Children's Home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC479230 1 SC479230 Registered provider: Platform Childcare 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

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for up to two young people who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2018 and is appropriately experienced. She aims to complete her level 5 diploma in leadership and management by August 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 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: 16 February 2018

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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: SC479230 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/01/2017 Full Requires improvement 02/06/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC479230 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 quality and purpose of care standard requires the registered person to ensure staff ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to the removal of the adhesive covering on bedroom windows, which restricts young people’s views to the outside. 20/07/2018

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The two recently admitted young people are making good progress. One social worker commented, ‘Her [young person] interaction with staff and stability at the home is just what she needs. The stability to express how she is feeling and talk about what has happened. Communication has been brilliant.’ They have experienced a clear and immediate sense of stability and security as they receive consistent and individualised care. Both young people have benefited from good health as staff support them to eat healthily and to participate in taking regular exercise. Clear healthcare plans, referrals to specialist agencies and discussion with staff provide essential support for young people’s Inspection report children’s home: SC479230 4 emotional and mental health. They have invested into their placements because staff show compassion and provide meaningful support. Staff encouragement and support have significantly helped one

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young person to stop self-injurious behaviours. She has positive self-esteem due to positive relationships, rewards and praise. The other young person no longer goes missing from care and experiences a significant decrease in physical interventions because staff positively manage her challenging behaviours and high levels of anxiety. Young people are thriving as staff give clear boundaries in a warm and nurturing environment. One young person, with a history of failed placements, has felt confident enough to attend her first ever review meeting with the support from staff. Both young people’s education outcomes are improving from their starting points. The registered manager and staff work tirelessly to promote young people’s education. One young person, who moved locality and was unable to return to school, fully appreciates the support she receives from staff with revision for her forthcoming GCSE exams. The

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

placing social worker states that the young person’s self-esteem is positively promoted as staff have ‘bent over backwards to facilitate her education and her exams’. One young person was admitted to the home without an education placement due to significant specialist needs and historical refusal to attend education. Staff have been creative in how they attempt to engage the young person in education. The young person’s social worker says, ‘They have got her engaged in some education and learning – which is a feat within itself. They have done more than anywhere else has for a long time.’ The registered manager has shown clear commitment to working in partnership with the placing and host education authorities. However, the manager needs to keep up the challenge to the education services to ensure that a suitable school placement is arranged as soon as possible. Young people enjoy a range of activities. They enjoy choosing new and favourite

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

pastimes. These experiences mean that young people grow in confidence, develop good social skills and fully appreciate the quality time they spend with staff. Young people live in a well-presented and comfortable home. They appreciate their personalised bedrooms. However, the adhesive covering on one young person’s bedroom window restricts the young person’s view to the outside.

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

Young people are safer due to a strong care-planning and safeguarding framework used by staff. Staff are well trained and have easy access to clear guidance about how to identify, respond to, report and record any safeguarding concerns. Young people are kept safe with effective and jointly agreed missing-from-care protocols. Staff are proactive and spend time following and looking for young people when they go missing. While there are no current concerns about child sexual exploitation, staff have demonstrated effective partnership working with the police, when concerns have arisen. Inspection report children’s home: SC479230 5 One young person’s historic periods of going missing are being addressed with effective levels of staff supervision. The young person enjoys positive relationships with staff, listens to their guidance and responds well to a range of engaging and diversionary activities. Staff view the use of physical intervention as a last resort to keep young people and

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

others safe. The clear reduction in the number of physical interventions is as a result of young people developing trusting relationships with staff. Young people become more accepting of boundaries in the home as they earn rewards for positive behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that records are factual and accurate, and that there is an excellent cross-referencing system. The registered manager has a clear understanding of the home’s statement of purpose. The manager and staff demonstrate a high level of commitment to keeping the young people safe. Recent recruitment is well managed as new staff work alongside more experienced and qualified staff. New staff receive a good foundation in caring for young people due to a well-organised induction. Young people are cared for by well-trained staff. High staffing ratios ensure that young people’s presenting needs and behaviours can be met by all staff. Focused training sessions on topics such as self-injurious behaviours, mental health awareness and substance misuse means that staff are equipped to manage the needs of young people currently living at the home. The statutory requirement from the last inspection is met. Staff training now ensures

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

that all staff are able to process notifications to Ofsted. The registered manager has a clear understanding of her monitoring responsibilities. Independent monitoring reports are comprehensive and positive, and any recommendations are quickly addressed. The registered manager’s monitoring drives improvement as she sets and meets achievable goals to develop the service and improve outcomes for young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC479230 6 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: SC479230 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 32 Anglesey Business Centre, Anglesey Road, Burton-on-Trent DE14 3NT

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Inspector

Elaine Cray, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479230 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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