Children's home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 1 SC411074 Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who has social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. The current manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2017, and 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/07/2017 Full Good 03/02/2017 Interim Not judged 27/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 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 children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‟s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(b)(iii)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child‟s interests and preferences. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(ii)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the child‟s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child‟s relevant plans is requested, if the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child‟s needs. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(e)(i)) 31/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 4 The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(1), (3)(b)) 30/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19(1)) 30/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes all necessary information; and within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i–viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 30/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 5

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improvement to be good

The same young person has continued to live at the home since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

The home is largely maintained to a good standard. The inspector discussed with the manager some improvements needed to the young person‟s bedroom. These comments were taken on board during the inspection. However, overall the young person resides in a homely and comfortable environment.

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improvement to be good

The young person makes positive relationships with some staff and has some positive experiences. For example, the young person recently enjoyed a fishing trip with staff. However, the young person‟s relationships with some staff and his day-to-day experiences are not consistently good. For example, the young person said, „I feel like a robot and staff have the controls; they control everything I do.‟ The young person has reported that at times staff do not listen to him. This means that the young person does not feel that he has a secure relationship with all the staff looking after him.

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improvement to be good

The young person has made some progress, particularly with regards to his education. His weekly hours of education have increased. The young person‟s tutor reported that he is „making accelerated progress, and his concentration has greatly improved‟. Consequently, the young person is making good academic progress, especially given his starting point.

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improvement to be good

The staff promote contact for the young person and have advocated on his behalf. As a result, the young person has enjoyed a visit to see a family member, who he has not seen for a long time. This is a positive step for the young person and his family.

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improvement to be good

Partnership working arrangements between the registered manager, placing authority and other external agencies are generally good. For example, professionals report positively on some aspects of care that the young person receives and comment on the staff‟s commitment to the young person. However, it is widely accepted by those involved with the young person that the staff are not equipped to provide the level of specialist care and support that the young person needs.

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improvement to be good

There have been severe delays in accessing an alternative placement that will be able to meet the aims and objectives of the young person‟s care plan. Despite the concerns around the suitability of the placement for the young person, this has not been escalated effectively by the registered manager and provider with the young person‟s placing authority. As a result, although the staff do their best to care for the young person well, they cannot meet all his needs effectively. This limits the progress that the young person has made and has the potential to make with the right level of specialist support.

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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 6

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improvement to be good

The young person is not aware of when he can access advocacy. As a result, the young person is unaware that he can seek independent support to help him to raise any issues in respect of his care.

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improvement to be good

The staff work hard to try and safeguard the young person. They provide the young person with high levels of supervision to keep the young person safe. However, at times the care afforded to the young person is restrictive due to increasing behaviours and high levels of aggression. This affects the young person‟s day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

The young person does not always have access to or enjoy a range of social and recreational activities. Although staff have identified risks in respect of the young person in relation to leisure activities, they have not given further consideration to how the risks can be managed. As a result, the young person does not have the opportunity to practise getting his behaviour right so that he can access and enjoy different activities in the community safely.

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improvement to be good

The staff use restraint only as a last resort. However, not all incident records are completed in line with regulations. This means that managerial oversight of staff practice and learning from physical interventions can be compromised.

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improvement to be good

The effectiveness of behaviour management strategies varies. For example, staff do use rewards and achievable incentives for the young person to encourage positive behaviour. However, staff are not always creative when they use sanctions in response to negative behaviour and some sanctions are not always proportionate. This does not help the young person learn from incidents that happen and learn how to make different choices about his behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is run by a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager who has the support of an able deputy manager. Although the home is fully staffed there have been several changes within the staff team. This has the potential to affect the continuity of care the young person receives and the young person‟s ability to make meaningful and lasting relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

New staff who have joined the home have received effective training and induction. Staff report that training is largely good. Staff have received some specialist support to help them to understand the young person‟s needs. Although this is helpful, it does not go far enough, and the staff team are not equipped to deliver the level of specialist care the young person requires.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are monitoring systems to evaluate and assess the development of the service. However, the staff team and registered manager do not always use these systems to review the quality of care or promote positive outcomes for the young person. Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 7 Staff report that they feel supported by the registered manager. Staff are receiving monthly supervision in line with the home‟s policies and procedures. This helps staff to receive regular feedback on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The statement of purpose has not always been updated following changes within the staff team in line with regulation. Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 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: SC411074 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Marcus House, Parkhall Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 5XA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Denver Underwood

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Inspector

Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC411074 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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