Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Inspection report children’s home: SC469761 1 SC469761 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care 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

This children’s home may provide care and accommodation for up to three children, who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 February to 1 March 2018

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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 outstanding

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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: 1 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC469761 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are happy and safe and have all of their needs met.  Children benefit from spending good-quality time with their families.  Children enjoy each other’s company and play well together.  Managers and staff advocate strongly for the children.  Managers and staff enjoy spending time with the children and help them to play and develop their own interests.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/07/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/05/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC469761 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality and nurturing care from a consistent, stable staff team. The relationships between children and staff are positive. Children are comfortable seeking affection from those who care for them and have developed trusting relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed plans provide necessary information to enable staff to meet children’s needs. Care is personalised and recognises the individual needs of each child. Staff provide support to enable children to develop their self-care skills and to develop their independence in accordance with their age and understanding. As a result, children are meeting their developmental milestones in line with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are able to express their wishes and feelings. Children receive support to make age-appropriate decisions about their day-to-day care. As a result, children feel that their views are important and they said that staff listen to them. The registered manager is actively looking at ways to develop ways in which children’s views contribute to the running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school and are making good progress. Staff have effective and positive working relationships with teachers. The registered manager and the staff are ambitious and encourage children to have aspirations for their future. The staff celebrate children’s achievements, and their certificates are proudly displayed. This helps children to develop positive self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to partake in a variety of activities. Children’s self-esteem and confidence are increased through this engagement. Staff play a significant role in meeting children’s specific social and leisure needs. For example, one child is very active and has activities each day after school. Staff attend each activity with her and ensure that she has the correct equipment and clothing. Another child was encouraged to run a five kilometre race to raise money for a local hospice after he lost his grandfather. Staff also dressed up and ran the race with him. This helped the child to feel that he was making a positive difference.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear plans in place to ensure that they retain links with their birth families. Where appropriate and safe, family members visit the home. For example, family members spent Christmas day at the home and contributed to cooking dinner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health and have access to specialist support. Children’s health has improved because of the consistent care that they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager has challenged the local authority when this has been necessary. As a result, a child who was leaving the home was provided with the necessary support to enable a smooth, well-planned transition to foster care. Inspection report children’s home: SC469761 4

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

Children are safe living in this home. Staff know the children exceptionally well. Risks are identified for each child and appropriate risk assessments completed. Staff receive good training and support and have knowledge of up-to-date research to make sure that children are always safeguarded. Staff balance this with allowing children to take appropriate risks in accordance with their age and understanding. As a result, children do not go missing and are not at risk of exploitation.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour. As a result, physical interventions have reduced significantly since the last inspection. A placing social worker said, ‘[The child] certainly is continuing to progress. [The child] continues to be very settled… I think this is due to the high level of support [the child] has had from staff. [The child] is learning to manage his own behaviour.’ Physical interventions are used as a last resort. Since the last inspection, staff have found more creative ways to work with children to help them when they become heightened. The recording of physical interventions is good, and the registered manager critically reviews each one, identifying whether and how the physical intervention could have been avoided. As a result, staff learn different ways to calm and diffuse situations without the need to physically intervene.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who is extremely child focused. He leads by example and knows the personality and needs of each child, including their nuances of mood, exceptionally well. He is supported by an equally passionate and child-focused deputy manager. The registered manager inspires staff to build positive relationships with children. He challenges and advocates strongly for the children that he is responsible for. As a result, children benefit from a nurturing environment. For example, the registered manager did not consider a child was ready for foster care and advocated for therapeutic work to be undertaken first. This was highly successful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely well supported and receive regular supervision, both formal and informal. Staff reported that they are inspired and develop in their practice because of the registered manager and his aspirations for the children. There is a clear learning culture in place. Relevant research is regularly discussed in supervision and staff meetings to make sure that children’s needs are fully met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are suitably qualified and well trained. This ensures that they have the knowledge, skills and expertise to meet the children’s individual and diverse needs. The staff are enthusiastic about their work and demonstrate an excellent knowledge of each child’s care plan. Staff encourage and support children to be happy, enjoy new experiences and progress in all aspects of their lives. Children are clearly at the heart of this organisation, and their measureable progress, in all aspects of their lives, is testament to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service and are committed to continuing to learn and develop through feedback from children, Inspection report children’s home: SC469761 5 families and professionals.

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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: SC469761 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unity Residential Care Services Ltd, 98 Lancaster Road, Newcastle Under Lyme ST5 1DS

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Inspector

Sandra King, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC469761 7 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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