Children's home run by Atlas Healthcare Ltd in Cheshire East

Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 1 SC429762 Registered provider: Atlas Healthcare Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home which provides care and accommodation for children and young people who have a learning and/or physical disability. The home offers long-term residential placements and short-break services for up to nine children and young people. The registered manager has been in post since November 2016.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2018 Full Good 30/05/2017 Full Outstanding 20/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people receive good care and support that meets their needs. They are progressing, and they have positive day-to-day experiences. The staff team is caring and nurturing, which enhances meaningful bonds and relationships. The children and young people have good school attendance and they are achieving their potential.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent said: ‘It is absolutely fabulous at this home. I have no worries about [Name of the young person] and she is very happy where she is. The staff are very patient and kind.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Contact arrangements are respected. The registered manager strives to ensure that the children and young people maintain strong family links. Meaningful family relationships give the children and young people emotional security and a sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker said: ‘The manager did a marvellous job facilitating contact for my young person. The staff did all the transport and made sure his family knew how to use his medical equipment. The contact would not have happened if it were not for the staff at [Name of the children’s home].’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transition arrangements are organised and effective. New children and young people are welcomed into the home and the staff involve parents and families in decision-making and transitional arrangements. These good relationships enable the children and young people to adapt better when away from their home. Thorough planning and positive inter-agency working support young people who are approaching adulthood. This ensures that these young people move on into suitable adult placements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s written plans do not always identify the children’s and young people’s progress. The plans are not specific about individual needs and how these will be met. Written evaluations are sparse and do not fully explain how living at this home promotes positive outcomes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Additionally, there are occasions where children’s and young people’s individual needs are compromised by set routines and staffing arrangements. For example, all the children and young people have their ‘bath and pyjamas on’ after tea. Older young people are not given the opportunity to experience age-related activities such as attending youth clubs or socialising with their peers. This potentially compromises the children’s and young people’s choices, opportunities and equality.

p.3

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

The staff have a good knowledge of the children’s and young people’s risks and vulnerabilities. Individual risk assessments identify known hazards and how these will be minimised. Good staff supervision and observation increase the children’s and young Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 4 people’s safety and security.

p.3

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

The staff receive regular safeguarding training that equips them with the knowledge that they need to identify possible signs of abuse. Stringent child-protection procedures are known and understood. The registered manager has a good relationship with local safeguarding officers and she seeks advice appropriately. These proactive measures promote the children’s and young people’s welfare.

p.4

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

The staff promote a positive ethos when managing behaviour. Sanctions are not used and there have been no restraints or physical interventions. The staff use guidance, encouragement and positive re-enforcers to gently steer the children and young people towards developing their social skills.

p.4

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

The children and young people live in a home that meets their needs. The home is furnished and decorated to a high standard, and good health, safety and fire safety management achieves a safe living environment.

p.4

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

The registered manager has the required qualification needed to undertake her role, and she is developing her management skills. She is a committed, passionate leader who strives to improve the children’s and young people’s outcomes.

p.4

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

The staff work well as a team and report that they feel valued and listened to. They receive the training that they need, which includes bespoke training from responsible healthcare professionals. The registered manager, deputy manager and the staff are good advocates for the children and young people and will challenge services appropriately. This promotes the children’s and young people’s rights.

p.4

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

Good collaborative working with social workers, relevant professionals and healthcare specialists enhances the children’s and young people’s outcomes. Parents and families are extremely well supported, and they value the good rapport that they have with the staff.

p.4

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

The staff are not receiving regular supervision to ensure that they are adequately supported to carry out their role. This does not allow the leaders and managers to address any areas of weakness or performance management.

p.4

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

The registered manager has not updated the home’s statement of purpose or supplied Ofsted with an accurate, up-to-date copy. This potentially compromises Ofsted’s ability, as the home’s regulator, to scrutinise and monitor the operation of the home between inspection visits.

p.4

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

The monitoring of the home is disorganised and unproductive. There is little consultation with stakeholders to ascertain their views and opinions about the home. For example, the registered manager has not asked the children, young people, parents, staff and social workers how they feel about the operation of the home, or if they have any Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 5 suggestions about how to improve the outcomes for the children and young people.

p.4

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

Regulation 44 visits are carried out as per regulation, but these are also lacking in meaningful content. As a result, the registered manager is not demonstrating that she is actively scrutinising the operation of the home or the outcomes for the children and young people.

p.5

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

There is little evidence that the registered manager or the staff engage in evidence- based best practice or seek to research developments in good practice that relate to caring for children and young people who have a disability. This lack of foresight potentially impedes the children, young people and the operation of the home progressing towards continual improvement and development.

p.5

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

There are four new requirements and one new recommendation arising from this inspection visit.

p.5

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets the children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

make decisions about their day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which gives the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. 20/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 6 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(iv)(ix)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps the children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of the care provided in the home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 31/05/2019

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 31/05/2019

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 20/06/2019

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person must actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 7 learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

p.6

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.

p.7

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: SC429762 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Atlas Healthcare Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Norcliffe House, Station Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 1BU

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Maureen Richardson

p.8

Inspector

Debbie White, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC429762 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9