Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 1 SC008269 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

A private company that operates a number of children’s homes across the country owns this home. This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 24 September 2015. He holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 good

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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: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2018 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 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 registered person must ensure that all employees including the manager receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 31/12/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional and sustained progress in all key areas of their lives. This is made possible because of the close relationship they have with the staff and the consistent, individualised support they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Despite facing significant challenges, young people now have self-belief and confidence. Consequently, they are making excellent progress socially and emotionally and have high aspirations for their future. Young people are overwhelmingly positive about the care they receive. One young person told the inspector, ‘I think we should get outstanding because the home and the staff are outstanding.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff sensitively support and encourage young people to understand the importance of sustaining good standards of personal hygiene, maintaining physical well-being and having awareness of sexual health. The staff are proactive in terms of meeting young people’s health needs. They have successfully supported young people to have treatment which they have previously refused. An example of this is a young person agreeing to have a dental brace fitted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff also help young people to prepare for their independence. Staff carefully balance the risk this poses with the opportunities for young people to improve their life skills. Two young people have recently moved on to independent living, after making significant progress. This is as a result of the direct work carried out with young people to prepare them for adult life. One social worker said, ‘From when he was placed, there has been an entire change. He was heavily involved with drugs and alcohol and was extremely aggressive. He has matured significantly and is now a sensible young man who has good prospects.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have continued to support young people once they have left the home. These arrangements have been agreed by the placing authority and provide young people with Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 4 a local source of support as they move on to independence. One of these young people told the inspector, ‘I can’t tell you how much the staff care, they really care. It makes you forget sometimes that you are in care because of the way the home runs and how supportive everyone is.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All young people attend an education provision. Attendance rates are good, and this supports the academic progress that each young person is making. This is a significant achievement in relation to their starting points. Staff are ambitious for young people and provide them with the routine and structure needed to prompt learning. Young people know that attending education is not negotiable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s views are central to the running of the home. Staff consult young people in all aspects of their care and support them to take control of the decisions that affect them. One young person told the inspector, ‘I am listened to all the time. There are so many examples; I guess the biggest one was when I said I felt like I was ready to move out and I wanted to try it before I was 18. The staff sorted it out with my social worker and called meetings to get it agreed.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people influence how often they see their families. This ensures that young people feel that their views are valued and provides them with a degree of control. It also ensures that they stay in touch with the people most important to them. A grandparent said, ‘The home keeps in touch with us all the time, they update us and work with us.’

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

Young people say that they feel safe. Staff talk to young people about risks using creative methods. For example, they use a variety of different approaches dependent upon the assessed needs of the young person. Staff and young people work together to develop strategies to help keep young people safe. Because of this, young people become safer. They make safer choices and risks reduce in all areas of their lives. Young people very rarely go missing from the home and they do not self-harm. Concerns regarding their alcohol and substance misuse reduce. The risk of sexual exploitation significantly decreases. An independent reviewing officer told the inspector, ‘[Name of young person] has excellent relationships with staff; this has been the key to the change. He knows that staff have invested in him and he values this.’

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

Young people’s behaviour and relationships with each other have improved. Staff set clear and consistent boundaries. Staff and young people work together to devise plans which identify triggers that make them feel angry or upset and result in techniques that they can use when they should begin to feel like this. These plans also provide clear guidance for staff on how they should support young people. As a result, young people feel more secure than they previously did. This work is underpinned by research and training, particularly around the use of restorative practice. Staff welcomed a training opportunity with the Youth Offending Service and use it effectively to ensure that their practice is informed by a solid evidence base and to prevent young people from engaging in criminal activity. Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the staff team. He is supported by an experienced deputy manager. Together, they have increased their knowledge and have attended training in using restorative practice. This work continues to be disseminated to the staff team and has developed practice and understanding around the needs of young people who have often experienced complex trauma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager keeps young people at the heart of all he does. He is inspirational and ambitious for young people and ensures that this personal and professional ethos permeates across the entire staff team. He is keen to continually improve the care provided to young people and uses reflective tools in team meetings to explore any incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very positive about the support they receive from the registered manager and the deputy manager. However, supervision sessions for some staff are not regular. The registered manager has also not received adequate supervision from the responsible individual. This means that staff do not have sufficient opportunity to reflect on their practice. The irregular supervision has not affected the standard of care provided to young people as the staff team is very experienced and uses team meetings to explore issues. New staff are appropriately vetted and are supported through an effective induction process. This ensures that young people receive high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff hold the required level 3 diploma in residential childcare or equivalent qualification. One member of staff is currently working to achieve this, and plans are in place to ensure that they complete this in the required timescales. Staff are also provided with a range of training that informs their practice. The registered manager encourages staff to develop their skills through training opportunities. Consequently, highly skilled and effective staff support young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight and monitoring processes are innovative and highly successful. For example, the registered manager has recently asked a peer to undertake an audit. As a result, the registered manager understands exceptionally well the home’s strengths and weaknesses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is central to planning the care for young people. To support this, he has developed excellent relationships with families and a wide range of agencies. He constantly strives to improve the outcomes for young people and is currently exploring how he can develop local services to meet the needs of young people leaving 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 6 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: SC008269 7

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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

Annemarie Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 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 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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