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

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.2

The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Risk assessments are not sufficiently robust when a young person is missing from care. Specifically in relation to time frames for informing the police.  Risk management strategies are not in place for substance and alcohol misuse.  Some significant events have not been referred to the regulator to enable them have a clear overview of how the home has responded to the events.  Record keeping within the home is of a variable quality and does not consistently reflect the support provided to young people.  Emergency short term placements significantly impacted on the overall outcomes for children and young people living at the home.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 The home has an experienced and registered manager in post who provides supervision and support to staff to enable them to reflect on their practice.  Young people have developed positive relationships with staff and feel confident they have someone to speak with if they have any concerns.  The home has developed good working relationships with placing authority social workers and ensured they are provided with regular, detailed updates on the young person’s placement.  Missing from home incidents have started to decline.  Young people are engaging in education and this is supporting them to achieve positive outcomes for their future, including gaining employment.  Health care needs are being met, with young people attending regular health care appointments, eating healthy diets and making improvements to their overall health and well-being.

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard To meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that staff (2) (a) (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; 20/01/2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (Regulation 40 (4) (e)) 20/01/2016

p.5

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.5

Recommendations

Ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.5

Recommendations

Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day to day basis (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.5)

p.5

Information about this children's home

A private company owns the home. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

p.7

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.7

Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 CH - Interim declined in effectiveness

p.7

Recent inspection history

13/02/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

p.7

requires improvement

Since the last inspection, the home has had a number of short-term placements made on an emergency basis. This has impacted on the overall outcomes for some children and young people. Those young people who have benefited from longer placements at the home are beginning to make progress. They benefit from having care plans which, in general, identify their individual needs. The management of risk is underpinned by individual risk assessments. However, some risk assessments do not contain enough relevant information. For example, missing from home risk assessments do not consistently specify when a young person should be reported missing to police. This is in particular reference to young people who are at high risk of child sexual exploitation.

p.7

requires improvement

Some young people have a significant history of missing from home. Staff work in partnership with the local missing from home police officer and placing authority social workers to minimise this risk. There have been some positive outcomes for young people who have shown a reduction of missing from home incidents. One placing authority stated: ‘although the young person has continued to have some missing from home episodes, this has reduced since the placement at this home and staff engage well with her to offer support and guidance.’ Where there have been safeguarding concerns, the home has worked in partnership with the local authority designated officer to ensure the strategies implemented have been appropriate. A recent safeguarding concern resulted in a review of placements and a more appropriate placement sought for one young person. This was to ensure the safety and well-being of all young people at the

p.7

requires improvement

Some young people had previously had limited engagement in education. Through consistent encouragement and support by staff, they are now attending education and demonstrating increased commitment. This engagement supports increased opportunity to obtain positive educational outcomes.

p.8

requires improvement

Health care is improving due to attendance at health care appointments as well as encouragement to have a healthy diet. Young people contribute their ideas to menu planning and are involved with meal preparation. This enables them to learn skills in budgeting, shopping, and meal preparation for when they move into independence. However, some young people continue to smoke and engage in substance misuse despite support from staff to minimise or stop this. There has been some incidents of young people returning to the home under the influence of illegal substances or alcohol. Risk management assessments are not in place to reflect how this is managed for individuals.

p.8

requires improvement

Young people benefit from a consistent staff team; enabling them to form positive and trusting relationships. Support to manage behaviour focuses on positive interventions and this provides encouragement for the young people.

p.8

requires improvement

Activities are encouraged and supported to enable the young people to pursue their chosen interests. This includes using the local community resources such as leisure centres and cinemas. The home has access to a car shared between several homes run by this provider. Some young people say that this is not always helpful when planning activities further away due to demand on this vehicle from the other homes. The staff endeavour to make arrangements in advance to secure use of the vehicle.

p.8

requires improvement

Young people’s contact arrangements are well supported. Staff are aware of the importance of promoting contact in accordance with the placing authority’s care plan. They understand how this may impact on the young person and provide support during and following these visits.

p.8

requires improvement

The home is warm and welcoming, with children and young people encouraged to personalise their own bedrooms as well as contributing to the general décor and furnishing of the communal areas. This means young people feel comfortable and take pride in their home. Judgement grade

p.8

requires improvement

Staff are aware of and understand children and young people will, at times, display behaviour that may place them at risk of harm. Risk assessments are in place to help staff address this. Some of these plans are more comprehensive than others. For example, all young people have missing from care risk management plans. However, some individual plans do not identify clearly when a young person is to be reported as missing from home and some staff are unclear about when to report to the police. Despite this, there is evidence that missing from home episodes are beginning to reduce and young people say they are confident in discussing concerns or worries with staff.

p.9

requires improvement

Some young people continue to smoke and take illegal substances. Staff support them to reduce this behaviour and provide access to drug and alcohol services. However, recently a young person returned to the home under the influence of some unknown substance. There is no risk management plan in place to provide strategies to minimise this risk.

p.9

requires improvement

Young people have developed positive relationships with staff and say they have a known member of staff with whom they can talk.

p.9

requires improvement

Safeguarding concerns are acted upon. Local authority social workers are notified and, where appropriate, reports made to the local authority designated officer. A recent safeguarding concern was addressed to ensure the safety and well-being of all young people at the home. However, a notification to Ofsted in relation to another safeguarding concern has not been made. This does not enable the regulator to have a good overview of the responses the home makes to individual safeguarding concerns.

p.9

requires improvement

Young people are supported to manage behaviour through clear behaviour management plans and strategies. The home focuses on positive rewards rather than the implementation of sanctions. Where these have been made, the home ensures records reflect these clearly and young people are asked to contribute their views to the records. All staff receive training in the management of behaviour which is routinely updated to ensure their practice remains current.

p.9

requires improvement

Organisational systems regarding recruitment and selection of staff are robust. Staff only commence work following the receipt of appropriate checks. This helps ensure the safety and welfare of children and young people from those who are unsuitable or may pose a risk of harm to them. Judgement grade

p.9

good

The Registered Manager is suitably experienced and qualified. He supports staff training, including acting as an assessor for the level 3 diploma. He is in the process of moving on from the home to concentrate on developmental work. An application has been received for a new manager who is currently working alongside the registered manager. He will stay in post until the new manager is registered with Ofsted. This ensures continuity of support to the young people and staff.

p.10

good

The manager continues to review practice within the home. He acknowledges that the recent high numbers of short term placements for young people at the home has impacted on overall outcomes. To address this, he has further developed impact assessments and reviews all potential placement requests to the home.

p.10

good

Staff receive regular supervision which they say provides them with support and clear guidance for their role. They attend regular staff meetings which provides further support and training opportunities. An example of this includes a presentation by the police officer with responsibility for young people missing from home. This contributes to the overall development of staff.

p.10

good

The manager reviews and monitors practice within the home, including paperwork. Having had a period of absence from the home, there has been a shortfall in some recording, including signing of records. He is addressing this with staff on an individual and group basis.

p.10

good

The Statement of Purpose provides up-to-date information for relevant people. The manager works in partnership with the independent visitor to ensure the home continues to operate in accordance with this document and any shortfalls identified in practice are addressed.

p.10

good

The vast majority of children’s records are maintained to a good standard. However, some shortfalls have been identified which have been raised within this inspection report as areas for improvement. In addition, the author has not signed some recording.

p.10

good

The manager has developed strong and positive links with placing social workers; ensuring they receive regular updates and have a good knowledge of the level of support and progress young people are making. One social worker spoke very positively of the level of care the young person he supports, receives. Comments included: ‘the manager of the home and staff have worked exceptionally well with this young person to provide stability, improve behaviours and enable him to make exceptional progress in his time at the home.’

p.10

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.

p.11

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

p.11

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.11

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

p.12

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 .

p.12

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,

p.13

Information about this inspection

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

p.13

Information about this inspection

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

p.13

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

p.13