Children's home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 1 SC434520 Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A small private company operates this home. Ofsted has registered the service to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 August to 1 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Exceptional leadership forges an ethos and a culture that are resilient, supportive and inspirational for children.  Children are happy and safe, and make substantial progress from their starting points.  The manager has been in post for a substantial period of time and changes in staff are rare. This provides a secure base for children’s care.  Most children have the security of living at the home for several years.  The staff team is highly competent and motivated.  All the staff are excellent role models and establish insightful and meaningful relationships with the children.  Staff routinely seek and act on children’s views.  Staff expertise and attention mean that risks reduce and serious incidents are rare.  Children receive good-quality, one-to-one care, which addresses their individual needs.  The particularly high standard of the property and the vast range of activities show children how much staff value them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff advocate strongly for each child and demonstrate this particularly well with education. Education is a key feature of the service and each child’s life. This helps to improve their learning and life chances.  Research and up-to-date expert advice inform staff practice. A therapist is actively involved in the home and staff training is of a high standard.  External professionals hold the service in high esteem.

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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

 Ensure that staff arrange for relevant information from return home interviews to be shared with them, so that they can use this information to further reduce risks around children who may go missing from the home.  Improve record-keeping systems so that information about serious incidents is accessible and presents a coherent chronology of events. Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/12/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 4

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) This refers specifically to ensuring that information from these interviews is shared with staff and used to inform future risk management.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph, 10.24) This refers specifically to ensuring that all incident records provide a clear chronology of what happened, actions taken and the outcome, and that records avoid unnecessary duplication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in an exceptionally well presented home. The property reflects the company’s aim to provide children with the best possible service. Children who are older find the location ‘a bit isolated’ but say it is ‘nice’ and they will happily bring their friends to visit. Adults, such as visiting professionals, consistently describe the property as, ‘lovely’, ‘beautiful’ and having a positive ‘ambience’. Inside, the house is light and airy with a high standard of colour-coordinated decoration, fittings and furnishings. Children’s photographs are on display throughout. These show the fun times and positive experiences that they have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff demonstrate a straightforward belief that children’s needs and rights come first. Children experience one-to-one care at all times and form strong bonds with the staff, often over several years. This high level of support is a substantial step towards meeting their individual needs. A positive sign of the effectiveness of the service is how well children who are new to the home settle in. Although new children need time to do so, the group accepts them and their acute needs do not upset the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The work of a therapist helps staff apply the philosophy behind the service. Specific and widely accepted theoretical models guide the emotional care of each child. The therapist attends team meetings during which they discuss each child’s strengths and needs. With the help of the therapist, staff develop strategies, which are individually suited to each child. Implementing these strategies effectively helps children to overcome difficulties. When Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 5 speaking about one child, a professional told the inspector, ‘Her emotions have stabilised and she [is making] excellent progress. They have taught her strategies that have enabled her to feel calmer and respond positively.’ Staff have adapted one child’s bedtime routine to help to lessen her anxieties. This has been successful and has led to a reduction of challenging incidents at night. This marked progress helps children to enjoy routines of the day, interact

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

more effectively with others and benefit from the different opportunities on offer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support young people to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff oversee these critical but sometimes fragile relationships with skill. As a result, children re-establish important relationships with members of their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children learn that their views are influential. This is not tokenistic and their views are seriously taken into account when considering a range of individual and group arrangements. For example, they influence the choice of summer holiday activities, choice of school and the arrangements to meet their families. Staff help children to discuss their concerns frankly and appropriately through a high standard of role modelling. Children are developing their empathy and emotional resilience. Independent advocates help children to express their views clearly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff have a strong focus on the importance of education. Staff understand children’s legal rights and work diligently with local authorities to address them. As a result, children who had disengaged from education now attend school regularly. Where their performance is below the expected standard, staff galvanise the relevant professionals. The headteacher of a virtual school said, ‘The staff clearly show their focus on positive outcomes for the children; they always participate in meetings and advocate on [children’s] behalf.’ When difficulties arise, staff act quickly to minimise disruption to children’s learning. From a very low starting point, one child has become confident enough to read road signs and clothing labels. This empowers and liberates her. Another child has recovered from a series of placement breakdowns and has passed his GCSE examinations. Two children who have left school and have recently moved to semi-independence are both in employment. The

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

support of staff helps children to develop a good work ethic and ambition. A social worker commented, ‘[Name of young person] continues to make excellent progress at the home. She is feeling safe and secure and being supported to reach her potential.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children lead exceptionally enjoyable and fulfilling lives. They experience a wide range of activities, learn new skills and take up new hobbies. Staff avoid gender stereotypes and encourage children to broaden their horizons. Staff use board games and other opportunities to talk to children about religion and other cultures. As a result, children learn about difference, they reflect on their own identity and demonstrate empathy for others. From frantic games outside to cuddling staff quietly on the settee, children have fun and learn new things. A social worker said, ‘It’s a pleasure to see the progress she is making and the activities she is participating in.’ Music is a recurring theme, with some children learning to play the piano in the living room. Another child has learned to play the guitar. Some children attend scouts and youth clubs and they have tried fishing, rugby and other local activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child recently rode a bicycle for the first time. This is a good way of exercising and has boosted her self-confidence. Staff teach children the benefits of helping other people by involving them in charity events and supporting voluntary groups, such as a local cattery. Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 6 Children learn to accept the benefits of healthy lifestyles. One child told the inspector that, ‘We can only buy sweets and fizzy drinks at the weekends [because] it’s healthier that way.’ Children enjoy home-cooked meals and a nutritionally balanced diet. Staff work diligently and sensitively to promote children’s health. For example, one child responded well to a cautious approach by staff and accepted important dental treatment. Another child received prompt hospital attention for a condition that staff did well to identify. After researching the issue, staff quickly alerted a consultant to the fact that a new child was on the wrong dose of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

medication. These steps demonstrate exceptionally high standards of care and attention and are important contributions to children’s welfare and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Notably, children tend to remain in the home for several years. This gives them critical stability and continuity. Two children have recently moved successfully to semi-independent settings. They took presents, life-story work and other memorabilia. Together, staff and the young people planned the transitions carefully. A social worker wrote, ‘[My young man] had an excellent placement! It’s [been] his home. Staff supported him effectively with his anxieties about moving away.’

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

There have been no breakdowns in children’s placements, no allegations against staff and no complaints. It does not mean, however, that difficulties do not arise. Staff are adept at preventing issues that otherwise might escalate to a breaking point. Staff apply consistently clear routines and boundaries and this means that children understand expectations made of them. They gain comfort and security from this knowledge. Two children came to the same conclusion, by telling the inspector, ‘This home is run well. [Staff] can be strict but they don’t shout at you. There are consequences [such as losing points],’ and, ‘Staff are basically firm but fair, staff are sound. They are strict when they need to be, especially when I am being cheeky.’ One child explained fairness by saying, ‘We’d all lose points if we were arguing [not just one of us]. All the staff [act] the same.’

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

Children are safe and feel safe in the home. They interact well with all the staff and each other. Some happily leave their bedroom doors open because they trust the other children. Staff take a proportionate but carefully calculated approach to risks. Older children, for example, spend time in the community with their friends. This can lead to challenges, such as the misuse of alcohol or returning late, which key workers promptly address. Because staff have close working relationships with other professionals, and learn as much as possible about each child, the severity and frequency of these incidents are low. The independent visitor wrote, ‘It is clear that staff have a good knowledge of the [young person’s] friends and places he goes. [They] were able to check on him through various phone numbers even though he had left his own mobile at the home.’ One child was going missing every day, putting herself at substantial risk. Managers promptly deployed extra staff over a significant

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

period to keep her safe. This diligence means that she has not been missing from the home since March 2017. She is now beginning to believe that staff care for her and is focusing on her education. This is real progress for this young person.

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

The registered manager ensures that he and the staff respond promptly and properly to Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 7 safeguarding concerns. Relevant people are notified and external guidance sought when necessary. Records are made of any safeguarding concern and there is a clear expectation for staff to be vigilant and record any changing risk or concern. However, the home’s recording systems are dispersed across several files. This means that a single issue can be recorded in several places. There is the potential for information to be lost or diluted through multiple recordings. When children return home after being missing, they have a return interview with an independent person. Information from this meeting is not readily shared with staff. This means that potentially crucial information about young people’s missing incidents is not fed back to the home. Furthermore, this makes it difficult for the manager to

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

review incidents effectively. To date, this has not had any negative outcome on children’s progress. During the inspection, the manager considered actions to improve recording practice, which he intends to take forward.

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

Regular contact with the police means that the manager is up to date with developments about criminal activity in this area. An assessment of the locality confirms that children are living in a very low-risk area. The home’s location risk assessment also takes account of nearby electricity installations and railway infrastructure. As a result, staff are vigilant to the location’s risks and have appropriate measures in place to ensure that children are safe.

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

No children have been sexually exploited but staff keep their preventative measures under close review. All staff have received specialist, independent training about female genital mutilation and radicalisation although both issues are very unlikely to affect the current children. This demonstrates the importance that managers place on keeping staff up to date with the latest research.

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

Staff rarely use restraint techniques to control children. Their focus on positive methods of behaviour management sustains their relationships with children and protects children’s dignity. The company accepts the need to change and readily amends its techniques and documentation if there are likely to be clear benefits to children. In one case, a recent evaluation of the restraint procedures led to closer scrutiny of staff decision-making. This has improved their learning. Managers invest substantially in staff training. This motivates staff and improves their support of children. One member of staff said, ‘I just love it here. I always enjoy coming to work.’ The manager is a qualified trainer and has recently extended his skills so he can teach staff to help children who self-harm. This ‘in-house’ resource equips staff with further skills to keep children safe.

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

Staff pay close attention to routine checks and ensure that contractors service equipment regularly. Fire evacuation training occurs regularly and the manager is considering ways to make such training more meaningful for staff and children. Staff follow detailed procedures when transporting children. This means ensuring that the vehicles are safe, taking a pack of emergency items on each journey and having a mobile phone specific to the child. This high- level attention to detail means that there is minimal disruption to children’s activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and directors expertly foster a simple but predominant focus on children’s Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 8 welfare. This ethos means that routine things occur smoothly without unnecessary dialogue or interruption. The staff team works well together and this cohesive approach supports children’s welfare and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Ofsted registered the manager for this home six years ago. He is suitably qualified and experienced. The manager ensures that his team demonstrates a high level of ownership and authority. This reflects the values in the home’s statement of purpose of respect, dignity and trust. The comment by one member of staff, that they will ‘upset and nag’ other agencies until children get what they need, reflects their drive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides an excellent level of continuity to the service and oversees a remarkably low level of staff turnover. This exceptional feature is the backbone of the service. All the staff are either qualified or on-track to qualify within the regulatory timescales. Staff are personable and highly competent. Effective monitoring of their homes means that the directors occasionally rebalance the team in terms of succession requirements, gender balance and experience. However, this occurs cautiously with sensitivity to children’s needs. Recently, external professionals have commented as follows: ‘Fantastic staff who always make me feel welcome’; [the staff were] ‘relaxed, professional, polite and welcoming’; [the staff] ‘have gone above and beyond to ensure that my young person’s needs have been met’ and, ‘all staff from key workers to the managers are well informed about my young person’s needs’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children know their targets and the aims of their placement at the home. Staff prepare them well and make their views clear to other professionals. Children are involved in meetings where they are the subject of discussions and then see the topics discussed arise in subsequent meetings with their key workers. This effective, watertight process improves outcomes for children. Staff also have individual targets arising from their supervision and appraisal meetings. Senior personnel act collaboratively. They scrutinise staff performance and challenge them individually and as a group. For example, managers use creative and fun ways during staff meetings to develop staff understanding of each child and their knowledge of the agencies involved. These meetings also highlight good practice and areas for development and are used to refresh their knowledge of the quality standards. The therapist tells staff, ‘You can’t just love the children, you have to nurture them.’ This nurture is

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

reflected in the progress that children make at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager strives diligently to improve his service. He works closely with other agencies and children’s families. They recognise his efforts. One professional said, ‘There is excellent collaborative working.’ Among the various improvements to the service since the last inspection, the manager has stopped the indiscriminate use of bedroom door alarms. Alarms are an institutional tool that staff now use only to meet children’s needs. Reflecting on and developing practice drives improvements forward. This helps to achieve and maintain high standards for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children live in a home where their safety, well-being and emotional security are the key focuses of an excellent staff and management team. As a result of this inspection, two recommendations to further improve practice have been raised. Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 9

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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: SC434520 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Genesis Centre, SO8, Unit 18 North Staffs Enterprise Centre, Innovation Way, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 4BF

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Inspector

David Morgan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC434520 11 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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