2)  implement effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home. Ensure that children in the home are regularly involved in contributing to monitoring the operation of the home. This is with particular regard to (a) monitoring the activities that occur off site, and (b) ensuring the effectiveness of the independent monitoring (NMS 21.1)  implement a system to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed. This is with regard to the registered manager ensuring that records are signed and dated promptly by the manager and/or staff as is most appropriate. (NMS 22.1)

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Recommendations

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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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