Children's Home run by Footsteps a Path to Change Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 1 SC476008 Registered provider: Footsteps A Path To Change 08 Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2017.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Good 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. Those undertaking the role should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. 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) In particular, the regulation 44 reports should include the author’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and of the conduct of the home in promoting the children’s well-being.  Ensure that all children’s case records are be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are 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) In particular, impact assessments should be completed prior to a decision being made to admit a young person to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make very good progress in most areas of their lives. In particular, young people make progress in health and education, relationships and behaviour and safeguarding. Young people are settled at the home and the registered manager and staff offer them a good quality of care to meet their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to regularly attend and engage in education. Young people know how important education is and respond well to the education incentives in place. Consequently, young people’s education outcomes improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to adopt healthy lifestyles by encouraging them to eat healthily and to engage in physical exercise. Young people are well supported with their individual health needs and have good access to local health services when they need them. When specialist help is required, such as orthodontic care or child and adolescent mental Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 4 health services, they are sought in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from engaging in a wide range of individual and group activities that broaden their experiences and social interaction. Consequently, this helps them to build positive relationships with the staff and their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the young people to develop and maintain good relationships and regular contact with their families. The registered manager and staff value parents’ views and these contribute to the care planning for young people. Parents feel involved in their child’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A range of therapeutic strategies are in place that support the staff to provide high- quality care. Staff consult regularly with the home’s clinician, who provides guidance, support and understanding to staff in working with a range of issues and behaviours that young people face and present. Furthermore, individual therapy sessions are offered to the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to regularly share their views about the home and the plans for their own care. Young people have regular discussions with their key workers, other staff and the registered manager during young people’s meetings, key-work sessions and progress reviews. Young people feel able to talk to staff and are confident that they are listened to, and that their views are acted upon, whenever possible.

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

Safeguarding practice at the home is robust and keeps young people safe from harm. Young people understand that safeguards are needed to keep them safe, such as the use of CCTV outside the home and alarms on some doors inside the home. They also understand the need for 1-to-1 staffing and restrictions on internet use. Young people say that they feel safe and that staff do their very best to safeguard them.

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

Young people have detailed risk management plans in place that clearly outline their individual risks. Staff and young people understand the strategies required to reduce and manage risks and they work well together to ensure that young people are safeguarded. Young people are able to take age-appropriate risks to increase their independence and ability to keep themselves safe.

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

Positive behaviour of young people is continually promoted and rewarded at the home. A restorative approach is taken to managing negative behaviour and the manager and staff say that this is more effective as it reduces the occurrence of further similar behaviours. There are clear expectations and boundaries at the home and this is further supported with robust individual behaviour management plans for young people.

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

Physical intervention is rarely used at the home and only ever to keep a young person or others safe from harm. The recording of physical intervention incidents has improved and they now show that the views of the young person involved are sought and understood. This helps the manager to evaluate incidents and identify potential themes Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 5 and trends.

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

Bullying is not tolerated at the home. The registered manager and staff are alert to any indication of bullying and take immediate action to tackle it. Staff work with the young people to raise their awareness about bullying and how they should respond, report and tackle it. Consequently, young people feel empowered to take action that helps to safeguarded them and others from bullying.

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

Safe recruitment and health and safety practices at the home ensure that only the most suitable staff work at the home, and that the home is a safe place to live. Safeguarding training provides staff with the knowledge and skills to look after young people well and to care for them safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home continues to be led by a suitably qualified manager who has the experience to undertake her role. She has high aspirations for the young people living at the home and ensures that they are provided with a high quality of care. Consequently, outcomes for the young people are good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff work very well with other professionals and family members to ensure that information is shared. As a result, young people receive the most appropriate intervention to meet their individual needs. Furthermore, all parties are well informed of the young people’s needs and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Generally, records and plans for young people are of a good quality and demonstrate their individual circumstances and needs. The records also demonstrate the progress that young people make. However, some records are not always signed and dated by the author or read and signed by other staff and young people. The registered manager is aware of this and has addressed it with staff at team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One young person has moved into the home since the last inspection. The manager obtained all the relevant information to help her to assess the suitability of the placement. However, the impact assessment was not completed until the day that the young person moved into the home. Also, the impact assessment did not show how the views of the other young people living at the home were considered prior to the final decision being made to offer the young person a place at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems at the home help the manager to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She is then able to alter practice when necessary to make improvements that are in the best interests of the young people. However, the monthly reports from the external monitoring would be further improved if they provided details of the author’s opinion on how well the young people are safeguarded and how well the home promotes their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides staff with regular and effective supervision that enables them to reflect on their practice. The staff also benefit from a wealth of training and Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 6 development opportunities to support their continuingprofessional development. This is in addition to monthly team meetings, where staff share examples of good practice, training and development information to aid their learning. As a result, staff feel supported, valued and motivated.

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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: SC476008 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps A Path To Change 08 Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Alderley Close, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 6BS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Hearne

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476008 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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