Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today 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:

  Staff develop positive relationships with children and young people.

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The children's home provision is good because:

  Staff welcome children and young people into the home and they quickly settle. Staff provide individualised care which is based on a good understanding of their needs.  Staff really listen to children and young people so that their needs and views are at the centre of their practice.  Staff ensure there is a co-ordinated response when young people go missing. Where staff are unable to keep young people safe they ensure that they work in partnership with placing authorities to support young people’s move to alternative placements.  Staff work effectively to support children and young people to engage with education. Their attendance and engagement improves.  Staff are responsive to ensuring they are able to meet children and young people’s needs.  Staff work effectively with professional stakeholders and challenge robustly to secure improved outcomes for children and young people.  There are a few shortfalls. The registered manager has not developed a

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The children's home provision is good because:

system to ensure that the views of placing authorities, parents and staff inform his monitoring of the quality of care provided. He has not informed Ofsted of young people’s involvement with the police which reflects a previous requirement to notify Ofsted of serious incidents. There has been oversight in behaviour management plans being reviewed or implemented, visitors being recorded and staff appraisals being completed.

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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

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 15/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which sets out how behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measure of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1 -2)) 15/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)-(b)) 15/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must notify HMCI without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 15/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The system established to monitor, review and evaluate the quality of care must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(5)) 15/01/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.5.)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home forms part of a social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

Children and young people make progress from their starting point. For most children and young people this is significant and they are able to recognise this themselves. One young person said:’ ‘I have improved…I get on better with staff and they help me with my behaviour. I manage my anger better – I walk away now and they know I want some space.’

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good

Staff are effective at developing positive relationships with children and young people. They quickly understand them when they are new to the home and respond to their needs. Staff listen to children and young people who feel able to talk about what is difficult for them.

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good

Staff develop effective relationships with education providers. Staff ensure that children and young people are able to access education, they work effectively with virtual school head teachers and individual schools and colleges. They support children and young people so that those who have been excluded can safely be re- introduced to school. Some children and young people make good progress academically and fully engage in planning for their move onto college.

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good

The registered manager and staff are robust in their challenges to placing authorities where there are delays in accessing the child and adolescent mental health service (CAHMS). They ensure that alternative therapy is available, both in- house and from independent services, whilst CAMHS intervention is organised by the placing authority. Staff also provide consistent boundaries and support to enable children and young people to develop a sense of security so that they can develop alternative behaviour management strategies.

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good

Staff are equally tenacious in tackling issues of children and young people’s physical health. They work effectively with specialist dentists to support those who have phobias. As a result, those young people are now able to receive treatment. This promotes children and young people’s health and well-being.

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good

Staff ensure that children and young people are actively involved in a range of activities outside the home including roller skating, football, rugby and going to the cinema. Children and young people train and represent local football and rugby teams. This provides them with a sense of belonging and permanency and develops their self-confidence.

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good

Staff encourage children and young people to develop skills which promote their independence. They make good progress in learning how to budget, use public transport, get part-time jobs and skills in cooking. One social worker said: ’My young person has made good progress in attending school consistently and now gets the bus too – brilliant!’

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good

Children and young people benefit from appropriate and supported contact with their family and friends. Staff work proactively with parents, including those that live a long way from the home, to ensure children and young people’s identities are promoted.

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good

Children and young people feel safe. They enjoy living in a safe environment and can identify a trusted adult to talk to. They do talk about their experiences and staff respond appropriately in implementing child protection procedures where necessary.

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good

Most children and young people become increasingly safe. Staff ensure there is a well-coordinated response to those who go missing. They always look for them and make them feel welcome when they return. Staff do not always challenge placing authorities when return interviews do not take place. This represents lost opportunities to understand better risks and triggers. Staff work effectively with the police, youth offending service and placing authority to prevent young people being unnecessarily criminalised. Where staff are not able to keep young people safe they work proactively as part of a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that an appropriate placement is identified which can keep them safe.

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good

Staff promote positive behaviour. Staff develop clear boundaries and apply them consistently. They are skilled in de-escalation techniques and consequently children and young people are rarely restrained. When that has been necessary the registered manager and staff ensure that there is monitoring and reviewing of practice. This is effective and one restraint has been necessary since the last inspection.

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good

Staff are safely selected and vetted which prevents unsuitable people from being recruited. The staff team is experienced and consistent. They are well-trained including about issues of sexual exploitation. They seek out appropriate training to supplement their knowledge which is pertinent to the needs of the children and young people in their care. This improves the quality of care provided to children and young people. The registered manager has not ensured that Ofsted is notified when the police are involved in serious incidents involving children. This prevents Ofsted from monitoring patterns and trends within the home. This is an area for development as a similar requirement was raised during the last inspection. The registered manager and staff have not ensured that there is a record of all those who visit the home. This represents a gap in safeguarding for children and young people.

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good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and skilled registered manager who has been in post since June 2013. He has almost completed his level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. He has recently become the registered manager for another children’s home which has significantly increased his responsibilities.

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good

The home operates in line with the statement of purpose to provide a warm and nurturing environment. Children and young people have access to their records and contribute to them. Staff reward positive behaviour routinely with verbal praise as well as treats and rewards. This promotes children and young people’s sense of worth.

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good

The registered manager regularly monitors the quality of care and ensures that children and young people’s feedback is central to this. The registered manager has not developed a system by which to obtain parents, placing authorities and staff’s views regarding the quality of care provided. Therefore, his review of the quality of care and identification for developments is not informed by these important stakeholders feedback.

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good

The registered manager makes child-centred decisions about new children and young people joining the home. He gives priority to the stability of the group and ensures good transitions. The registered manager and the staff remain in contact with those who have moved on to offer them a sense of security. This is valued by children and young people who continue to contact the home to let staff know how they are doing.

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good

The registered manager works effectively with professional agencies to promote children and young people’s outcomes. He is robust in his challenge to education and health services. He understands children and young people’s plans and drives forward the achievement of important goals. He thinks outside the box to secure alternative provision when there is a delay in services being provided. Where children and young people are not making progress he ensures that steps are taken to review plans with the placing authority, police and youth offending team.

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good

The core staff team is consistent and provides considerable stability for children and young people. The team work collaboratively to address challenges and make good use of team meetings for reflective practice. This improves the quality of care provided.

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good

The registered manager has not ensured there are behaviour management plans in place for every child or young person. Some risk assessment plans have been signed off before necessary changes have been made. This prevents children and young people’s progress being monitored and reviewed to improve outcomes. He has not reviewed the statement of purpose to reflect the changes in staffing and some staff have not received an annual appraisal. The latter prevents staff from creating development plans and for the registered manager to ensure all staff are fulfilling their role.

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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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