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

Inspection report children's home: SC008270 1 SC008270 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

The home provides care for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company owns and operates this setting.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: SC008270 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people say that they feel safe, comfortable and happy in the home.  A committed staff team cares for young people. The staff team provides consistent care based on the individual needs of the young people.  Staff place great value on the views and opinions of young people. Consulting young people involves listening to them, discussing their care plans and talking about how the home is run.  Staff are very positive in their approach to education and its value for young people’s futures.  Young people are given every encouragement to keep in contact with family members and maintain friendships.  Young people have clear risk assessments in place to help minimise and address the risk of harm.  The manager ensures that there are good working relationships with partner agencies

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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

 The manager has not ensured that the home’s statement of purpose contains all relevant information.  The manager is not receiving supervision that is regular and supports her role.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC008270 3

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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

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (2)(b)) 10/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 10/08/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are provided with a good quality of care delivered by a committed staff team. As a result, young people develop excellent relationships with staff, and they appreciate the support afforded to them. One young person expressed this by saying, ‘The staff are all kind to you and treat you fairly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have personalised care and risk-management plans that staff keep under review. These plans take account of the full range of their needs and identify their daily support requirements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have clear health plans, and are registered with relevant primary health care services. They understand the importance of good health and are supported by staff to attend physical and psychological health appointments. The arrangements for the controlled storage and administration of young people’s medication are safe and effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that young people attend educational settings according to their needs and abilities. Staff work in partnership with education departments and other relevant professionals to ensure that young people have every opportunity to increase their academic ability and to reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people are able to maintain contact with their family and friends. Staff will facilitate contact, regularly providing transport, so that important connections are maintained. Staff also support young people’s friendships in the local community. Inspection report children's home: SC008270 4 Young people benefit from making a positive contribution to their home through key- worker sessions and regular young people’s meetings. Young people join local clubs and take part in activities within the wider community. For example, one young person recently joined the boys’ brigade. This enables young people to socialise with others of a similar age, have new experiences and develop hobbies, skills and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to develop independence and life skills that are relevant to their age, level of understanding and ability. Those who are eligible have pathway plans in place setting out how they will progress into independence. This means that young people are better equipped for their transition to adulthood.

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

The manager ensures that staff receive safeguarding training and that they have a good understanding of their duties in promoting young people’s welfare. Staff are familiar with the particular vulnerabilities associated with each young person, and use this knowledge to develop behaviour management plans and risk assessments. Staff are insightful of risks that young people can face including child sexual exploitation and radicalisation, and monitor young people’s behaviour for any emerging concerns. This level of surveillance helps to keep young people safe.

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

The good relationship between staff and young people means that young people feel safe and secure in their home. Staff know what action to take to promote young people’s safety if they go missing. There are effective procedures and protocols to promote their safe return. None of the young people in placement has gone missing from the home since their admission.

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

There are clear boundaries in place in respect of managing challenging behaviour. Although young people’s behaviour can be challenging, staff are consistent in their responses using the quality of their relationships with the young people to manage these situations. As a result, there have been no incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection.

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

Young people live in a safe and secure environment. There are effective health and safety systems in place. Regular practice evacuations ensure that young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly, in case of an emergency. When appointing staff, the home follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that those deemed suitable to work with vulnerable individuals only look after young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an appropriately qualified registered manager in place. The manager has been in post since March 2016 and holds a diploma in leadership, health and social care at level 5. Inspection report children's home: SC008270 5 The manager ensures that all staff receive regular supervision that provides the opportunity to review young people’s care as well as considering their professional developmental needs. However, the managers’ supervision needs to be more focused and increased in its regularity. This would allow the manager to reflect on her practice and receive oversight of her role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training records show staff benefit from a diverse range of appropriate training to develop their knowledge skills and professional practice. This means that staff are well trained to meet the individual needs of young people. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within the regulatory period to obtain their qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose has recently been updated. The statement of purpose clearly sets out the aims and objectives of the service. However, it does not meet regulatory requirements. For example, details of young people’s internet use in the home and information around missing from care recording are not clear. This means that placing authorities are not receiving accurate information about these areas

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring visits from someone independent of the home take place every month. The monitoring system provides a review of the home’s practice relating to the quality of young people’s care. Young people and staff are consulted and influence the actions taken to progress the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective and meaningful partnerships between the home, police and other safeguarding professionals to promote young people’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There were no requirements or recommendations arising from the last inspection.

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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 differences 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 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.

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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: SC008270 6

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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

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC008270 7 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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