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

Inspection report children’s home: SC446261 1 SC446261 Registered provider: Footsteps A Path to Change 08 Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home for up to three young people who have social and emotional difficulties.

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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: SC446261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2017 Full Good 09/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 10/08/2016 Full Good 14/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC446261 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 18/08/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people form good relationships with staff. One young person told the inspector, ‘The staff here are great. [They are] always there for you. They are like a family to me.’ This was further validated by a social worker who said, ‘The difference in [young person] is amazing. She feels safe, loved and cared for. The staff are really good at putting in good boundaries and still being nurturing.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good health and they have access to specialist services and support to promote their physical and emotional well-being. They are encouraged and supported to attend routine health appointments. The manager ensures that there are appropriate arrangements in place for the safe administration and management of medicines to promote the safety and well-being of young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work in partnership with schools and other relevant professionals to make sure that young people have every opportunity to increase their academic ability and to reach their full potential. One teacher told the inspector, ‘Staff support young people so well. They attend parents’ evening and are regularly in touch with us. We have such a positive relationship with them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have clear contact plans in place to ensure that they retain positive links with family members and friends. Staff support these arrangements, both practically as well as providing emotional support to young people. These arrangements reflect any Inspection report children’s home: SC446261 4 restrictions that may be in place to safeguard young people and these are clearly understood and followed by staff.

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

Young people are safe in the home and say that they feel safe. There have been no incidents of physical restraint or of young people being missing from the home, since the last inspection. Young people say that they understand how to make a complaint and are confident that these will be addressed. There have been no complaints made since the last inspection.

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

Risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed. For example, one young person who was identified in his care plan as presenting a risk to himself due to going missing from care behaviours had no historic or current information in his risk assessment to support the risk management plan. Lack of information in young people’s risk assessments can lead to the incorrect arrangements for their care and supervision.

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

Young people are supported to develop life skills in readiness for adulthood. Young people are provided with lots of opportunities to develop new skills, such as cooking, personal care and budgeting, with good support and encouragement from staff. This helps young people to learn the necessary skills that will enable them to move successfully into adulthood.

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

Young people live in a physically safe environment. Regular environmental safety checks are undertaken, and young people regularly practise fire drills, so that they know what they need to do in the event of an emergency.

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

Young people are protected by the organisation’s thorough recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These measures positively promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s registered manager is currently on maternity leave. The organisation has made interim arrangements by appointing an acting manager to ensure that the home is managed sufficiently, and that staff receive the support that they need to care for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and are appraised annually. They benefit from a range of appropriate training to develop their knowledge, skills and professional practice. New staff undergo an induction programme, followed by being enrolled on the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. As a result, staff are well trained and qualified to meet the needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor visits the home each month to evaluate the quality of care and to monitor safeguarding. The independent visitor consults with young people, staff and Inspection report children’s home: SC446261 5 social workers to ensure that their views are considered in service improvement. This makes sure that practice is focused on outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has formed positive relationships with a range of agencies, including the police, placing authorities and education departments. One social worker said, ‘Partnership working is really good. Staff send me regular emails and always keep me informed with what is going on.’ This means that there is a coordinated approach to meeting young people’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has responded positively to the recommendations made at the last full inspection. Young people are now fully aware of how to raise a complaint about their care. Staff are now fully aware of their responsibilities when recording incidents that have occurred in 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.

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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: SC446261 6

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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

Dave Carrigan: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC446261 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 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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