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

Inspection report children’s home: SC429778 1 SC429778 Registered provider: Atlas Healthcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is registered to care for children who have learning disabilities. It offers full-time care and accommodation for up to 10 children and young people, and short breaks for up to five children and young people. The home is located within the local community. The registered manager has been in her current role since November 2016.

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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: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a monitoring visit that was carried out on 4 March 2019, two compliance notices, to improve how children and young people are safeguarded and to improve leadership and management, were issued. These have been met. Inspection report children’s home: SC429778 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Full Good 06/06/2018 Full Inadequate 24/07/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC429778 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people receive good individualised care that meets their needs. Relationships between the staff, children and young people are very good. This creates a caring, nurturing environment where the children and young people flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people have positive day-to-day experiences that contribute to their progress and development. Good consultation and being encouraged to make personal choices enhance the children’s and young people’s equality and diversity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are fully committed to supporting the children and young people to take part in a wide range of activities and to be a part of their local community. This exposes the children and young people to a range of positive experiences that develop their confidence and social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s and young people’s health needs are met. They have access to the healthcare services that they need to meet their developmental milestones. Educational outcomes are consistent, and the staff are very supportive of the children’s and young people’s school achievements and out-of-school activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have purposeful relationships with parents, professionals and external agencies. These effective partnerships and joint-working provide holistic care that positively impacts on the children’s and young people’s progress and outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transition arrangements are comprehensively planned to ensure successful admissions to the children’s home, and to support young people moving into adulthood. The staff, alongside other support agencies, endeavour to provide high-quality services for children, young people and their families during what can be a difficult time. Consequently, the children and young people are prepared for and supported through their transitions.

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

The registered manager has significantly improved risk management in the home. The children’s and young people’s individual risk assessments have been reviewed and updated. They better highlight significant risks and there are clear, recorded strategies for reducing these risks.

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

There is regular, thorough evaluation of the risk assessments to ensure that they are current and relevant. As a result, the staff are better informed about how to safely care for the children and young people.

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

The staff skilfully provide clear and consistent boundaries for the children and young people. This gives the children and young people appropriate routines that are Inspection report children’s home: SC429778 4 comforting, particularly for those children and young people who have significant disabilities and autism. Behaviour is managed positively. Physical restraints are used as a last resort and where the registered manager identifies any peaks in the use of restraint, these are investigated without delay.

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

For those children and young people who struggle to regulate their behaviour, the staff work closely with the child and adolescent mental health services to create individualised behaviour management plans. Thus, the children and young people are less anxious and distressed.

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

The children and young people live in a safe environment that meets their needs. Environmental health and safety are good, and regular fire safety checks protect the children, young people, staff and visitors from unexpected fire hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the skills, knowledge and experience to effectively carry out her role. She is supported by a committed assistant manager who strives to improve outcomes for the children and young people. Together, they form a strong management team, and have met two previous safeguarding compliance notices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality child protection training has been pivotal in improving the staff’s knowledge and understanding of the actions that they need to take to safeguard the children and young people. Additional staff supervision, which includes meaningful reflective practice and tests the staff’s safeguarding knowledge, is effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Developments in other safeguarding areas, for example improving policies and procedures, underpin safer caring. Subsequently, the children’s and young people’s safety and protection are improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered persons have reviewed and improved how they challenge and address safeguarding failings. The staff have previously failed to respond to potential risks, but now they respond to these promptly and appropriately. There is a strong focus on staff development and managing staff performance, which has resulted in the staff feeling more confident and empowered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has improved how she monitors practice and the operation of the home. She has introduced additional monitoring systems that place considerable emphasis on keeping the children and young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Requirements to improve the staff rota, to ensure that all staff have integrity and good character, and to ensure that Ofsted are notified of significant events are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Better-organised rotas identify which staff are on duty and the hours that they work. This clarifies which staff are responsible for the care and safety of the children and young people. There is better oversight of the staff employed at the home to ensure that Inspection report children’s home: SC429778 5 they are suitable to work with children and young people, and the registered manager is now clear about notifiable events. These actions demonstrate that the children’s and young people’s safety and welfare are valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is achieving its aims and objectives of providing the children and young people with a homely environment where they are respected and cherished. The registered manager and the staff are staunch advocates for the children and young people, and they will challenge services to ensure that the children’s and young people’s rights are respected and adhered to. This ethos promotes equality and diversity for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are no new requirements or recommendations arising from this inspection.

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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: SC429778 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Atlas Healthcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Maureen Richardson

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Inspector

Debbie White: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC429778 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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