Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stoke-on-Trent

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC356318 1 SC356318 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large private provider of children’s services operates this home. Ofsted has registered the home for two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager has responsibility for another children’s home in the same street.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 8 December 2017

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

In 2017, a new manager started and resigned. Later in the same year, the company recruited the current manager. Over recent years, this home has experienced several changes of manager. The company hopes to have addressed this pattern by appointing the current manager from within the organisation. He has applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is well organised and provides clear leadership to his team. He challenges other professionals effectively when they do not provide adequate support to children. The core staff members have substantial experience, and the manager is supporting them to undertake additional responsibilities. The company provides senior staff with a useful programme of support and training to help them succeed in leadership roles. In addition, the manager is undertaking suitable management qualification. Recently, staff Interim inspection report children’s home: SC356318 2 have started to benefit from regular visits from a company therapist. This enables the staff to reflect on their practice with children. This is a promising improvement to the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have used this service and there has been a short gap when no children lived here. Both children benefited from being the only child present. One child recently said that she is ‘happy’ about all aspects of the service, including her relationships with staff. She has chosen her key worker and the decoration of her attractively presented bedroom. Both children came from other homes within the same company. Their admissions were well planned and transitions were effectively managed. Prior to the moves, children had the opportunity to meet staff and ask questions, which helped to lessen their anxieties.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

After several months, one child was unable to take advantage of the positive opportunities on offer and put himself at risk in the community. Staff discuss such issues in detail with every child and liaise regularly with other agencies, such as the police. In this case, a decision was made for the child to move on, for safeguarding reasons.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff encourage children and give them appropriate incentives to promote positive behaviour. They rarely use physical intervention and children hardly ever go missing. Several neighbours complained recently about the behaviour of a child. The manager has addressed these issues thoroughly and prevented the otherwise positive relationships with neighbours deteriorating. This shows that when difficulties arise, the manager responds promptly and effectively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Both children have engaged well with their education and made progress relative to their starting points. Staff collaborate closely with other professionals to give children the best opportunities. The staff supplement children’s formal learning with interesting trips and other structured activities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A key consideration when placing new children is the effect on the children who live in the manager’s other home across the road. The manager considers this when assessing new referrals, but does not always record his conclusions in children’s records. A recommendation is raised to address this shortfall. The manager has reduced the risk of children from the two homes collaborating in negative behaviour by altering the staffing arrangements. For example, all staff now work at one home or the other, and separate team meetings occur. This helps to provide consistency for children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff meetings occur regularly and serve as a key method of reviewing and planning children’s care. However, a small number of staff have missed several meetings. This has the potential to jeopardise the effective coordination of children’s care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has clear programmes in place to develop his own skills and those of the team. He has high aspirations for the service. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC356318 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/12/2017 Full Good 09/03/2017 Full Requires improvement 25/11/2016 Interim Not judged 25/02/2016 Interim Not judged

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make best use of information from 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)

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Recommendations

This is with regard to monitoring patterns of attendance at staff meetings and ensuring that all staff are up to date.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home accepts placements for children only where the registered person is satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

This is with regard to recording the likely impact of children living at the manager’s other home nearby on potential admissions.

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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 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC356318 4 after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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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

David Morgan, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC356318 5 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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