Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 1 SC005589 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home accommodates two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties. It is one of a number of children’s homes run by a private organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

N/A Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people develop in confidence and self-esteem while living in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Educational attendance and attainment are improved. Young people have a vision for their future and feel they can achieve.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people engage well with staff and have formed trusting relationships.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people with a history of being missing settle in the home. Episodes of being missing are significantly reduced.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Child exploitation or child protection concerns are promptly addressed.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Relationships with a range of external agencies are well formed. This means that young people’s risks are assessed collectively and managed in a way that reduces risk.  Young people confirm that they are aware of the complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. There have been no complaints since the last inspection.  Internal monitoring of the home is consistent and provides a good analysis of the service provision in the home. Any areas for further development are responded to quickly.  The home’s development plan details what action needs to be taken to consistently improve the quality of care provided in the home.  Staff benefit from training opportunities. This training provides staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake work with difficult and complex young people.  Young people benefit from a small, consistent staff team. Strong relationships are formed between young people and staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Records of sanctions are not always appropriately recorded.  The home’s procedures for behaviour management are not consistently reflective of the organisation’s behaviour management policy.  The external monitoring reports do not outline the potential for conflict of interest in relation to the external visitor to the home.  The home’s locality assessment is in need of review in light of the neighbouring properties’ litter and increased risk of insect and vermin levels.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Good 21/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/08/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

12: The protection of children standard Ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so far as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(2)(d)) 17/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the behaviour management policy describes the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour and the measures of control discipline and restraint that are to be used in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.33)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last interim inspection in February 2017, one young person has moved on to semi-independence in accordance with her individual plan. The young person maintains contact with the home and is coping well in her new environment. A new admission was received into the home in April 2017. There are currently two young people living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people build positive and trusting relationships with staff. One young person said, ‘I get on really well with the staff here. They make you feel important and special. They listen and help me. It’s not like anywhere I have lived before.’ A social worker said, ‘My young person is very settled. This is the only placement she has settled in.’ Young people are cared for on a one-to-one basis and this ensures that their individual needs Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 5 are consistently addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning is consistently good. The registered manager and staff ensure that young people’s individual needs are suitably addressed through keywork sessions, group sessions and individual consultation time. Young people are encouraged to review their care and make comments and suggestions. This ensures that young people have a sense of control about decisions being made about them and their future. From their initial starting points, young people make progress in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Appropriate contact with family and friends is prioritised in the home. Staff provide additional support and supervision where necessary to ensure that young people have positive and happy experiences. Updated contact plans ensure that young people only have contact where it is formally agreed. Prompt action is taken by staff where any concerns arise and this serves to minimise any disruption between family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people come to the home with a history of educational disruption which may include non-attendance or disruption in school. Staff work well with the virtual headteacher and educational co-ordinator to ensure that young people receive the right support and guidance in order to sustain an educational placement. As a result, young people receive private tutoring, well-planned work experience placements and take positive steps towards their future. One young person has been accepted by two colleges to commence in September, while another young person is on target to return to the mainstream educational environment. A tutor said, ‘The staff make sure young people are prepared for education. They always have the right equipment and they engage really well. It is a pleasure to work with these young people.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Recreational activities are encouraged and supported in the home. Young people are encouraged to take part in new activities and, on the whole, they are excited to do so. In addition, staff provide group activities which include day trips to the seaside and camping trips. A social worker said, ‘I think it is great how staff have helped my young person to engage. They keep her occupied and she has learned to enjoy play.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with young people is part and parcel of the day-to-day routines in the home. Young people engage in one-to-one consultation sessions, keywork sessions and group discussions. They are encouraged to complete in-house questionnaires and provide feedback on how the home operates and the work undertaken with them. A young person said, ‘It is good here because staff talk to us about everything. We are asked our opinions and they count. It’s good.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

From their initial starting points, risks to young people reduce while living in this home. Young people have a previous history of being consistently missing from home and being at risk of child sexual exploitation. Since living in this home, there has been a significant reduction in young people being missing. On the few occasions that this has occurred, staff have taken prompt and effective action to locate and return the young person swiftly. Keywork sessions and updated risk assessments enable young people to Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 6 understand their individual risks and work with staff to manage and reduce further risk- taking behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are looked after on a one-to-one basis. This means that they have immediate support should they feel in crisis. Because staff have formed very good relationships with the young people, they are able to pre-empt potential conflict situations and put appropriate measures in place to minimise disruption. This has proved to be very successful. As a result, there are no instances where physical intervention is required.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people’s risks are managed very well. Staff work together to identify risks and the steps to be taken to reduce and manage them. Likewise, staff work very well with external agencies such as the Madison team (missing from home police liaison team) and the Phoenix team, who address any exploitation concerns. Together, they establish a working protocol to manage potential risks. This team partnership has resulted in several abduction notices being served and a higher police presence where offending behaviours have been identified. As a result, young people understand that staff will take every step possible to keep them safe from harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour management measures are in place in the home. Positive behaviour is consistently praised and rewarded. Young people say, ‘If I follow my plan and don’t get into trouble, I can receive rewards. If I don’t, then I don’t get rewards.’ However, records of sanctions are a little confusing. For example, where inappropriate or negative behaviour is recorded, the behaviour management strategy to address the behaviour is not recorded. The registered manager said, ‘If young people have negative or challenging behaviour, they may lose their daily monetary incentive.’ A young person said, ‘We also lose activity money for that evening.’ These strategies are not recorded in the sanctions book and are not in accordance with the home’s policy on behaviour management. Recommendations are made to address these matters.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people know how to complain. One young person said, ‘We can talk to staff, our social worker or use the numbers in the back of our information booklet.’ There are no recorded complaints since the last inspection. One young person said, ‘This is the best place I have lived. I don’t always like the rules, but I understand why they have them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since November 2011. She is qualified at NVQ level 4 and holds a number of years’ experience within children and young people’s residential services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose, and young people, social workers and families are clear about the service and support the home provides.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good internal monitoring systems provide the home with a clear approach to the overall monitoring of care. Detailed records highlight areas for development and are a reflection Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 7 of some of the matters identified within this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The location of the children’s home and the building require re-evaluation. Since the home was opened, two takeaway restaurants have opened next door. This creates problems with strangers outside the home and with litter. The back alley to the home regularly contains food waste, including oil containers from the takeaways. Rat traps are in place and regularly monitored. However, in the summer months, staff have reported an increase in flies. The registered manager has taken steps to address these concerns with the proprietor and the environmental health department. The rented building requires some further refurbishment to address the misted windows throughout the home. Furthermore, the sleeping-in arrangement for the second member of staff remains an area for re-evaluation. The registered manager said, ‘The organisation has made a decision to purchase a more suitable property and we are currently viewing

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

properties with the young people.’ However, to ensure that these concerns are suitably addressed, a requirement is made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a committed and enthusiastic staff team, with the majority of staff suitably qualified at NVQ level three. The training of staff at this level ensures that they are suitably qualified in the care and management of young people. Likewise, staff receive consistent and relevant training in the home. A staff member said, ‘Training is good. We have face-to-face and on-line training. We also have external agencies visit the home such as specialist police, community police and the looked after children’s nurse. This provides us with a better insight into how they work.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive consistent support from the manager. A staff member said, ‘Things are great. The registered manager has a vision and we all work together. It is a great team. I like working here.’ This strong and committed team works consistently well to provide positive outcomes for young people.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff demonstrate commitment to developing and improving practice. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress young people make from their initial starting point.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the procedure for notifying Ofsted of incidents under Regulation 40. On the whole, the home has a good record of submitting notifications accordingly.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 8 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 10 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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