Children's home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Inspection report children’s home: 2484441 1 Registered provider: Stoke on Trent City Council

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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 children’s home is run by the local authority and offers care and accommodation for two young people who have experienced childhood instability leading to trauma and associated complex behaviours. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 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

Date of last inspection: 11 December 2018

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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: 2484441 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2484441 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress because they benefit from well-planned care, which is adapted to young people’s changing needs and priorities. Staff provide a stable and supportive environment and are enthusiastic about the young person’s progress that has led to a significant reduction in incidents in the home, specifically behaviour management episodes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The individual health needs of young people are being met. All young people are registered with primary health services. This ensures that they have day-to-day access to healthcare and health advice, including sexual healthcare and substance misuse. This means that young people receive the specialist input that is designed to meet their specific individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A good medication management system ensures that medication is safely administered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is prepared to challenge the local authority to ensure that suitable school placements are found for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people’s time with their families. This ensures that young people remain close to people who are important to them and benefit from being involved in a wider support network outside of the home.

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

Young people feel safe and are settled. Staff receive safeguarding training as part of their induction into the home and are familiar with the procedures to follow in the event of any concerns.

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

However, risk assessments have not been consistently reviewed or updated. For example, one risk assessment does not reflect an increase in risk levels in response to a young person’s recent behaviours. This is not ensuring that staff have clear, up-to-date guidance.

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

Although staff carry out individual work with young people about the dangers of substance misuse, young people still on occasion put their health at risk by experimenting with illegal substances.

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

Managers and staff are skilled in de-escalating situations and helping young people to manage their emotions and behaviour. This means that staff rarely need to use physical restraint to manage behaviour.

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

Young people rarely go missing from this home. Any unauthorised absences are short, and staff always try hard to help young people to understand the dangers that they can Inspection report children’s home: 2484441 4 face in the community. Staff have a good knowledge of the joint police and local safeguarding procedures and use these to ensure that young people stay safe.

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

Young people live in a home that provides them with physical safety and security. Fire safety and health and safety checks are regularly carried out. Records show that young people and staff regularly practise evacuation of the building, so they know how to respond in an emergency or fire. The home has established systems and structures in place to maintain safe practices and fulfil health and safety obligations.

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

Safe recruitment practice helps to protect young people. Before managers appoint staff, they vet and assess their suitability. These procedures promote the safety of young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a social work qualification and has been registered with Ofsted since August 2018. She is focused on developing the staff to enable them to provide the highest possible standard of care for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people are cared for by a committed staff team. All the staff are either qualified or enrolled on the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. Staff benefit from an effective training programme that helps to equip them with the skills required to look after the young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. This helps them to reflect on their practice and to develop their skills and knowledge to provide a high-quality service to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work closely with a range of partner agencies, including the police, schools and social workers, to meet the needs of young people. The manager has been a firm advocate for young people, particularly in successfully sourcing appropriate education for a young person in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has taken appropriate steps to address the requirements raised at the last inspection. The manager now has a robust process for admitting young people into the home, and young people are now receiving education in accordance with their needs.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 2484441 5

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 01/07/2019

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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: 2484441 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City of Stoke-on-Trent, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 1HH

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2484441 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 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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