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:

 Young people talk positively about living at the home and acknowledge how staff have supported them in managing their behaviour.  Young people share strong attachments with staff.  Staff work collaboratively with all relevant professionals to ensure young people's needs are addressed.  Young people are consulted on a regular basis through formal meetings and during key working sessions. Their views are listened to and acted upon.  All young people in the home are engaged in education.  Staff are competent and know their safeguarding responsibilities so that young people are protected and feel safe.  There are a couple of shortfalls. When there has been an incident in the home that may include missing from care or physical intervention, there is no evidence to show that any learning is captured, or that young people’s views have been recorded. Not all staff have received appropriate refresher training.

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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 the registered person must –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 22/01/2016

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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 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 with specific regard to missing from care episodes. 22/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c)) 22/01/2016

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service is owned by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

27/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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good

Young people make good progress overall from their starting points on admission to the home. The care of young people is underpinned by personalised and comprehensive care plans, which specify their needs and how they will be met. Young people are consistently listened to and supported to express their views. Young people are cared for by an experienced staff team who provide them with high levels of supervision, clear expectations and firm boundaries. The management and staff are committed to improving the quality of life for the young people in their care. One social worker reports, ' the young people and professionals have developed strong and positive relationships’. The home ensures that the healthcare needs of young people are met. They are registered with the various local healthcare services and are supported to attend any appointments. Specialist support is readily available to meet the emotional and

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good

psychological needs of young people through individual therapeutic sessions. Young people are encouraged to understand the importance of looking after themselves and are supported to make positive life style choices. All young people attend full-time education. They attend a variety of educational settings, according to their needs and abilities. Staff work in partnership with education departments and other relevant professionals to ensure that young people have every opportunity to reach their full potential. Young people feel their views, wishes and feelings are actively sought through a variety of forums such as key worker sessions and young people’s meetings. Young people confirm they are routinely involved in the running of the home and are involved in decisions about their own care and support. This helps young people feel that they belong here. Young people are supported by the staff team in maintaining contact with their

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good

families. Staff support these arrangements both practically as well as providing emotional support to young people. These arrangements reflect any restrictions that may be in place to safeguard young people and these are clearly understood and followed by staff. Young people are provided with a wide range of activities within the home. Staff spend individual time with young people, joining in games, or doing arts and crafts with them. Young people are also encouraged to take part in activities within the community such as fishing and go karting. Young people value these opportunities that allows them time with staff and enables them to acquire new skills and improve their self-esteem.

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good

Young people confirm they feel safe and say they are well cared for. One young person reports ‘Yes I feel safe, because I have people around me that I trust and respect’. Through the use of individualised risk assessments and pro-active safe working practices young people have made good progress in ceasing or reducing the risks to themselves. Staff receive safeguarding training as part of their induction to the home. This ensures that they are confident in the procedure to follow should any concerns arise. The organisation has a number of policies and procedures designed to safeguard young people. Young people are encouraged to behave in socially acceptable ways. The use of physical intervention is infrequent but when it is used, incidents are not being discussed with young people to capture their views. There have been instances of young people going missing from the home. There is effective liaison with placing authorities, families and the police to make

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good

coordinated efforts to locate the young person. There is no recent evaluation of this behaviour to examine trends or issues, therefore staff are not able to reflect and learn to inform future practice. Young people know how to make a complaint. Young people are clear that their concerns are taken seriously. Staff make sure that complaints made direct to them are thoroughly investigated and young people receive a written response. Staff make sure that the home is kept safe by doing regular health and safety checks and making sure that equipment is serviced. They also practise the home's fire evacuation procedure and test the system on a regular basis. Young people also participate in fire evacuation so that they know what to do in the event of a fire or other emergency situation which helps to keep them safe. Recruitment practice is robust ensuring that staff are sufficiently qualified, experienced and deemed to suitable to work with young people before coming into

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good

the home. This helps to prevent unsuitable individuals having access to vulnerable young people. The home is a large detached house in a residential area. It is well furnished and decorated. There are communal rooms for young people and other rooms to allow for privacy. Young people’s bedrooms are well furnished and personalised by the young people. The home provides young people with a safe and secure environment.

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good

The home has a registered manager who has been in post since July 2015. The manager is suitably experienced and qualified to undertake the responsibilities of the post. The manager is currently undertaking the Level 5 Diploma and is expecting to complete this in February 2016. Monthly staff meetings take place to ensure consistent messages are conveyed to the team and to discuss behaviour support strategies for young people. The home uses a reflective cycle tool to enable staff to reflect on any incidents of significance and how they can learn from them. Staffing levels are appropriate to meet young people's needs. Staff are well supported through regular supervisions and annual appraisals. Not all staff have been given refresher training in specific areas. This means that some staff are currently not fully trained in their role. Processes are in place to ensure these staff will have the opportunity to undertake refresher training.

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good

The Statement of Purpose has recently been reviewed. It provides clear information about the level of service provided plus clear information for stakeholders about the aims and objectives and facilities offered. This means placing authorities, young people and their families are well aware of the care and support young people can expect to receive. An independent visitor calls at the home once a month, in line with legislation, to monitor and report on the quality of care. There is consultation with young people, parents and other professionals to capture their views to contribute to the report. This reduces the likelihood that issues of concern and improvements will be overlooked. Communication between agencies is prompt and effective in ensuring all parties are kept well informed of young people’s progress. A social worker reports ‘contact is maintained regularly, reports received highlight pertinent points and staff are

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good

consistently available for further discussions when needed. When visiting the home staff are also available to respond to any questions and support me to look through files’. This ensures that all those working with the young person are kept up to date with how the young person is progressing. The home has a working development plan that is regularly reviewed to drive forward improvements to the home and its delivery of the service. The home also has an up to date location risk assessment that highlights all potential risks in the area. There were no requirements or recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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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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