Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: 1263425 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) 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 home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is part of an independent company. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection since registration. Inspection report children’s home: 1263425 2

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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 review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 30/04/2019

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Specifically, the provider should consider installing a bath in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been registered since the end of September 2018. The young people currently living at the home have settled well and have developed positive relationships with staff and each other. A young person said, ‘It’s amazing here. All young people should come here to live. The staff are really nice; they help me and talk to me. I wouldn’t change anything.’ Young people benefit from good-quality care that enables them to make very good progress from their initial starting points. For example, one young person’s risks around going missing and sexual exploitation have significantly reduced. Staff work in a coordinated way with young people, their families and professionals to ensure that young people receive the right help and support. A placing social worker said, ‘She [their young person] has formed good relationships and they have good insight into her needs. We are quite pleased with them.’ Regular key-work sessions support young people to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: 1263425 3 discuss things that are specific to them. In addition, house meetings ensure that the young people can contribute their views on the day-to-day running of the home. Both young people currently living at the home are in full-time education. They respond well to the clear structure and routines provided. Consequently, one young person’s attendance has significantly improved from their starting point of placement. Their social worker said, ‘She is now in a good routine. She is attending school 100% of the time.’ Young people are supported to lead healthy lifestyles. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s specific health and emotional needs and ensure that young people access appropriate medical advice and support. The staff have had training around promoting and protecting the health of young people who are diabetic. As a result, the management of a young person’s diabetes has improved since coming to live at the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

home. Young people are encouraged to take part in community-based activities. One young person enjoys horse riding and swimming and attends a local Guide group. This helps them to develop their hobbies and interests and make friends with young people of a similar age. Young people live in a homely environment. The home is furnished to a good standard and the young people can personalise their bedrooms to suit their own style and interests. However, the home only has a shower and this impacts on those young people who prefer to have a bath.

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

Young people’s risks are clearly identified from their initial starting points and effective strategies are in place to protect them from harm. A young person spoken to confirmed that they feel safe and secure. The care and support that young people receive are helping them to become increasingly safe. At the time of the inspection, a young person was missing from the home. Inspectors observed the manager and staff working in partnership with the safeguarding agencies to ensure the young person’s safe return. The young person arrived at the home at high risk of sexual exploitation, but with staff support this risk had significantly reduced. However, following a strategy meeting with safeguarding professionals, the young person’s risk assessment was reviewed and appropriate strategies implemented to ensure the young person’s safety and welfare. The placing social worker commented, ‘Apart from the recent missing, [name of young person] has made progress.’

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

Staff treat young people with dignity and respect and this helps the young people to feel valued. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Young people respond well to the incentives in place; there have been no sanctions and only two physical interventions. Staff help young people to learn self-control and to express themselves better. As a result, the incidents of challenging behaviour have considerably reduced for one young person since coming to live at the home. Young people’s risk assessments are detailed and provide staff with clear strategies to manage and minimise young people’s risks. A shortfall in the home’s location risk assessment was identified. Although the manager has gathered lots of information and statistics about the location of the home, they have not risk assessed this information to Inspection report children’s home: 1263425 4 identify whether any safety measures are necessary. The impact of this on young people

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

is minimal, as there are good systems in place that promote their welfare and safety. Young people are protected by the home’s recruitment practices. Staff are appropriately vetted prior to coming to work at the home. Safeguarding training ensures that staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children and young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a very experienced and skilled registered manager. However, she has submitted an application to voluntarily cancel her registration with Ofsted, as she is moving to another post within the organisation. There is a plan for the assistant manager to take up the registered manager role. This will ensure consistency and continuity for the young people and staff. The home is meeting the aims and objectives of its statement of purpose. There are sufficient staff to meet the needs of the young people. The workforce development plan addresses staff training needs and there is a clear focus on ensuring that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the young people. For example, a professional from the emotional trauma team is delivering staff training on attachment. Staff who are not yet qualified are enrolled on the level 3 diploma on completion of their probationary period. Staff demonstrate a real commitment to the development of the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

home and they work well together. Practice is child-centred, and staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs. This is evident in the progress that the young people have made in such a short time. Staff benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. This ensures that staff are provided with good support and challenge. Supervision is also used effectively to discuss the progress of children. This ensures that staff are fully up to date with young people’s plans. The manager and staff team have built effective working relationships with partner agencies. This multi-agency approach ensures that young people receive the right help and support to meet their individual needs. Placing social workers spoke highly of the home. The manager has completed suitable impact risk assessments prior to young people coming to live at the home. Consideration is given to the matching of the young people to ensure compatibility and reduce the risk of placement breakdown.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1263425 5 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: 1263425 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Group, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspectors

Michelle Bacon: social care inspector Dawn Parton: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1263425 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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