Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 The young person excels in education.  The young person’s physical and emotional health needs are met.  The young person is safe, does not go missing and is not at risk of exploitation.  Risk assessments are strong.  The physical environment is of a high standard.  Feedback from professionals about the quality of care staff provided to the young person is good.  There are some areas of weakness within the home. These are not having robust recruitment processes, staff training and involving the young person in all of her plans.

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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

The requirements are that the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.(Regulation 32 (3)(a)(b)(d)) 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 31/12/2016

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/01/2016 Full Good

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Good

The home has provided a placement for only one young person since the last inspection. The young person is in a solo placement and she is settled at the home. The young person’s social worker said, ‘This is the most stable placement that she has had.’ Staff facilitate and support contact to make sure that the young person maintains contact with those who are important to her. This helps her to maintain a sense of identity.

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Good

Staff have access to all statutory care plans and make sure that they work to the aims and objectives of the placing authority. Key work is completed that helps to address areas of development on a planned and unplanned basis. The young person is involved in the care that she receives and contributes to some areas of her plans. However, she does not have a strong voice in all aspects of her care. Consequently, the young person is not aware of what is expected from her and what she can expect from staff. This has the potential to inhibit her progress.

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Good

The young person has excellent school attendance and has full support with her homework. A teacher said, ‘They work hard for [young person] and they work closely with us. [Young person] is making excellent progress in all subjects and is always well turned out… I cannot fault them.’ The manager works in close partnership with education professionals, with particular reference to making sure that there is good communication about any issues regarding social relationships at school or at home. This shared approach ensures that the young person is receiving a holistic approach to her educational needs, coupled with support in developing and maintaining peer relationships.

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Good

The current young person enjoys good physical and emotional health. She is fully supported to attend routine health appointments. Staff ensure that they work in accordance with any medical guidance given in order to improve her physical health further. Staff fully support the young person to access and engage in therapy to help her address any current or past difficulties. A psychologist said, ‘I can definitely see progression. [Young person] is in a very stable placement and this is an enormous achievement.’ Consequently, the young person is healthy and her emotional needs are being met.

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Good

The current young person enjoys activities of her choice. She has had pets of her own and currently has two goldfish that she is responsible for looking after. She enjoys spending time with her friends and listening to music in her bedroom. Her bedroom is personalised, comfortable and meets all her needs. This means that the young person is building on her self-esteem and confidence while she enjoys herself.

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Good

Staff recognise the young person’s individual needs while at the same time ensuring her safety, minimising risks and increasing personal safety. Managers and staff have a clear understanding of why they need to safeguard the young person and what they need to do to make sure that she is safe. Good clear risk assessments help make sure that the young person is protected. The young person’s social worker commented, ‘The risk assessments are continually updated. They have put on waking nights staff in response to risk assessments and they are very conscious of her safety.’

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Good

Staff implement a behaviour management structure focusing on positive behaviour. Sanctions used within the home are fair, proportionate and reasonable. They are reviewed regularly for effectiveness. Financial sanctions have been ineffective and staff are now implementing alternative sanctions that may be more beneficial in respect of modifying some behaviour. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. Physical intervention recordings are comprehensive and demonstrate that staff take care to guide the young person away from challenging situations. Records demonstrate that the young person and staff have been debriefed. Management overview makes sure that the young person’s safety and welfare is not compromised and she receives support after a physical intervention. The young person is not at risk of any form of exploitation and does not go missing from the home.

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Good

Managing allegations is addressed in line with the home’s safeguarding procedure. Staff do not work in the home following an allegation. All appropriate professionals are notified, including the designated safeguarding officer and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector. The manager makes sure that the young person is updated at every stage of the investigation. Following the conclusion of an investigation, the manager will make sure that there is an opportunity for a resolution meeting to provide an opportunity for all parties to meet prior to the member of staff returning. As a result, the young person feels fully involved in the process from start to finish and that her complaints are taken seriously.

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Good

The manager works closely the placing authority about staffing levels, maintaining two-to-one staffing as defined in the care plan. The young person is starting to have more independence, carefully balanced with risks to herself and the community. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘They are encouraging her independence skills, which is good.’ Consequently, the young person is learning basic independence skills appropriate to her age and ability. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

An appropriately qualified and experienced manager manages the home. He has a registered manager’s award. Staffing arrangements have not always been consistent. The manager has now recruited an experienced staff team that is sufficient to meet the needs of the young person. The current staff team is new, albeit experienced. The registered manager is confident that the staff mix of gender and skills will provide consistency and good care to the young person. However, the registered manager is leaving at the end of December 2016. A new manager has been appointed and there will be a handover to ensure a smooth transition for staff and the young person. A member of staff said, ‘The manager puts a lot of effort into ensuring that there are good skills and experience on each shift.’

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Requires improvement

Staff feel supported by managers. They receive regular supervisions and annual appraisals. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within regulatory timescales at present to obtain their qualification within two years of starting work. All staff receive training in first aid, safeguarding, fire safety, the Prevent duty and physical intervention. Staff have not received training that is bespoke to meeting the needs of the current young person, such as attachment training. As a result, the young person is not fully benefiting from a staff team, which is trained appropriately to meet her needs.

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Requires improvement

Staff recruitment has not always been rigorous. Unsuitable individuals have been recruited and worked with the young people without appropriate references being sought. There has been no impact on the young person. Following an internal investigation, the provider has changed its procedures and now has a robust recruitment system in place. As a result, only adults who are appropriately vetted and are suitable to work with young people are now employed.

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Requires improvement

Managers ensure that the quality of care is reviewed regularly from internal and external audits. This makes sure that they prioritise the needs of the young person at all times. Managers and staff analyse data to try to identify patterns and trends that will improve the home and the experiences of the young person. This has had particular relevance to physical interventions and incidents. The manager has collated the information, including the staff involved, the day of the week, number of incidents and/or physical interventions and allegations. Managers have identified some trends that have allowed them to change particular areas of practice. Consequently, physical interventions and incidents have decreased since the last inspection. Managers have good working relationships with partnership agencies. They challenge them, if necessary, on behalf of the young person. This has been evidenced from the good feedback received from professionals about the quality of

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Requires improvement

care provided to the young person. Managers and staff are meeting the aims and objectives of their statement of purpose and providing a good quality of care to the young person.

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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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