Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

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 work collaboratively to promote consistent boundaries and nurturing care. As a result, children develop positive relationships with staff.  Children make progress from their starting points. Staff support children to engage with schools, health provision and therapeutic interventions which improves children’s outcomes.  The registered manager and staff develop a detailed understanding of children’s behaviours and needs through spending time with them daily. Staff are well attuned to changes in children’s behaviour. Consequently they are able to respond promptly to changes in their emotional needs and provide appropriate support and intervention, including referrals to specialist services.  Staff develop positive relationships with professional stakeholders who value their partnership working in providing a consistent approach to meeting children’s needs and behaviours.  Staff respond swiftly when children are missing. They ensure that they look

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The children’s home provision is good because:

for them and work in collaboration with the police so that they are at risk of harm for the minimum time.  There are areas for improvement noted at this inspection. The registered manager accepted a placement which was not well matched to the existing children, which adversely impacted on the group. The new admission was in placement for a short period and, despite staff’s efforts, they were unable to prevent children being harmed. The registered manager has not ensured that damage to the home is immediately repaired, which is not reflective of the nurturing care staff provide. She has not ensured that the fire safety policy is followed and that staff and children who are new to the home are involved in fire drills within the requisite timescales. She has not sought the views of the relevant people in undertaking her location risk assessment or ensured that she holds all the relevant information for temporary staff who

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The children’s home provision is good because:

work in the home. Staff, on occasion, do not recognise when restraint has been used and do not ensure that recording of direct work is kept up to date. Staff do not ensure that children have access to an advocate to promote their wishes and feelings. The registered manager is aware of these shortfalls and has plans in place to address them.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to ensure that the care planning standard is met, the registered provider must ensure that: 1(a) children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 12/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered provider must ensure that staff: 2(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. 22/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered provider must ensure that they: 2(a) (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. 12/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must ensure, by means of drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedures to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) 12/08/2016

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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)) 12/08/2016 When conducting the review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 12/08/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Children looked after are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)   Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular that staff ensure that direct work and conversations with children are recorded in a timely manner, which ensures that the record is helpful for the children and staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for six children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home focuses on admitting younger age children. The home forms part of a large charitable organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Children benefit from being cared for by a strong core staff team which provides skilled and consistent care. They have pulled together to support each other during the recent unsettled period and support those team members who are newly recruited. Staff understand children’s individual needs and histories and develop detailed plans as a result. They spend time each day with children and listen to their experiences so that they really know them and are able to promote their welfare. Staff are skilled in sensitively helping children to understand what is in their best interests, including when it may not be possible to act on their wishes. Children develop a strong sense of stability and security. One independent reviewing officer said: ‘My child enjoys living at the home. Staff provide the consistency and nurture they require. They have moved on considerably with their emotions and attachment difficulties. I am pleased with their progress.’

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Good

Staff ensure that children know how to complain. Children talk to staff about what is difficult and staff ensure that they are appropriately safeguarded. Staff do not ensure that children benefit from access to an advocate or independent visitor. This has been offered to some, and it provides additional support for children, particularly when they are unhappy with their placing authorities’ progressing of their plans.

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Good

Most children are attending school and are making progress. Staff prioritise education and endeavour to ensure that they attend. They engage with schools to ensure that there are meaningful alternatives offered to those who are not receiving education. A headteacher said: ‘The staff work very hard to ensure that my child is in school on time, they give clear handovers from the evening or weekend before and support them in any tasks that are set for them to complete at home.’ As a result, most children are making good progress. For example, one child has progressed a whole sub-level in science in one term. Children enjoy recreational activities inside and outside the home. They like to go to the park and go swimming or to the cinema or Lego club. They are part of the local community and play out with local children. This promotes a sense of belonging. Staff ensure that children develop independence skills which are

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Good

appropriate to their age and development. Some older children are developing practical skills in shopping, budgeting and cooking as they prepare for adult life.

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Good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff’s detailed understanding of children means that they are in tune with their physical and emotional needs. They respond quickly to any changes in their presentation and ensure that children receive the right help to support their mental health. Staff work effectively with health professionals to develop skills to promote children’s welfare. One therapist said: ‘Staff are good at accepting advice and accepting that they can reduce risk rather than control it. Staff provide good empathetic listening.’ Another therapist echoed this positive relationship with staff: ‘… their support for therapy is exceptional.’

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Good

Over the period since the last inspection there have been three children admitted to the home and two have left. There has also been changes in the staff team. Two children who had recently left the home have returned due to placement breakdown, and another child joined the home contrary to the views of the registered manager, who recognised the child’s needs were not well matched with the existing group’s needs. This adversely affected all the children in the home.

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Good

Staff welcome children who are new to the home and endeavour to understand their needs. Those who leave are sometimes well prepared, while others leave very quickly following serious safeguarding concerns, and without any planning. One child who left the home has successfully moved into a foster placement. Staff prepared him well and he was ready for this transition. Staff advocate strongly on children’s behalf and pursue placing authorities to implement their care plans when there is a delay.

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Good

Some children develop strategies to manage their difficult feelings. Their strong relationships with staff enable them to develop the emotional resilience to manage their emotions more effectively. A social worker commented: ‘My child receives good quality care, staff are caring but provide clear, consistent boundaries. They seem happy and to have positive relationships with staff.’ For other children there is not this progress and staff and other children are harmed by their behaviours.

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Good

Staff promote contact for children with their families and friends where that is safe and in their best interests. They make good use of their delegated authority to allow children to stay over with friends when that has been risk-assessed. This promotes children’s independence and self-confidence.

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Good

Most children become increasingly safe. Staff understand their individual risks and support children to manage their behaviours. This is effective for most children, who make progress from their starting points, although this progress has not been consistent. The impact of a new child to the home has resulted in some children developing new risk-taking behaviours as they copy the child’s missing behaviour. Staff know what to do when children are missing and look for them or try to keep them within their line of vision if they leave the home. Staff follow missing protocols which have been drawn up with agreement of the police. Staff are alert to issues of child sexual exploitation, including when children are missing and pay attention to whether they return to the home in the same clothes or with newly acquired items. Staff ensure that return interviews are completed in line with guidance. An independent visitor commented: ‘Communication is good between

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Good

the staff and ourselves… we are offered a private space to conduct interviews with no interruptions.’ This informs the planning of children’s care and allows for greater understanding of the push and pull factors children are experiencing. Staff develop proactive relationships with the police who work with staff to protect most children from criminalisation.

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Good

Staff promote positive behaviour to good effect. They use distraction and de- escalation effectively with most children. Other children’s behaviour is unpredictable and, although staff develop their understanding of them, they are unable to keep themselves safe or prevent children causing damage to the home. Staff and the registered manager understand the underlying reasons for increases in the need for children to be restrained, reflecting their understanding of the impact of abuse and neglect on children’s behaviour. Staff work hard to support children to learn self-regulation. Staff make detailed recording of incidents of physical intervention and both staff and children are provided with debriefs. On occasion, staff do not recognise that restraint has been used. This is identified in the registered manager’s subsequent monitoring.

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Good

Staff understand how to manage child protection concerns and allegations against staff. They ensure that all appropriate agencies are informed and that immediate action is taken to safeguard children and staff. They have a positive relationship with the designated officer who commented: ‘… staff manage allegations appropriately, they take on board advice given and act quickly when they have to.’

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Requires improvement

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and skilled registered manager. She has been in post for less than a year and has recently been registered to manage the home during the existing manager’s maternity leave. She is currently completing her level 5 diploma in residential leadership and management. She has ensured that a requirement has been met from the last inspection but the recommendation regarding providing a nurturing physical environment has not been met. The home is run in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose to provide nurturing care to children to support their move to alternative care, usually a foster placement. Staff understand the impact of children’s early life experiences of neglect and abuse on their behaviour and development.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager attempts to prioritise the needs of children. She makes representations to senior managers within the organisation regarding internal transfers of children which she considers are an inappropriate match. Priority is not given to the stability and security of the group environment and the likely impact of new children joining the group is minimised. This resulted in a placement of a child for less than six weeks during which time she was charged with two assaults. This does not represent child-centred decision-making and had an adverse impact on the children already living in the home. For example, there was an increase in the number of incidents and the need to use restraint during this period. A social worker noted: ‘Recently there were issues with another child in placement. It was not an appropriate mix of children.’ The registered manager did ensure, when it became evident that other children were not safe, that the placement was ended

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Requires improvement

for the new admission. This safeguarded group living, but led to another move for the child concerned, which did not promote their welfare or outcomes.

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Requires improvement

Case records generally reflect children’s lives and their achievements and progress. The registered manager understands children’s care plans and is proactive in ensuring that staff seek to ensure that these are fulfilled. The registered manager ensures that the home is properly staffed so that children receive stable and consistent care. Permanent staff are appropriately recruited and vetted. However, she has not ensured that required information is held about each person who works in the home as temporary staff. This poses potential safeguarding risks as there is incomplete information about who has worked in the home.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers ensure that there is regular monitoring of the quality of care. They learn from practice and regularly review children’s care so that it reflects this learning. For example, staff develop behaviour management plans to incorporate advice from the in-house psychologist. Staff monitor children’s progress and can demonstrate the difference that their care makes to them. Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff are making records of all their direct work with children. These are lost opportunities for sharing information with other staff and in demonstrating to children how they have been helped by staff.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager engages positively with other agencies and professionals. She builds effective relationships with placing social workers, schools, therapists and the police to ensure that children benefit from consistent care and that their care plans are implemented. A headteacher said: ‘Staff work very closely with school in order to gain the best for the young people. We have daily contact with them face-to-face, and also by phone, sharing all information. This helps massively with their education as young people know they are getting wrap-around care.’ Staff develop trusting relationships with children and are usually able to meet their individual needs. The staff team works collaboratively to provide consistent care. At times, conflict is well managed and children are supported to understand how to resolve conflict safely. However, at other times it is not and children harm each other, resulting in hospital treatment being required. This does not promote

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Requires improvement

All significant events are notified to the relevant authorities, including Ofsted. This ensures that the relevant action is taken to safeguard children and the regulator is able to monitor the home’s response to serious incidents.

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Requires improvement

The physical environment of the home is in need of repair and improvement. There are cupboard doors missing in the kitchen, there is no evidence of photos of the children on display around the home, paint is peeled from bedroom walls and explicit drawings left on walls. The registered manager attempts to get these issues rectified and there are plans in place to address them, but the lack of care of the environment does not reflect the nurturing care staff are trying to provide, and the delay in putting right damage caused when children are in crisis does not support their recovery. For example, explicit writing and drawings are on the walls weeks after they have been drawn and children who have issues with enuresis have their rooms cleaned to no effect. Staff did not notice that a child had pushed Lego into the electricity socket in the bedroom. This does not promote children’s health, welfare or self-esteem.

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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 children looked after 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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