Children's home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd 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 improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, Ofsted raised three requirements and three recommendations. The registered manager has taken sufficient action to address two of the requirements and the three recommendations. The remaining requirement relates to the internal review of the quality of care provided by the service. The registered manager has partly met this requirement and has made some improvements to internal monitoring systems. This means that the registered manager is now better able to identify patterns and trends in the services and evaluate the strengths and shortfalls of the provision. Nevertheless, these developments remain in their infancy. For example, revised monitoring systems do not include feedback from other professionals or the views and opinions of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has reviewed and revised the statement of purpose for the service. This document now includes details relating to emergency admission processes and how staff will receive young people into the home in these circumstances. For example, the statement of purpose includes a ‘cut-off’ time for admissions to the home. As a result, all future admissions to the home will take place prior to midnight. This significantly reduces the potential for young people to experience increased stress and anxiety.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no admissions since the last inspection and there are no plans to admit any young people in the coming months. Nevertheless, the registered manager and senior care staff completed a review of the admissions procedure for the service. This review incorporated an audit of the essential information and the necessary statutory documentation that are required from placing authorities prior to a young person’s admission. Subsequently, staff will now be able to compile initial risk assessments and risk management plans at the point of admission. This improvement promotes young people’s safety and ensures that the service only accommodates young people if it is able to meet their needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person who is currently placed in the home continues to make positive and sustainable progress in all areas of her personal growth and development. Staff make sure that they work in partnership with other agencies, such as the placing authority and education services. These professional and strong relationships mean that the young person experiences integrated and comprehensive care and support. Managers and senior staff devise detailed internal care plans and placement plans. These enable staff to track the young person’s progress and amend their support plans as and when necessary. For example, to ensure that the young person maintains her school placement, staff have daily conversations with teaching staff and school support staff. This means that any potential barriers to learning are immediately identified and actioned.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between the young person and the staff team are very positive. Staff often work with the young person on a one-to-one basis and the registered manager has introduced lone-working risk assessments to protect both the young person and the staff in these situations. Staff use these relationships to encourage the young person to engage in meaningful one-to-one sessions to discuss behaviour, risk factors, personal achievements and future aims. Since the last inspection, there have been very few incidents of challenging or unacceptable behaviour. This is because staff explain in detail what is acceptable behaviour and now use restorative and reflective sanctions to help the young person to take responsibility for her actions.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has revised the policy relating to incidents in which young people may go missing from the home. At the time of the last inspection, staff locked exit doors from the home to contain a young person. Although there have been no further missing-from-home incidents, the registered manager has reiterated to staff what is considered to be acceptable and unacceptable practice in these circumstances. Staff now have a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities and this promotes young people’s safety.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company owns and operates the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/11/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2015 Full Requires improvement 25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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, 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 complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children on the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). (Regulation 45(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)) 17/04/2017

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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 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 who 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 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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