Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 1 SC005589 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s 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 is a privately run children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, or may be at risk of sexual exploitation.

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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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Enforcement action since last inspection:

There has been no enforcement action against this home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 2 04/10/2016 Full Good 21/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 3

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Recommendations

 Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise, and maintain a record of this and the outcome. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.13)  The children’s home should be located in an area that supports children’s safety, well-being and personal development. The location of the home should support its aims, objectives and ethos, as described in the Statement of Purpose. (Guide to the children’s homes regulation including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.21)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, in June 2017, three young people have moved on from the home. One young person is now settled in a long-term foster placement and another young person is living independently and making good progress. One young person was discharged to secure accommodation due to concerns regarding their welfare. There are now two new residents living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Residential care planning is good. Young people and staff work together to identify and prioritise individual achievable goals that are regularly reviewed and updated. The home’s tracker system enables young people and staff to identify areas of significant progress and areas where more focused work is required. Young people feel empowered and one young person said, ‘I really like it here. I like the staff and they help me more than I have ever been helped before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make progress in education. Staff work well with the local authority virtual headteacher to ensure that young people are provided with the best opportunities and resources. Consequently, one young person gained a place at a highly regarded secondary school. She is now attending this school, and is making friends and doing well. The home has encountered some difficulties in gaining information from another young person’s local authority. This has resulted in delays in enrolling her in suitable education within the area of the home. The manager has challenged this situation, and has escalated it to senior managers. It is noted that the staff have been proactive and have secured private education and work placements throughout the interim period for Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 4 this young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between young people and staff are good. Observations highlighted the relaxed atmosphere in the home and the banter shared between everyone present. Young people are happy, confident and eager to share their views and opinions about the home. One young person said, ‘Although I would rather be in my home area, the staff are really nice and are helping me to adjust to new things like school and the area.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy structured contact with family and friends. Plans for contact are agreed between young people, families and placing authorities to ensure that contact is valuable and a positive experience for the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views and opinions of young people are respected. Staff listen and enable them to understand that their contribution is important. Regular young people’s meetings take place. One young person said, ‘We have house meetings that are good because we do most of our planning there. But we talk every day. We talk at breakfast and at dinner. We don’t have to wait for a meeting. It’s not like that here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people confirm that they are provided with different types of information prior to and upon admission to the home. Young people receive information on their individual rights and how to make a complaint as well as a guide to the running of the home, which enables them to understand how things work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Recreational activities are suitably supported. Young people are supported to experience new challenges and activities either as a group or with friends and family. They develop in confidence and enjoy regular activities such as attending the gym, cheerleading, going to local clubs and attending a variety of day trips to theme parks and beaches. Photographs displayed in the home capture the valuable experiences that young people have and the memories that they make at this home.

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

The manager is proactive in assessing and managing risk. When risks escalate or when there is increased concern regarding the welfare of a young person, the manager takes suitable action to address these concerns in order to minimise the risk of potential and/or significant harm.

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

The safety of young people is prioritised. Detailed impact assessments ensure that all young people placed at the home are assessed against the needs, interests and aspirations of those already resident. Likewise, individual risk assessments are balanced against a full chronology of life events. This means that risk is measured and appropriate individual strategies are in place to address any concerns.

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

Behaviour management is effective. Young people and staff form secure relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Therefore, young people work with staff to identify areas for development and a suitable reward for the progress they make. Staff are Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 5 consistent in their approach, which enables young people to work within set boundaries. The registered manager and staff work consistently to ensure that young people receive a steadfast approach to unwanted behaviour, but offer praise and reward for progress and development.

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

Young people know how to complain, and receive valuable information from the home and their placing authorities to guide them in this area. Since the last inspection, there has been one complaint made by a young person regarding the placing authority. Although the staff supported the young person to verbalise her concerns, a record of these actions was not created. Therefore, there is not a record of how this matter has progressed or indeed the outcome of this concern. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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

There has not been any incidents that have warranted the use of a physical intervention since the last inspection. This is because redirection and de-escalation techniques are a consistent feature within this home. Each young person has a de-escalation plan which is based on their individual personality and traits. This ensures that young people in crisis are managed in a way that supports the best outcomes and enables them to gain control of their emotions in a supportive and positive environment.

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

Young people come with a history of absenting themselves from their previous placements. Staff work with each young person to identify risks and to develop an individual missing-from-home plan. This document is supported by an individual record of incidents, key-work sessions and appropriate return-home interviews. On the whole, from young people’s initial starting points, missing-from-home episodes significantly decrease while they are accommodated in this home.

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

Consequently, although young people present with risks, these risks are managed effectively and have been significantly reduced since the young people became resident in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since November 2011. She has the necessary experience and is qualified at NVQ level 4. The registered manager is committed to leading a consistent, dedicated and strong team in the delivery of individualised progressive childcare practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s home is set within a terraced home on a busy main road. Because of the level of traffic, the outside of the home is permanently dusty. Since opening, several takeaway restaurants have opened in close proximity to the home. Food waste and items such as oil cans, refrigerators and waste packaging are frequently left around the outside of the home and at the rear exit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the manager has challenged this, bins remain overflowing and waste accumulates close to the home. The interior of the home is clean and tidy. However, the Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 6 decor is plain and tired looking and double-glazed windows are misted, making visibility poor. In addition, the home is significantly affected by the passing heavy-load trucks. These can be plainly heard inside and also causes the home to vibrate. The registered manager is in the process of locating and securing a more appropriate property to relocate to. This matter was raised at the last full inspection in June 2017, and is restated at this inspection. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring systems provide the home with a suitable approach to the overall monitoring of care. Detailed information highlights areas for development and the manager’s action plan details the methods used to enhance the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with an annual training package. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed, while additional training based on the individual needs of young people is readily available to staff. This ensures that staff receive up-to-date, quality training essential to maintaining the consistent childcare practice evident in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering child- centred practice that is tailored to the individual and personal needs of young people. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress young people make, particularly in education, risk management and improved behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a consistent and committed staff team. The majority of residential staff are qualified at NVQ level 3, with two new staff recently enrolled on the diploma in children’s social care. The training of staff at this level ensures that they are suitably qualified in the care and management of young people. Young people’s records are stored securely and updated in order to capture the essence of young people at a given time. However, some records are not signed by the manager or staff. Therefore it is not clear whether some records have been monitored by the manager. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that all referrals to the home are suitably assessed for compatibility. Evidence of impact assessment leading to decisions not to place demonstrates a clear commitment to the young people already placed at 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. Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 7 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

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Information about this inspection

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: SC005589 8

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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

Maria McGranaghan: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 9 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the

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Inspector

terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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