Children's home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

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 sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have continued to make very good and exceptional progress since the last inspection. They have significantly reduced their challenging behaviour and are calmer and more emotionally stable. There have been no serious incidents reported to Ofsted. No children have been missing from home and none are considered to be at risk of child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. There have been no allegations against staff. Children continue to be safe and well cared for and there is good evidence that this home is making a positive difference to the lives of all the children who live there.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home supports children to lead healthy lives. One child has grown four inches during the six months since his admission, and is said to be blossoming, now that he is in a safe and stable placement. The home ensures that children receive the treatment they need and challenges other professionals to ensure that children are not disadvantaged by being in care. For example, through perseverance and professional challenge, the manager has enabled a child to receive appropriate dental treatment and the dentist has reviewed his policy for treating children in care so that they can now access the treatment they need more easily and in line with children who are not looked after.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children continue to be well supported in their education and training programmes. Staff work closely with schools, and, through reading with a child, they have supported his learning and helped him to catch up with peers. Staff transport children and young people to and from college or school and this helps to ensure that they have good attendance. They have helped a young person who is not enjoying his chosen apprenticeship to pursue other avenues that are more suited to him.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home works particularly closely with an independent special school that provides education for one of the children. Staff attend the school with the child every day and support him full time in the classroom. When the child becomes agitated and threatens the safety of teachers, care staff intervene and there have been several incidents that have resulted in the child being restrained by care staff when at school. Records do not fully demonstrate that restraints have been implemented using the minimal amount of force required. No education, health and care plan is in place for this child, so he is not otherwise receiving additional support in school. The manager intends to pursue this with the school and placing authority, as it is clear that the child needs additional support in the classroom. Additionally, the organisation’s therapist plans to provide teachers with training in behaviour management of the child, who has complex emotional needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents that occur at this school spill over into the child’s home life. For example, following some challenging behaviour that resulted in a restraint in school, the child’s ice-skating trip was put on hold. This is because ice-skating is regarded as a reward for good behaviour. Measures of control used in this way are not recorded, which makes it difficult for the provider to monitor the behaviour management strategies in use in the home and their effectiveness. The demarcation between home and school is blurred and this compromises the home’s ability to provide a safe and secure haven for children for whom school is challenging.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has recently improved its practice to ensure that reflective interviews are held with staff following a restraint, and are recorded. This is a work in progress and not all restraint records demonstrate robust reflection on incidents. Records do not always show that staff have been supported to consider alternative behaviour management strategies or lessons learned. The organisation’s therapist is working with the manager to improve intervention strategies. This is to help make sure that staff take into account children’s individual needs arising from their previous history when responding to children’s challenging behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No children have been admitted to or discharged from the home since the full inspection. However, one young person is shortly to move on to supported living. He has been fully involved in planning and preparing for the move and the actual transition has been well planned.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has reflected on the recommendation made at the last inspection. This was about helping children who have had previous bad experiences of family life to move successfully on to foster care through careful preparation for living in a family. She explained that no children are yet ready for transition to foster care but that the home will take care to work with social workers and foster carers to ensure children are fully prepared and ready for such a move.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children report that they are well cared for, listened to and trust the staff that look after them. They say that they feel safe in the home, and is it clear that they have a good rapport with the staff team. They say that staff are ‘fun’ and they particularly enjoy spending time with staff. They enjoy a wide range of activities and outings. They have no complaints about the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has strong recruitment and selection procedures that support the selection of suitable staff who are likely to keep children safe. New staff go through a well-planned induction and are enrolled on the level 3 diploma in good time. Most members of staff are suitably qualified and have worked at the home for over two years. This demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to having a well-trained and qualified workforce.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff say that they are well supported and supervised by managers. They demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to the children and report that they are a strong, cohesive team and that children’s needs are central to the operation and management of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall, monitoring of the home is good, with the exception of the matters raised above. The manager has a very good understanding of children’s needs and monitors and promotes their progress well. She completes quarterly reports on the quality of care which help her to identify where improvements are needed and to prioritise areas for development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent visitor completes monthly reports that focus on how well the home safeguards children and promotes their welfare. He interviews staff, and seeks the views of parents and social workers or other professionals, which help him to form his view. Although detailed, these reports do not always show a rigorous assessment of the home’s safeguarding arrangements. For example, in some cases, the evaluation of the management of incidents and safeguarding practice lacks depth and analysis.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Individualised risk assessments and behaviour management plans clearly guide staff in how to care for children and meet their individual safety and other needs. However, they do not identify risks associated with children coming out of their bedrooms at night. This means that the blanket use of electronic monitoring through buzzers on bedroom doors is not regularly reviewed, although it is recorded in the placement plan which is signed by all relevant parties. A child said he was uncomfortable with this arrangement, which he feels does not take account of his individual needs and stage of development.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and is registered for four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/09/2016 Full Good 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/12/2015 Full Good 12/03/2015 Full Good

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Act on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education or training matters including, but not limited to, their behaviour, as a good parent would. In particular, liaise with the placing authority, virtual head and head teacher in relation to a child whose current education placement relies on care staff providing full-time support to teaching staff who cannot otherwise manage the child’s behaviour in school. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.12)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the principles for managing the child’s behaviour are met in line with paragraph 9.35. In particular, the manager should ensure that incidents involving the use of restraint, and behaviour management strategies including sanctions and rewards, are subject to full and proper scrutiny; and should assist staff to reflect on their responses to the child’s behaviour and to learn lessons that will inform future practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. Ensure also that staff understand the systems for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognise where children have managed situations well. In particular, ensure that, when planned or anticipated activities are withdrawn in response to a child’s misbehaviour, this is clearly recorded as a measure of control. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraphs 9.38, 9.39)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that, when restraint involves the use of force, the force used is not more than is necessary and is applied in a way that is proportionate, i.e. the minimum amount of force necessary to avert injury or serious damage to property for the shortest possible time. This is in relation to the use of supine restraints with children assessed as requiring small child holds. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.50)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any modifications to the environment of the home are only made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. In particular, the continuing use of an alarm on a child’s bedroom door should be subject to regular review of the risks associated with not having an alarm in place. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65 paragraph 15.5)

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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, 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

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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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