Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care 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

A private provider operates this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in a home that is light and welcoming. The home is brightly decorated, and each child has an ensuite bathroom, which provides them with personal space and privacy. Pictures that capture happy memories and enjoyable events are displayed throughout the home. Consequently, children have a sense of pride in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive outstanding, high-quality care from an experienced and consistent staff team. Staff follow clear, well-written behaviour management plans. This means that children feel reassured and receive sensitive, supportive care from staff. A social worker said, ‘It’s a pleasure to visit the home. The staff are very nurturing. They offer genuine care and nurture.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are extremely positive about the care that they receive. One child spoke about a member of staff, stating, ‘He is literally the best ever. He deserves a pay rise. I’m so lucky to have him as my key worker. He gets things sorted for me. He has changed my life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff invest time in the children, listen to them and know them well. This helps children to form excellent relationships with staff and to develop a sense of belonging. The caring ethos supports children to make exceptional progress in many areas of their lives, including their education. One child told the inspector, ‘I’m happy. I go to school. It’s working for me. I am proud I have 100% attendance. That would never have happened if I wasn’t here.’ The registered manager and the staff team are ambitious for children and have offered extensive support to ensure that their individual needs are met. When children are unable to attend school, staff are proactive in securing an alternative provision. At times, this has required tenacious challenge to education providers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are enabled to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them. Staff ensure that children continue to benefit from having regular and safe time with their families. Children and social workers spoke positively of the support that staff provide. One child told the inspector, ‘[Name of registered manager] is pretty awesome for sorting the stuff about my mum out. He is the reason I get to see my mum next week for the first time in years.’

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

Children are kept exceptionally safe and said that they feel safe. This is because of the close and nurturing relationships that children have with staff. Children feel secure enough to share their worries and concerns. This has enabled one child to talk about their past experiences for the first time.

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

Staff help children to understand their behaviours and how to develop their social skills in a protected environment. Staff believe in positive risk taking and encourage children to access a variety of community activities that help them grow and develop safely. Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 4 Staff and children work together to develop risk assessments. This involvement helps children to understand risk. Children are protected from harm because of the excellent support and guidance that they receive from staff.

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

Staff provide children with clear guidance and boundaries. Staff have a thorough understanding of children’s needs, informed by positive behaviour management plans and well-evaluated risk assessments. A social worker told the inspector, ‘The staff provide a high standard of care. They give children a sense of belonging and improve their life chances. [Name of child] benefits from the consistency and routine they provide.’

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

Staff practice is strongly underpinned by research and a thorough understanding of attachment theory. This is the key to children’s exceptional progress. Staff acknowledge that children will experience difficulties, but they give children a clear message that they will work together to find solutions. As a result, children learn new strategies to manage their anxieties.

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

Well-planned key work sessions are undertaken with children to address their individual needs. These sessions contribute to the excellent, sustained progress that children make. A social worker told the inspector, ‘[Name of child] was at high risk of child sexual exploitation prior to her placement. She has now been taken off her child sexual exploitation plan. She is encouraged to take risks, but appropriately so and under close supervision and monitoring.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is aspirational, child focused and ambitious for the children in his care. This ethos permeates the home and inspires staff to deliver exceptional care. One member of staff told the inspector, ‘We all have different experiences and all offer something unique, but we make a good team. We all want the best for children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is extremely organised and is passionate about the care provided to children at the home. Management oversight and monitoring processes are effective and innovative. The registered manager provides well-written reports for local authority meetings that highlight children’s progress and achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager advocates well for children. He ensures that the children’s voices are at the heart of the care that the staff provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are positive about the support that they receive from the registered manager and the deputy manager. Supervision sessions are regular and of high quality. They help staff to generate ideas and reflect on their practice. New staff are robustly vetted and are supported through a clear, effective recruitment and induction process. This ensures that staff are equipped to provide high-quality care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff are well trained and highly skilled. In addition to the mandatory training courses, other specialist training is arranged by the registered manager, who strives to continually Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 5 improve and develop staff practice. He is keen to ensure that all staff have a thorough understanding of the needs of children who have experienced complex trauma. The registered manager ensures that children receive exceptional, personalised care that responds to their changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers challenge other agencies when this is required. They have developed strong relationships with many professionals involved in children’s care. Social workers identified communication as being a key strength of the team. One social worker said, ‘I feel blessed to have the relationship that I have with the home. They let me know those things that I need to know, but they get on with the other stuff. Communication is reliable and consistent.’

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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: 1249326 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unity Residential Care Services Ltd, 98 Lancaster Road, Newcastle Under Lyme ST5 1DS

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Inspector

Annemarie Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 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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