Children's home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC458021 1 SC458021 Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home supports young people aged between 10 and 17 years. The home offers care and accommodation for up to two young people. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2018. The manager is currently undertaking her diploma in leadership health and social care at level 5.

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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: 5 September 2017

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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: SC458021 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/09/2017 Full Good 02/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Good 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC458021 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 is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 14/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 28/06/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to lead healthy lives. They work well with local health professionals to ensure that young people know how to access health appointments and obtain the treatment and health advice that they need, including sexual healthcare and substance misuse education. A clinical psychologist visits the home once a month. This enables individual young people to receive support and guidance in relation to their emotional and psychological well-being. Inspection report children’s home: SC458021 4 Young people attend a variety of schools and colleges, dependent on their needs and abilities. Staff provide transport to support young people to and from their respective placements. Staff routinely seek feedback from teachers about young people’s academic progress and use this information to give ongoing support. Young people have positive contact with family members and friends. Staff support these arrangements both practically and in providing emotional support to young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

These arrangements reflect any restrictions that may be in place to safeguard young people. This promotes young people’s identity and sense of belonging.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practice. They have a positive understanding of young people’s needs and vulnerabilities and they take appropriate action to address them. Staff ensure that risk management plans are in place for each young person. These plans help to safeguard young people by identifying their risks and vulnerabilities and set out strategies to minimise risks. Review of the plans is ongoing to ensure that the strategies remain effective. Incidents of physical intervention are recorded with evidence of management oversight. Staff are clear that physical intervention is very much a last resort and are comfortable using the positive relationships built up with young people to defuse difficult situations. However, the use of consequences, incentives and rewards is not being used to good effect. Some young people who would benefit from positive rewards are not receiving

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

them, while other young people regularly receive them. This is not promoting a consistent approach to the use of consequences, incentives and rewards for young people. Staff have taken appropriate action when young people go missing from care in line with policies and procedures agreed with the local police. Strategy meetings take place when necessary to consider the most effective way of safeguarding young people. The missing from care coordinator visits the home to consider any information that may help to prevent the young people from going missing from home again. There has been a deterioration in the condition of the home since the last inspection. For example, the kitchen floor and units are showing signs of wear and tear. Window restrictors in the kitchen have been damaged and require replacing, and the lounge is in need of decorating. This environment is not in line with the quality of care.

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

Young people live in an environment that is physically safe. Regular health and safety checks are undertaken, and safety certificates are in place. Staff ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills so that they understand how to leave the home safely in an emergency. Effective recruitment systems keep young people safe. The manager makes sure that all necessary checks are completed. This prevents unsuitable people from working in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC458021 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff group is well established and is dedicated to delivering tailored care to support young people’s individual needs. Staff are well supported and benefit from regular supervision and annual appraisal, which enables them to reflect on practice and identify developmental needs. All staff are qualified in their roles and the availability of staff training is good and targeted at meeting the specific needs of the young people resident in the home. The home’s statement of purpose clearly demonstrates the aims and objectives of the service. This helps parents or placing social workers to have a clear understanding of the service. Young people are provided with a pictorial children’s guide that gives them important information. This helps young people to be informed about their rights and what they can expect from the staff and the home. The manager has established good working relationships with external professionals,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

including the police, education professionals, and youth offending service. This partnership approach means that young people and staff are benefiting from the full range of support provided by other professionals. The manager has responded positively to the requirements and recommendations made at the last full inspection. In relation to the statement of purpose and workforce plan, both documents have been reviewed and updated and are now live documents. The manager is now receiving a copy of her supervision notes and young people are now consulted on their views about the home’s care.

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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: SC458021 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City of Stoke-on-Trent, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 1HH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Susan Hammersley

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458021 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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