Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 1 SC025745 Registered provider: The Together Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides short breaks for up to five children who may have physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run and managed by a charitable organisation.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 29 November 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: SC025745 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/09/2016 Full Good 05/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 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 prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out–

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‟s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b), (2). In particular, the registered person should ensure that there is a policy in place to guide staff on the use of mechanical restraints. 30/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which– include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, the registered person should ensure that copies of young people‟s education, health and care plans are on file and include the use of mechanical restraints, where applicable. 30/12/2018

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Recommendations

 The home should work in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.6). In particular, the registered provider should ensure that there is a sustainable system in place to maintain regular communication with young people‟s parents.  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risk to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their short break plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any risks on a day-to-day basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 4

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Recommendations

the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Homes that care for children where, as a result of their impairment or disability, restraint is a necessary component of their care should include information relating to this in the behaviour management policy and statement of purpose. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 47, paragraph 9.44) Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The kind, nurturing staff provide young people with highly personalised care. This means that young people are able to form trusting relationships with staff. These relationships are important in shaping young people‟s positive experiences in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that good communication with young people is essential. Staff use a range of communication aids to speak to young people who have limited or no verbal skills. Input from a speech and language team means that staff are able to use tailored approaches for each young person. As a result, young people are given the maximum opportunity to express their wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for young people, and invest time and effort in ensuring that young people succeed. The progress that some young people make is exceptional, considering their starting points. This includes young people improving their self-care skills, developing their ability to regulate their emotions and, in some instances, improving their verbal skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from a range of stimulating activities both in the home and out in the community. Staff‟s patient and thoughtful approach ensures that even those young people who are reluctant to engage in new activities are supported to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to maintain a homely environment for young people. The competing wishes and needs of young people make this a challenging and, at times, restricting process. An internal staff competition is currently being used as a way to encourage creativity in the home‟s decor and to introduce new ideas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents are consistent in their praise of the care provided by staff to their children. While some parents felt that communication about their child‟s stay at the home could be better, in other examples parents stated that communication was excellent and without fault.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand young people‟s vulnerabilities well and put in place appropriate strategies to keep young people safe. Despite this, risk assessments are of variable quality and do not always reflect staff‟s knowledge of young people‟s needs. The inspector found that, in some instances, staff did not read the most recent risk assessments before looking after young people. This reduces the effectiveness of these assessments. There is no evidence that this has resulted in any harm to young people. However, staff‟s inconsistent approach to assessing and reviewing risk is not reflective of a strong approach to safeguarding young people.

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improvement to be good

Notwithstanding these limitations, staff do keep young people safe. For example, young Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 6 people do not go missing and self-harm incidents are managed well. This is because staff are alert, intuitive and know young people well.

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improvement to be good

The staff respond swiftly and decisively to any information which may indicate that a young person is at risk. For example, staff work closely with local authorities and parents to investigate any child protection concerns and ensure that they take all necessary steps to keep young people safe.

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improvement to be good

In most instances, staff are successful in managing young people‟s behaviours. This is because staff are proactive, and they plan how to reduce young people‟s exposure to potential triggers that may make them feel anxious or upset. A personalised approach to behaviour management means that the unique needs of each young person are considered. This results in tailored solutions for each young person.

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improvement to be good

Staff are less successful in ensuring that agreed behaviour management strategies are recorded in young people‟s case records. This administrative issue has not had a significant impact on the care that young people receive. This is because staff‟s day-to- day communication and information-sharing with each other are good, meaning that all staff are consistent in implementing the agreed strategies. Staff share ideas on how best to care for young people, and are reflective when situations do not turn out as expected.

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improvement to be good

In some instances, staff use mechanical restraints such as harnesses and reins. The use of such devices is targeted and specific to the individual needs of young people. Staff‟s initial decision-making for the use of such devices is proportionate and reasonable. Staff carefully consider the need for such devices with parents and placing authorities. However, the subsequent review mechanisms for using these restraints are not well established. Although some young people have education, health and care plans which include the use of these restraints, this is not the case for all young people. In such situations, the registered manager does not review the individual occasions on which these restraints have been used. There is no evidence that this has resulted in any harm to young people.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has not ensured that there is an appropriate behaviour management policy in place that addresses the use of mechanical devices. Similarly, the registered manager has not ensured that the statement of purpose outlines the home‟s use of such devices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager‟s level of commitment and dedication to young people is impressive. Her child-focused approach is mirrored by her staff team. The resilient staff put young people‟s needs at the heart of everything that they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people‟s lives are enriched as a result of their time spent with staff. Young people make good progress as a result of the hard work, care and passion of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good teamwork is the cornerstone of success at this home. Staff say that they feel well Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 7 supported by the registered manager and other colleagues. Detailed handovers, team meetings and supervision sessions ensure that staff work collaboratively to understand and respond to the complex and changing needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with the training necessary to meet the needs of young people. Staff told the inspector that this is an improving situation, with increasing opportunities to undertake specialist training in order to develop their skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work closely with parents and social workers to promote the needs of young people. In some instances, the registered manager has not ensured that young people‟s case records are up to date. Specifically, copies of young people‟s education, health and care plans are not always on file. Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 8

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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 difference 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: SC025745 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Schools Hill, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC025745 10 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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