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

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people make good progress in all aspects of their development from their starting point. They benefit from a stable and experienced staff team who provide consistent care.  Relationships between staff and young people are positive. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s behaviours and work as a unified team to develop strategies to enable young people to progress.  The environment is homely and well furnished. Young people are encouraged to personalise the home and this is evident throughout. They are encouraged to express their wishes and feelings in all aspects of the care they receive.  Placement plans and risk assessments are clear and detailed and assist staff to easily recognise what young people need to do to meet their individual goals. The Registered Manager tracks the progress of young people and plans are modified to exhibit this.  The manager works closely with outside agencies such as community police.

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The children's home provision is good because:

This collaborative approach has ensured that staff and young people are aware of potential risks in the locality.  Staff are well trained and experienced in identifying risks associated with child sexual exploitation. Their hard work and commitment is central in significantly reducing risk taking behaviour.  Staff encourage and support contact with families where appropriate. Support continues when young people move on from the home to ensure that they receive continuity of care, which assists young people to integrate into their placement. 

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Information about this children's home

 The home may provide care and accommodation for no more than 2 children of either sex from 10 years to 17 years at any one time  The home may provide care and accommodation for 2 children with emotional or behavioural difficulties, Varied Text: may provide care and accommodation for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities 

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/02/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26/02/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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good

Young people receive good quality care from a stable staff team. Staff work collaboratively to afford young people consistent care. This furnishes young people with stability and security, which assists them to progress and develop towards adulthood. A young person said, ‘all the staff are up to date about what we should be doing, so I can’t tell one staff one thing and another a different thing because they talk to each other all the time, it’s a good thing though’.

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good

The home is a warm friendly environment. On admission staff provide young people with personal items, such as necessary personal products, which helps young people to feel a sense of belonging. A young person commented, ‘’when I first came here my room was lovely and clean with nice bedding and at the side of my bed they had left me sanitary stuff, hairbrush, toothbrush, shampoo and it was lovely, I felt like they had really thought about what I might need and you don’t need to ask for it, it’s already there.’

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good

Staff are committed to young people and develop effective relationships. They successfully support and encourage young people to achieve their goals. Young people, who, on admission did not attend school, have fully participated in home tutoring and obtained a determination to succeed in life. Since their starting points young people make significant progress and achieve AQA awards and the ability to sit GCSE exams. This success has enhanced young people self- confidence and self-belief, which has driven them to work towards their future careers. For example a young person is working towards a career as a mid-wife.

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good

Staff canvass young people’s wishes and feelings regularly. Young people’s meetings provide a forum for them to discuss issues. Young people say that they staff are approachable and that they listen and advocate on young people’s behalf wherever possible. Staff ensure that young people are aware of their rights and entitlements and have confidential access to the complaints procedure. A young person said, ‘They also leave the complaints booklet and a welcome pack, with a stamped addressed envelope and paper for if you want to send a complaint off, so if you have a complaint, which I haven’t, no one can see it’. This process means that young people are confident that their complaint is completed in private.

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good

Staff have well established relationships with key people who are identified as important to the young people and contact with them is promoted. This enables young people to continue to be integrated into life outside of the home and affords consistent care experiences.

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good

Young people live in a home where they are effectively protected from harm. Locality risk assessments identify areas which may pose risks to vulnerable young people. Robust risk assessments and procedures ensure that staff take appropriate action should young people go missing from the home. The home maintains good links with the LSCB and staff cultivate good relationships with community police. Staff work in collaboration with a number of agencies to ensure young people are safeguarded.

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good

Effective work and good relationships between staff and young people has meant that young people choose not to go missing. Young people say they feel safe at the home and a young person commented, ‘ Staff talked me through what happens if I go missing and they find out why you feel you need to go and what will happen. I used to be missing all the time and now I don’t want to.’ Young people benefit from consistent boundaries provided by the staff team who are fully trained in all aspects of safeguarding. Staff are knowledgeable and confident in implementing the homes policies and procedures and take a highly proactive approach. Staff recognise the specific vulnerabilities relating to the diverse needs of young people. Interventions are thoughtful and underpinned by clear individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans. This enables young people to take managed and considered risks in preparation for independent living. For example,

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good

actively working towards increased free-time for young people who protect them and develop respect and trust. Some young people who are unhappy with the uncertainty of local authority plans go missing as a means of demonstrating their frustration. Although they place themselves at risk, the home acts in accordance with the local authority care plans and risk assessments to ensure their safe return. This is no reflection on the care and progression the young people made whilst in the home. The home develops good links with specialist agencies in respect of risk evaluation and young people. This assists in promoting their safety and well-being. Positive behaviour is encouraged with clear and consistent boundaries to help young people understand the effects of their behaviour on themselves and others. As a result, young people learn appropriate strategies and the use of physical intervention and sanctions is not required.

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good

Young people enjoy a safe and secure environment. There are effective health and safety systems in place. Regular practice evacuations ensure young people know how to exit the building safely.

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good

The Registered Manager is qualified, experienced and provides strong leadership to the staff team. The manager is very child-focussed and has a good understanding of the needs of vulnerable young people. The manager ensures that the staff team is stable and consistent and are suitably qualified. The staff team are committed and positive, and feel well supported and valued. Good arrangements are in place for the regular supervision and support of staff. An annual appraisal is in practice, which is intended to promote professional development. All staff are up to date with mandatory training requirements, including child protection and child sexual exploitation. A member of staff said, ‘We have lots of training and we’re very supported by the manager. He listens to new ideas and follows it through and acts on it. We have regular formal supervision but can have informal discussions anytime.’ Care planning is of a high standard and is tailored to meet the individual needs of

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good

young people. The Registered Manager monitors and reviews young people’s progress and young people feel he is a good advocate and easy to talk to. He participates in meetings with young people and escalates issues with placing authorities to ensure that their individual plans are effective and achievable.

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good

The Registered Manager has a good knowledge of the new legislation and has introduced an electronic planning and risk assessment document for each young person. This is protected by the use of a pen drive, which only staff and the manager have access to. Staff report that this is a helpful tool to measure the progress of young people and to identify any trends and patterns in behaviour. This is also helpful for staff coming on duty as they can easily obtain up to date information on young people. This means that staff are clear as to where young people are up to in all aspects of their development and can access important documents, such as LAC minutes as this is cross referenced to where it can be found in young people’s paper file.

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good

The provider also has a representative that visits the home on a monthly basis. Reports are of a good standard and reflect the views of young people and staff. Relevant documentation is reviewed to ensure it complies with legislation. This ensures that the home is monitored regularly The manager works effectively with other agencies who are involved with young people. Working with placing authorities and education to ensure that plans are to ensure that individual needs are met.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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