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

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 . The home continues to operate as a solo placement and there have been no admissions or discharges since the last inspection. The young person was missing from home at the time of the inspection and the placing authority has served notice on the placement. Staff have a good understanding of the missing-from-home protocols. They report the young person to the police and the local authority when he goes missing. Staff search for the young person for long periods and make numerous telephone calls to him, friends and family members to try to locate him. Staff pass on any relevant information to the police and the local authority to try to assist them in finding him. The independent reviewing officer commented, ‘The home have been proactive looking for [young person] and sending him the right message. [Young person] has

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

been keeping in touch with them and they have been encouraging links with his social worker.’ Staff spend time with the young person in key-work sessions trying to help him understand the inherent risks of going missing, including work on child sexual exploitation, to help him make better choices to keep himself safe. Despite the proactive approach taken by staff, the young person’s behaviour of going missing has increased since the last full inspection. Staff routinely obtain and record the young person’s views in key-work sessions and encourage the young person to share these views with the professionals involved in the planning of his care. For example, the staff have encouraged him to contact his independent reviewing officer so that he can share his views in order that they can be integral to plans made about his care. His views about the home are recorded clearly in a feedback form that he has recently completed: ‘If the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

home and staff was in X it would be sweet. I have the staff here who are sound, I have no problems with staff in the home I just want to be in X.’ The young person receives home tutoring that is provided by the organisation, but there has been a delay in obtaining a full-time school place for him in the local area. Staff have been in regular communication with the social worker to try to progress a school place for him, but have not sufficiently escalated this or robustly challenged the local authority regarding this delay. The young person’s plan for contact with his family is also unclear. Both factors have had an impact on his investment in the placement and the increase in his going missing from home. There has been an increase in challenging behaviour from the young person since the last inspection. The staff spend time with the young person discussing this and trying to understand the cause of such behaviour. The staff use de-escalation

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

techniques effectively and this has meant that the use of physical intervention is rare, with only one record of physical intervention since the last inspection. When physical intervention is used, it is to keep the young person and/or others safe from harm. The young person and the staff are debriefed following any incidents of restraint and the manager evaluates incidents afterwards to ensure that practice is monitored. Staff understand safeguarding procedures well, including how to manage allegations. There has been one allegation made since the last inspection, which was promptly referred to the local authority designated officer. Ofsted was also notified. This demonstrates that staff have taken appropriate action to ensure that the young person is kept safe. The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and the areas of development for the home. He has ensured that both recommendations made at

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the last inspection are met, showing that he is able to reflect and take action to improve practice and the home’s performance. He utilises a range of monitoring systems such as independent visits and feedback from professionals and the young person to improve the quality of care provided.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private organisation, which has a number of other registered children’s homes. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people, who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/10/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/10/2015 Full Good 04/03/2015 Full Good

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff – (c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. 28/04/2017

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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 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 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 0300 123 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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