Children's Home run by Steps 4 Life Care Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 1 SC474724 Registered provider: Steps 4 Life Care 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

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private company .

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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: 19 September 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress as a result of living at this home. Staff understand young people’s individual needs and ensure that these are met.  A key strength of the home is the way in which staff are warm, nurturing and patient with each young person. Giving hugs and helping one another are part of Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 2 everyday practice at the home.  Staff make sure that young people have experiences that are full of fun and are given the opportunity to make positive childhood memories.  Staff ensure that young people are consulted with about everyday decisions that affect them.  Staff are positive in their approach to education and its value for young people’s future.  The registered manager will challenge other professionals if she doesn’t feel that young people are being offered the best opportunities possible.  Young people’s cultural and identity needs are met. This is reflected in their care

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Key findings from this inspection

plans and personalised care.  There is excellent partnership working to help keep young people safe.  There have been improvements since the last inspection to include the introduction of a clinical psychologist and the use of research to inform staff practice.

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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

 Although staff understand the patterns and cycles of young people’s behaviours and use this understanding to de-escalate issues at an early stage, this is not always detailed in the care planning process.  Recruitment checks do not always ensure that references are verified.  The registered manager has written a quality of care review report. However, she has not sent this to Ofsted in line with the regulation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2015 Full Good 10/12/2014 Full Adequate Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 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 maintain records (‘case records’) for each child that include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3. The records must be kept up to date, and signed and dated by the author of each entry. This is in reference to one young person’s risk management plan. (Regulation 36(a)) 21/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children’s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 21/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 21/02/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress as a result of living at this home. Staff demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the different needs of young people and uphold a core value of wanting to get it right for every young person. Since the last inspection, one young person has moved on to another home and a new young person has moved in. The new young person confirmed that he was made to feel welcome. He was able to visit before he moved in and he received written information about the home. This practice helps to ensure that the young person feels welcomed and valued. A key strength of the home is the way in which staff are warm, nurturing and patient towards the young people. Giving hugs and helping one another are part of the everyday practice within the home. Staff always make sure that young people are offered a hug when they return home from school. As a result of this caring practice, young people

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

have been able to flourish because of their positive attachments and relationships with staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 4 Staff make sure that young people have experiences that are full of fun and have the opportunity to create positive childhood memories. For example, young people enjoy playing board games, football, computer games and going on holiday with each other and staff. Staff ensure that young people are consulted with about everyday decisions. This is enabled by young people having regular chats, meetings and daily conversations and being asked to write about staff as part of staff annual appraisals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are positive in their approach to education and its value for young people’s futures. The registered manager is not afraid to challenge local authorities and schools if she feels that young people are not getting the best opportunities in which to succeed educationally and to make meaningful progress for their futures. She is aware of the challenges that young people can face in school and is proactive in communicating with teachers if concerns are emerging. A headteacher told the inspector that:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘Staff attend all professionals’ meetings promptly as required and show good understanding of [the young person’s] background. They have attended open evenings and supported the child at sporting events. They have made themselves available when there have been behaviour concerns at school and difficulties when taking the child off site, providing backup if required. Staff have built positive relationships with the child, evident in interactions observed in school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to develop their self-confidence and skills. Consequently, one young person is now able to use public transport, which has increased his independence skills. Other young people are able to cook meals, wash up after meals and help with the weekly food shopping. These opportunities enable young people to take on appropriate levels of responsibility to develop life skills for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make every effort to facilitate contact with families, but only when this is safe. Staff help young people to write letters to family when contact is not possible and will support them to express their feelings. This helps young people to understand their emotions and the reasons behind decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have their cultural needs met, and this is detailed in their care plans.

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

Staff understand the patterns and cycles of behaviours and as a result are able to de- escalate situations at an early stage. Physical restraint is only ever used as a last resort and the number of these restraints is decreasing over time.

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

Staff have training to help support their knowledge about the issues of child sexual exploitation, bullying, radicalisation and going missing from care. The manager invites guest speakers to attend staff team meetings, including officers from the local police service and the designated officer for safeguarding. Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 5 There have been occasions when young people have gone missing from care. This is happening less and young people are always welcomed back home. The staff work in close partnership with the police and placing authorities during the periods in which young people are missing to help find them and ensure their safe return. The local police officer for the home told the inspector:

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

‘When reporting a young person missing, they supply up-to-date, accurate information and will engage with myself or the partnership department for further information. The home manager will often go one step further and conduct several missing enquiries herself, always feeding this back to police. I have attended the home to assist with investigations and find the staff down to earth, approachable and extremely caring.’

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

Managers ensure that the home is well maintained. The home is clean, warm and well furnished. Regular checks of electrical, gas and fire safety are carried out by the staff team. Fire drills take place and help young people know how to respond in an emergency.

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

Staff are aware of each young person’s vulnerabilities. However, this knowledge is not always formally detailed in care records. For example, the home’s risk management plan does not capture all the risks relating to one young person or detail how these should be managed. The registered manager took swift action to address this shortfall during the inspection.

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

Managers do not always ensure that recruitment checks are sufficiently detailed. For example, references are not always verified. This means that there is the potential risk that unsuitable adults may be able to have contact with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked at the home for over two years and holds the level 4 registered manager’s award.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works hard to improve practice in the home to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people and staff. Staff speak positively about the manager. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘She’s great. She is really helpful and hands-on with the children. Whenever I have problems understanding something, she gives a different viewpoint to help me understand.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Improvements have been made since the last inspection. For example, staff now use evidence-based research to inform their practice. This is shared during team meetings and the acquired knowledge has been used to improve safeguarding practice. Young people are also benefiting from having a clinical psychologist assigned to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision and annual appraisals. These regular meetings enable staff to be involved in reviewing personal development needs and to reflect on their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 6 The registered manager has ensured that the home has an up-to-date development plan that is regularly reviewed. As a result, young people benefit from a good standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child-focused. She understands the young people’s individual needs, and ensures that staff have the necessary skills to meet them. Staff either hold or are working towards a level 3 qualification in residential childcare. All staff are within the regulatory timescale for completing their award.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has made sure that the statement of purpose clearly details the aims and objectives of the home. This helps parents or placing authorities to have a clear understanding of the service’s aims and objectives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has written the quality of care review report. However, she has not sent this to Ofsted in line with the regulations.

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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: SC474724 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Steps 4 Life Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arbor House, Broadway North, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 2AN

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC474724 8 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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