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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted has now registered the acting manager, and he has completed his level 5 qualification in leadership and management. As the deputy manager prior to his registration, the new manager is well established in the home and has seamlessly increased his managerial influence. As a result, Ofsted judges the service to have improved in effectiveness. Two particular highlights are that there have been no staff changes since before the last inspection and no changes to the resident group. This security allows young people to progress well. Professionals from outside the company are extremely complimentary. Recent comments have included: ‘Communication with me is fantastic. The consistency of care and support is impressive’, and ‘It’s a nurturing environment. I’m impressed with the relationships between staff and children’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recently, the manager has coordinated improvements to the property. Communal areas are more comfortable and have extra facilities, such as a table-tennis table. The presentation of young people’s bedrooms is now good, which is a significant improvement arising from a requirement in the last inspection report. Young people now express pride in their bedrooms and take responsibility for them. Consequently, the number of incidents of damage to the property has fallen significantly. Externally, too, the property is tidier and safer.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this time of transition between managers, the new manager is directly supervising all the staff. This reasonable step serves to ensure that there is clear coordination and monitoring. It also helps to address a requirement made during the last inspection to improve the service continually. There is now greater accountability of staff and improved attention to new documents, which directly benefits the young people. However, the independent monitoring of the service is not sufficiently robust in places. The authors of the reports pre-populate them in several areas and this creates doubt about the value and authenticity of the comments. It does not serve to verify that the service is safe or help it to improve.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has refined the behaviour management records so that the rewards received by young people are clearer. Young people respond well to the approach used by staff. As a result, there have been very few physical interventions or serious incidents since the last inspection. Given the rural location of the service, the greatest risk to children is when they go missing. In most instances, these incidents are of short duration and an independent person assesses them afterwards. Their reports are now given to the manager for use in his monitoring exercises and reviews of young people’s care plans. Staff maintain frequent contact with the local police, too.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Work is underway to create a child-friendly version of young people’s progress document. Increasingly, the manager uses pictorial formats, which are more accessible, to reflect their progress. Young people commonly make good progress in several areas, including contact with their families, education and independence skills. This reflects their emotional development, which the readiness of two young people for semi-independent living shows, as does the successful transfer of previous young people.

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Information about this children's home

A large provider of children’s services operates this home. Staff care for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 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)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. This is with regard to ensuring that Regulation 44 report findings are not pre-populated. 30/05/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 that 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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