Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC035049 1 SC035049 Registered provider: Partners in Care 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 is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural 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

Date of last inspection: 27 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: SC035049 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2017 Full Good 30/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Outstanding 25/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC035049 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 procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular, provide for prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located (Regulation 34(2)(b)). 03/12/2018

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Recommendations

 Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 42, paragraph 9.5) This specifically relates to ensuring that risk management strategies are clearly recorded on each risk assessment.  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 63, paragraph 14.13) In particular, the provider must ensure that this system is effective when the manager is absent, off duty or on leave

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is very caring and nurturing, and staff treat each young person with unconditional positive regard at all times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An unquestionable strength of the home is the staff team’s ability to create an environment which replicates ‘family life’. This was clearly evidenced throughout the Inspection report children’s home: SC035049 4 inspection. One young person said, ‘I like it here because we’re like a little family. I’ve lived in other children’s homes, and this is by far the best one I’ve been in. I really love it here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people recognise that staff care about them and do everything they can to help them to stay safe. As a result, young people experience improvement in their emotional well-being as well as their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people first arrive at the home, they are often not engaged in education, training or employment. Staff work hard to explore and secure education, training or employment that meets young people’s needs. They work together with the relevant agencies to ensure that young people have access to the correct placement and have every opportunity to achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to take part in a range of activities. Staff know the young people well and arrange activities that young people will enjoy. In addition to this, the activities provide learning opportunities and support the young people in growing in confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Maintaining family relationships is prioritised by the manager and staff team. Staff work effectively with the placing authority to manage and support appropriate contact between young people and those individuals important to them. This supports the young people to remain part of their family and enjoy positive time with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations and value young people for who they are. Staff are extremely proud of all the achievements that young people make. They celebrate these by exhibiting their certificates and awards throughout the home.

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

Young people said that they feel safe and protected by the staff. In addition, staff work effectively with partner agencies to identify, monitor, measure and reduce risks for young people.

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

Staff have a thorough understanding of the young people. They understand the young people’s triggers and know what is effective in managing their behaviour. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted, rewards are effective, and the young people consistently achieving their rewards of choice. Young people are happy living here and incidents are extremely rare.

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

Risk assessments are in place for each young person. Plans are reviewed and updated in response to incidents, and robust communication within the team ensures that everyone is always aware of presenting issues or concerns. That said, not all risk assessments contain relevant information, such as strategies to manage risks. To date, there is no evidence that this has impacted adversely on young people’s safety. However, this is not Inspection report children’s home: SC035049 5 best practice and requires revision.

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

Staff manage incidents of young people going missing from care well. There are clear procedures in place that staff follow, for example looking for young people and contacting all relevant professionals. When needed, managers request multi-agency strategy meetings to minimise any known risks. In addition, good analysis of each incident helps to highlight triggers and informs care practices within the home.

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

Procedures are in place for staff to follow in the event of allegations, suspicion of abuse or unsafe practice. However, on at least one occasion, a senior manager who was deputising for the registered manager did not involve the relevant safeguarding professional as required by regulation. Fortunately, the provider has taken steps to address the matter. This will help to ensure that agreed protocols are stringently followed in the future.

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

The home provides young people with a physically safe, appropriately secure, warm, comfortable and homely environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively, and this promotes a safe environment for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently been registered by Ofsted. She has enrolled on the appropriate level 5 leadership and management diploma for children’s residential childcare and has the relevant experience and knowledge for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides the home with visible and effective leadership. She provides staff with clear purpose and direction that challenge them to improve the life chances, experiences and outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff have access to appropriate training and reflective supervision opportunities that stretch and challenge their care practice. Staff said that they are very happy working at the home and enjoy working with young people. Staff feel very well supported and that their skills and experience are valued within the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team maintains effective partnerships with the placing authority, local police officers and other professional agencies. The manager is an effective advocate and is able to escalate concerns and hold others to account if she feels that support is lacking or that decisions are not in the best interests of young people. As a result, the needs of young people are prioritised effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff recognise the impact of young people’s early-life experiences on their behaviour and presentation. They work hard to provide a secure and reliable base from which young people can make progress in addressing what is difficult for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Procedures are in place to ensure that relevant professionals and agencies are informed of significant events. However, this system is not robust. In the absence of the manager, Inspection report children’s home: SC035049 6 staff have not notified HMCI of information pertaining to the protection of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring systems help to develop the service. The registered manager makes good use of evaluative tools to assess areas of good practice and areas of need. The independent monthly visits are sufficiently detailed and provide the manager with an overview of the quality of care and protection in the home. The registered manager acts to address any concerns raised and does so in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good insight into the home’s strengths and developmental areas and has fully met the requirements and recommendation made at the last inspection. The service is meeting the aims and objectives as detailed in the statement of purpose.

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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: SC035049 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Partners in Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rouse House, 2 Wyther Lane, Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Ceri Evans, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC035049 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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