Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

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 receive highly individualised care from a consistent and committed staff team.  Staff enjoy spending time with young people and have formed excellent relationships with them.  Young people make progress because of the support they receive.  The Registered Manager and his staff work effectively with a range of other professionals to ensure that young people receive the support they need.  Young people are involved in the running of the home and their views are actively listened to.  Staff recognise the triggers which cause young people to engage in self- harm. As a result, young people are kept safe.  Shortfalls exist in some aspects of the home’s monitoring and review systems, administrative processes and recording systems.  A small minority of staff files do not evidence all of the required pre- employment checks.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to monitoring the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. This relates specifically to the monitoring of some records. 30/07/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 30/07/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3) (b)) 30/07/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. (Regulation 16 (4)) 30/07/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children's home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3) (d)) 30/07/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3) (a) (iv)) 30/07/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that case records are kept securely in the children's home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (2) (c) 30/07/15

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62 paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children's home

 The home may only provide care and accommodation for up to 2 children.  The home may provide care and accommodation for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is managed by a Local Authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

Excellent relationships exist between staff and young people. Young people comment extremely positively about this, one young person stating, ‘staff are not staff they are my friends…they listen to me and help me a lot…I love this home and I love living here this is the best home ever’.

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good

These relationships help young people to make progress in key areas of their lives. For example, some young people’s education attendance improves significantly. One young person had not been in education for several years, within three weeks of living at the home their attendance was 100%. As a result, their academic attainment has significantly increased. Young people’s aspirations also increase, one young person explaining, ‘I want to be a doctor and live in a big house.’

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good

Young people also become more confident and self-assured. This has enabled them to confront significant issues from their past. Staff offer sensitive, highly individualised, consistent support at these times. This helps young people to feel safe. Young people confirm this and explain that because of this they have, ‘been able to make some very difficult decisions.’

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good

Professionals talk very positively about the progress young people make. A social worker highlighted, ‘massive progress’. Mental health professionals and education staff echo this.

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good

Young people are actively involved in the life of the home. One young person talks proudly about the work they do with staff in the garden, particularly growing flowers and strawberries. Their only frustration is the birds or slugs that keep eating them! They also have two goldfish and are committed to looking after these well. Although they love the goldfish, this is also a step towards their next goal – a rabbit. This helps to develop confidence and skills that prepare young people for their future. Judgement grade

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good

The home has a small, consistent staff team. Staff receive good training which develops their skills in relation to the young people they support. This includes young people who have suffered emotional and psychological trauma. As a result, staff know young people well and recognise the triggers which cause young people to engage in self-harm. This ensures that any incidents are managed calmly and effectively. This helps to keep young people safe. This approach is underpinned by detailed behaviour plans that clearly outline the actions staff should take. Generally, these plans are kept up to date; however, one aspect of one young person’s plan has not been updated in a timely way. In addition, not every entry is signed and dated by the author. The impact of this reduces by having a staff team that know young people well.

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good

Staff work very effectively with other professionals including social workers, education staff and mental health professionals. This ensures that risks are identified, understood, and well managed and that young people receive the support they need. As a result, young people feel safe. One young person reflected on this stating, ‘the home is the only place I have felt safe’.

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good

Mental health professionals also comment positively about the support staff provide. One worker describing the, ‘incredible job’ that the home is doing adding, ‘the staff have become experts in the needs of the young person’.

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good

At times, staff are required to use physical restraint to keep young people safe. Staff have a good understanding of the reasons behind young people’s behaviour and follow consistent guidelines in relation to this. Any incidents are shared immediately with social workers and are reviewed effectively through multi-agency meetings. Some records of physical restraint are not sufficiently detailed. For example, the duration of the restraint is not always clear and in one case a physical restraint was not recorded.

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good

The majority of staff recruitment processes are robust. However, one staff file does not contain evidence of all of the required checks. Specifically, the Registered Manager has failed to verify the reasons why a previous period of employment, involving work with children or vulnerable adults, ended. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced Registered Manager. He has recently become registered with Ofsted but remains on a temporary contract. The impact of this is well managed to reduce possible anxieties for staff and young people.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager prioritises the needs of young people effectively and keeps them at the heart of the home’s development. For example, young people help to write the home’s development plan. Actions are taken in response to their views which shows they are taken seriously.

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requires improvement

The quality of the Registered Manager’s monitoring and review systems are mixed. Some have recently improved. For example, regular monitoring reports are now produced. These highlight strengths and weaknesses and comment on some areas where patterns and trends are evident. Other systems also monitor young people’s behaviour and times of anxiety. This helps staff to better plan the support they offer. However, oversight of other records, including the quality of physical restraint and room search records, is not always robust. This limits the Registered Manger’s ability to make continuous improvements in this area.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has recently reviewed the home’s Statement of Purpose. The updated version was not sent to HMCI, Ofsted within 28 days. In addition, the Statement of Purpose published on the home’s website is historical and out of date. Significantly, this does not provide details of the current Registered Manager. Finally, the Statement of Purpose does not include sufficient detail in relation to the therapy support provided to staff and young people. These shortfalls affect the accuracy of the information available to young people, families, and professionals. Some young people’s case records are not stored securely. This puts them at risk of damage. In addition, personal, often confidential, information is sometimes difficult to locate quickly.

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requires improvement

Staff receive regular supervision and comment positively about this, one member of staff stating, ‘this is a really useful tool’. Staff also receive additional support and guidance from mental health professionals. This has developed staff skills and confidence. This directly benefits young people and improves the quality of care they receive.

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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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