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

Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 1 SC008487 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 is registered to provide care and accommodation for six young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home is privately run and managed.

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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 outstanding

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make significant progress taking into account their individual starting points across all aspects of their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 2  Young people benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs extremely effectively and contributes to significant change and improvement in their lives.  Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Risk-taking behaviours, such as going missing from care for long periods, self- harm, substance misuse, offending and other high risk-taking behaviours, have reduced significantly, as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect young people.  Young people enjoy exceptionally good relationships with staff with whom they sustain their positive attachments. They benefit from continuity of care and have consistency and stability in their lives. Young people develop a sense of

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Key findings from this inspection

permanence and belonging.  Staff consistently place the safety of young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges this presents. Young people are kept safe and develop a strong sense of personal safety.  The registered manager stimulates staff’s enthusiasm and channels staff’s efforts effectively. She ensures that the ethos and culture of the home is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all young people. Staff prioritise the needs of young people effectively. They can demonstrate the positive impact and difference that they have made to the lives of young people.

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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

 In-house meetings provide an effective opportunity for staff to consult with young people and involve them in key decisions so they can contribute to and influence the running of the home. However, it is difficult to see the extent to which the views of young people have been listened to and acted on.  Young people have personal education plans to promote their educational achievement. However, other ‘relevant plans’ are currently outstanding. For example, some young people require an updated care plan, pathway and/or education, health and care plan to promote their changing and specific needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all relevant plans are obtained from the placing authority. This relates specifically to obtaining copies of education, health and care plans, pathway plans and/or revised care plans, when needed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1)  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make significant progress taking into account their individual starting points across all aspects of their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to significant change and improvement in their lives. Young people’s transitions to and from the home are extremely well planned and managed. Young people are admitted to the home in a very controlled and positive way. The last young person that left the home made her successful transition back home to live with her family, with ongoing help and support from staff. She reports, ‘It was good living there. The staff worked with me and helped me with my behaviour. They helped me get back home… I miss the staff.’ The young person’s parent reports, ‘She didn’t make it easy for them, but they never gave up on her and always believed in her. I can’t

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

thank them enough. Apart from being at home, the only other place I would ever wish my daughter to live is there. That’s hard saying that as her mother. They’ve always involved me and we worked as a team. They advised me and helped me. We worked well together.’ Young people enjoy warm and secure relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments. Staff provide young people with continuity of care so that they have consistency and stability in their lives. Young people enjoy stable placements and develop a sense of permanence and belonging. They are kept safe and develop a strong sense of personal safety. One young person reports, ‘It’s energetic, peaceful and just like one big family… Staff are nice, helpful and caring.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 4 Young people are actively encouraged to attend school regularly with good support and encouragement from staff. They benefit from the support that they need to resume their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

education should school become difficult or challenging. Staff tackle any educational barriers that impede young people’s progress and learning. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the providers of young people’s education to promote their educational achievement. A young person reports, ‘They’re helping me with my school because I don’t like the school I’m at. They’ve got me a tutor and are helping me to attend [an alternative educational provision].’ Staff consistently have high aspirations for all young people. They encourage and support their career aspirations, training and educational goals. Young people have personal education plans which map their progress and learning. However, other relevant plans are currently outstanding. For example, some young people require an updated care plan, pathway and/or education, health and care plan to promote their specific needs. Young people benefit from the services that they need to be healthy and enjoy good

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

health. They are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician and have access to these services when they need them. Staff advise young people about key health issues and encourage them to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This enables young people to make informed lifestyle decisions and take responsibility for their own health. Medical consent is in place and staff are familiar with the types of health decisions and responsibilities that are delegated to them. The arrangements for managing and administering young people’s medication are managed safely by staff. Young people have access to specialist support, if needed, to promote their emotional and psychological well-being. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with parents, schools, social workers and health professionals to ensure that young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. Young people take part in enjoyable and positive activities at the home and in the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

community. They develop their social skills and can form appropriate relationships as a result. Young people benefit from contact with their friends and families. This ensures that young people can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Young people are allowed to take appropriate risks to promote their growth and natural development. They develop practical skills, such as shopping, cooking and budgeting to promote their readiness for adulthood. One young person requires a pathway plan, as an eligible care leaver, to promote his smooth transition to independence. Young people attend regular in-house meetings and have regular key-working sessions with staff. These are forums in which young people receive good advice and support with any problems or issues they may have. In-house meetings provide an opportunity for staff to consult with young people and involve them in key decisions so that they can

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

contribute and influence the running of the home. However, it is difficult to see the extent to which the views of young people have been listened to and acted on. Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 5

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

Staff consistently place the safety of young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges this presents. Staff have an exceptionally good understanding of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of young people and take appropriate action to address them. Young people become increasingly safer as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect them. They are kept safe and enjoy a very strong sense of personal safety. There is evidence of considerable change and improvement in the lives of young people taking into account their individual starting points. Risk-taking behaviours, such as offending and anti-social behaviour, drugs misuse, self-harm and going missing from care for long periods, have reduced significantly and young people are far less likely to suffer actual harm. The use of robust risk assessments, highly effective behaviour management strategies and proactive safe working practices promotes the safety and

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

well-being of young people. Young people rarely go missing; however, if they do, they benefit from an effective response to secure their safe return. The frequency with which young people go missing has reduced considerably. A social worker reports, ‘It’s an absolutely brilliant service. They go above and beyond and were proactive in looking for her when she went missing, even in the early hours of the morning. They formed good relationships with the young person and her mother. Communication is fantastic. Their reports are good and of a high quality. Really good management team. The manager really helped move things on. I cannot praise them enough.’ Staff are trained in conflict resolution and know how to manage young people’s behaviours safely and effectively. They understand how their strong feelings and emotions can be communicated through negative and, sometimes, disruptive behaviour. Staff help young people to resolve their conflicts safely and positively. They provide

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

young people with effective help to self-regulate their own feelings and behaviour. This approach has been proved effective and has ensured that the use of restraint is rarely used and, if used at all, it is always a last resort to protect young people from harm. A young person reports, ‘When I came I was sad because I wasn’t with my mum. But being in this care home has helped me improve in many ways. When I had my mood swings the staff supported me through them and never gave up on me, although sometimes I was very aggressive towards members of staff. They slowly started to let me see my mother more and helped me go back home.’ Staff make good use of targeted incentives and rewards. They routinely praise young people’s positive behaviour and ensure that consequences to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature. This encourages young people to reflect on their behaviour and put right their own wrongdoings. Staff are positive role models that young people look up to

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

and learn from. One young person reports, ‘The staff are dead down to earth and always there when you need them. They’re always supportive and helpful.’ Young people know how to make a complaint and their rights are promoted effectively. There have been no complaints from young people since the last inspection. Significant incidents are rare; however, when they do occur, they are reported to the appropriate Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 6 authorities charged with a duty to protect young people. This ensures that the right professionals can take appropriate action to safeguard and protect young people. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the police and all other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety and well-being of young people. Staff are trained in child protection so that they know how to protect young people from abuse and all other forms of significant harm, including child sexual exploitation,

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

trafficking, female genital mutilation and radicalisation. Allegations of abuse are handled quickly, effectively and professionally, which ensures that young people are safeguarded and protected from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home benefits from an inspirational, energetic and ambitious registered manager who leads her staff team by example and channels the staff’s efforts effectively. The registered manager consistently ensures that staff are well supported, professionally managed and led. Staff have consistently positive views about their manager and feel she has completely transformed the service for the better. The registered manager ensures that the ethos and culture of the home is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all young people. Staff share and implement that ethos, approach and philosophy in caring for young people. Staff ensure that they fully meet and exceed the aims and objectives, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. The training needs of staff are clearly identified and consistently met. Staff have access to a wide range of high-quality training that enables them to meet the specific needs of the young people they care for. Staff make child-

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

centred decisions and maintain highly effective partnerships with other professional agencies, including social workers, parents and schools, to ensure that young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. Young people benefit from effective support, help and protection. The registered manager and staff are extremely well trained, experienced and qualified. A stable, strong, competent and diverse staff group is employed with sufficient skills and experience to meet the needs of young people effectively. Staff can demonstrate the positive impact and difference that they have made to the lives of young people. Young people make significant progress as a result of the care and support provided to them by committed, enthusiastic and dedicated staff. There are highly effective arrangements for the monitoring of the performance of the home. An independent person visits the home to scrutinise the standard and quality of

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

young people’s care and the arrangements to safeguard them and promote their well- being. These visits enable the registered manager to have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager makes effective use of the home’s internal and external monitoring activities to eradicate any weaknesses and secure the home’s continued improvement. Regular feedback is obtained from young people, parents, professionals and other stakeholders. The feedback received is consistently and exceptionally positive. Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 7

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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: SC008487 8

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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

Anthony Kyem, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC008487 9 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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