Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report children's home: SC025739 1 SC025739 Registered provider: The Together Trust

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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 four children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 November 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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children's home: SC025739 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

 Young people make exceptional progress in all areas of their lives. This is underpinned by the excellent care and support that they receive from the staff and the registered manager. Young people who have complex needs and attachment difficulties are developing well and their experiences and life chances are improving.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people who live at the home feel loved and cared for. They see this as their home and have excellent relationships with the staff who care for them. Relationships are built on a model of care that incorporates playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are highly motivated to understand the wishes and feelings of the young people. This creates a climate in which the young people are free to express themselves.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is a calm and settled atmosphere in the home. Young people participate in a wide range of activities that reflect their individual interests, talents and needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s achievements, however small, are recognised and celebrated. This helps to build up their confidence and self-esteem. Their enjoyment and participation is evident in the pictures displayed in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people’s physical health needs are being met by local services. The medication systems in the home are established and work efficiently to ensure that stock is safely accounted for. Young people’s medication is securely stored and administered safely by trained staff.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from in-house therapy which supports the young people to identify, understand and manage their emotional feelings.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s school attendance is excellent, as are their achievements. Teachers report that young people’s behaviour, presentation and commitment to learning have improved significantly since living at the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff apply clear and consistent boundaries around young people’s behaviour. The model of care, implemented in practice by the staff, is focused around the specific needs of the young people. This is commendable and worthy of dissemination to other services. Most young people experience stable placements in the home for a significant amount of time.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The dedicated registered manager is very motivated and she leads by example. Inspection report children's home: SC025739 3 The staff are child-focused and have high aspirations for the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Research materials are evident in the home. The staff demonstrate well their understanding of social care and act quickly to minimise any stigma associated with young people living in care. The staff’s knowledge is enhanced and their competencies are tested through regular training, supervision and appraisals, which improves and informs staff practice.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home presents well and is furnished and decorated to a high standard. Young people enjoy living in the home that provides them with a family style environment.

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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

 Monitoring report practices could be strengthened. This will ensure that clear and consistent evidence is available, showing that the young people accommodated in the children’s home are safeguarded effectively and that the conduct of the children’s home promotes the well-being of young people who live there.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The quality of staff recordings varies. All records kept in the home should show a consistent evaluation of their effectiveness and the positive impact that the home is having on the young people’s lives.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/12/2016 Full Outstanding 09/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/01/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children's home: SC025739 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff provide effective, individualised care within a therapeutic, nurturing environment. Within a safe and secure home and through strong, trusting relationships with staff, the young people are making excellent progress. Their confidence levels have increased and their ability to manage their emotions has improved. Consequently, the young people are developing more appropriate relationships and enjoying better experiences with their friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people arrive at the home with complex emotional and attachment difficulties. They make sustained and significant progress beyond expectations and develop emotionally, socially and educationally because of the excellent support that they receive from staff. Young people’s independence and self-esteem increases and they are able to speak more confidently to staff and visitors. The young people, who have previously struggled to form attachments, are now comfortable receiving cuddles from affectionate and sensitive staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Meaningful key-working sessions, regular young people’s meetings and day-to-day discussions extract the young people’s feelings and wishes and help them to explore their behaviours or raise any concerns they might have about living in the home. The young people told the inspector that they get on well with each other and observations clearly evidence this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people benefit tremendously from being able to access a range of opportunities, including fun activities and experiences, which help develop their skills. Their individual interests and talents are supported as they engage in a variety of activities within the community. Examples of these include going to a gymnastics club, a trampoline venue, cinema and football, meeting their friends in the local town and going to concerts. Young people participate in games in the home or can relax in the calm and settled atmosphere. Young people each have a memory book into which they add photographs and mementoes. This builds up a story of their experiences in the home and will benefit them as they get older.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Through consistent, nurturing and therapeutic care, the young people are managing their emotions more appropriately and improving their behaviour. This is achieved through the commitment provided by the organisation’s psychotherapist. Her partnership working with the staff assists them to understand the model of care and the emotional needs of the young people and to continuously explore ways of supporting them to ensure their safety, welfare and development. The young people benefit from thoughtful, focused and individualised support. A social worker described this approach as commendable and he feels that the young people do not have to wait for external professional services, and he says, ‘This really is a benefit to the young people.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people access local medical services to meet their physical healthcare needs. Any medication prescribed or homely remedies brought into the home are stored securely, Inspection report children's home: SC025739 5 accountable in the records kept in the home and administered by trained staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make marked progress with their education and their attendance and attainment are excellent. A headteacher of a school commented that, ‘The young person has shown quite significant progress while he has been with us. He is self-managing some of his anxieties a lot better.’ The staff work closely with teachers to help young people to overcome any difficulties. This includes the staff going into school when a young person is having a difficult day to offer them support. As a result, both young people engage very well with their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Positive behaviour management strategies have transformed young people’s behaviour and self-esteem. The model of care, incorporating playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy, is fully understood by all staff and implemented in practice. One young person, who had an emotional need for physical intervention, now thrives on rewards. He takes great pride in his behaviour charts and the need for physical interventions has significantly reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support the young people to keep in touch with family and friends. Staff supervise contact meetings, as and when needed, and they build positive working relationships with all of the people who are important to the young people. The staff provide excellent weekly feedback to placing social workers. One social worker noted how invaluable this information is and that it gives him a sense of the accomplishments that the young person has made. Staff realise the huge impact that seeing family members can have on the young people. They help them to regulate their emotions and behaviours before and after contact. The staff provide a secure environment for them from which to express any concerns or worries that they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make significant progress in preparing for adult life. They work to agreed targets that are achievable and linked to self-care skills, daily domestic routines and appropriate social skills. This ensures that young people learn new skills and know what is socially acceptable. Safety booklets inform the young people about how to be socially aware and the staff discuss with the young people any issues of concern. Regular assessment of need ensures that the young people’s achievements are celebrated, no matter how small, and the staff prepare young people well for when they leave the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people experience an exceptionally well-presented house in a secluded position. It is situated in a quiet village and has woods and fields around it for exploration. Numerous photographs of young people and their activities are on display. Young people enjoy private space and a choice of communal areas which meet their individual needs. They make their bedrooms their own and have a say in the decor and furnishings within the home. One young person said, ‘It’s a really nice house, in fact it is outstanding.’ And, a member of staff said, ‘Young people are proud to bring their friends into the home.’

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

Young people told the inspector that they feel safe and well cared for. Their needs are Inspection report children's home: SC025739 6 set out and met within comprehensive and regularly reviewed risk and behaviour plans. Staff have excellent insight into young people’s histories. For some young people, this includes risks such as going missing, potential child sexual exploitation and self-injurious behaviours. There are now no concerns about young people going missing or being subject to child sexual exploitation. There is also a significant decrease in young people’s self-injurious behaviours. This is because of the support that they receive from staff.

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

The effect on the young people of an excellent level of help and protection is that they are rarely involved in negative incidents. Nevertheless, staff keep up to date on research-informed topics, such as barriers to being in care, child sexual exploitation, gang culture and radicalisation. Although none of these are currently of concern, this level of staff knowledge keeps them updated on current guidance and legislation and further protects the young people.

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

The registered manager is experienced and has previously worked in a child [police] protection unit. Her knowledge of safeguarding is excellent and she shares this with her staff regularly, frequently testing out their competencies in protecting the young people. The management of allegations is handled quickly and supports the young person and any staff member subjected to allegations in a sensitive manner. The registered manager has effective links with the designated officer and local safeguarding children board.

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

The staff are alert to the risks that young people face online and carefully manage their access to social media sites. The staff educate the young people to protect themselves, when online or using smart-phones and the young people understand and take on the messages given by staff.

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

The staff only use physical interventions as a last resort. They do so with skill and sensitivity. The registered manager is a qualified trainer for the home’s behaviour management model. She and the staff discuss the use of all restraints with young people and debrief as a team following incidents. Management oversight of restraint is excellent. The registered manager considers all incident reports and analyses patterns of concerning behaviours. Further monitoring and review of risk assessments also take place on a regular basis. Over time, the young people learn how to manage their emotions more safely, reducing the need for physical interventions.

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

The registered manager carries out impact risk assessments on new placement referrals. Placements of young people arriving in the home are done in a planned way, including visits and overnight stays. Current young people placed and their social workers are consulted prior to placements being accepted. One young person, who had highly complex needs that were not mentioned in the referral documentation, experienced some measure of stability during his stay.

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

However, despite the diligent efforts made by the staff and the registered manager who worked in partnership with professionals, the young person struggled overall and refused to engage in the placement. In particular, there were incidents of going missing from the home, which had a negative impact on another young person and increased their Inspection report children's home: SC025739 7 vulnerability to child sexual exploitation. The young person eventually moved from the home and away from a group-living environment. The registered manager has formally challenged the placing authority for not providing the correct information and about the length of time taken to find a more suitable provision for the young person.

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

The registered manager’s application of thorough staff recruitment procedures ensures that only those who are considered suitable work in the home and do so once all of the necessary checks have been completed and verified. Refresher training in fair recruitment and selection has recently been completed by the registered manager. This reinforces her knowledge and actions when recruiting new staff.

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

The home’s environment is safe and secure. There are sound systems for ensuring that routine servicing and maintenance take place as required. Staff routinely carry out health and safety checks and record their findings. These measures ensure that the young people, staff and visitors are safe in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational and committed leader. She is supported by equally committed and talented senior leaders, care staff and an administrator in the home. She has high expectations of her staff to provide the young people with consistent care. She acts as a strong advocate for the young people’s needs and is not afraid to challenge other professions, ensuring that the young people receive the services to meet their needs. Having been the registered manager in the home since November 2009, she has extensive experience and is well qualified to perform the role of registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

It is evident within the home’s workforce development plan that the registered manager knows and understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This detailed plan shows progress made and targets to achieve by the end of the financial year. This holistic approach ensures that the care provided to the young people and the services the home provides do not slip or drift.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff clearly demonstrate in their practice that the young people’s needs and rights come first. The young people experience one-to-one care at all times and form strong bonds with the staff. This high level of support contributes to a significant step towards meeting the individual needs of the young people. Movement of staff has been rare over the years and when new staff join the team they complete a full induction prior to commencing their work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager, seniors and staff demonstrate clearly their knowledge of the young people and the progress they have made, in addition to any areas of further support needing to be provided to the young people. The registered manager tests the skills and competencies of her staff through regular training, supervision and appraisals. The staff confirm that team meetings are creative, interactive and enhance their knowledge of guidance, research and legislation. Inspection report children's home: SC025739 8 For example, presentations of researched materials include young people’s resilience and identity when they leave residential care, working across professions to support children in residential care, working with young people who self-harm in residential care and how children in residential care view peer relationships. These arrangements ensure that the staff are fully up to date with current knowledge and this significantly increases their

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

understanding of how to provide the young people with a high level of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home’s written statement of purpose clearly describes the models that form the therapeutic ethos of the home. Staff do aim to provide a safe, warm and nurturing environment in which they treat each young person as an individual. Social workers feel that they achieve this at a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is very clear about her responsibilities. Her monitoring and oversight of the operation of the home is thorough. The home’s independent person’s monitoring reports confirm this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The young people learn about other faiths and cultures, celebrate festivities and the staff are trained in and encourage equality and diversity. This inclusive approach enables the young people to express their individual identity with complete acceptance by all who care for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Putting young people first is integral to the running of the home. The registered manager and staff demonstrate this commitment well. For example, they keep in touch and support young people who have moved on from the home. Staff provide financial assistance to families, experiencing hardship and provide Christmas hampers to young people who have left the home and to the families of the young people living in the home.

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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: SC025739 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Mark Kersh, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC025739 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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