Children's Home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 1 SC479230 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for up to two young people who have social and emotional difficulties.

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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 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/05/2018 Full Good 16/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 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 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 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. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)) 08/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‟s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 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. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b), (3(b)(i)(ii)) 08/07/2019

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child‟s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child‟s needs („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 12, paragraph 2.8) Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff create a warm and welcoming home environment that enables children to thrive. When children arrive home from school and college, staff help them with independence tasks and then spend time together playing games and talking. The atmosphere in the home is one in which children are relaxed and at ease.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in how they gain children‟s views about things that are important to them. This includes having individual discussions and weekly meetings, when staff give children praise for their achievements. Children also have independent advocates, who help to assure them that their opinions and views matter. These varied opportunities enable children to influence decisions and feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them by working closely with social workers and families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work closely with schools and colleges. One child has achieved better-than- expected exam results and now has aspirations for a career, and is planning to attend college. Staff maintain good communication with children‟s schools and attend important meetings. This joined-up approach helps teachers and staff to work closely together to find new ways of helping each child to continue to make academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child receives individualised care, and staff use placement plans to help them to meet children‟s needs. Regular reviews help staff to identify the progress that children are making and any resources that are needed.

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

Staff carry out work with children to help to increase their understanding of risks. For example, children have undertaken activities to develop their awareness of online risks and child sexual exploitation. This means that children learn how to keep themselves increasingly safe.

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

Bullying is not tolerated in the home, and staff talk to children about the effects of bullying in a way that encourages personal responsibility and an understanding of the feelings of others. Children therefore understand the importance of tolerance and kindness in social relationships.

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

Staff implement clear boundaries, and children know what behaviour is expected of them. Children are restrained only as a last resort, and incidents of restraint have reduced. Following an incident, staff talk to children to try to understand their triggers and to find ways to help them to safely manage their emotions. However, these discussions are not clearly recorded. This limits the opportunity for learning and means that staff may not get the support they need from colleagues and managers. Staff ensure that children have behaviour management plans in place. These help staff Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 5 to have a clear understanding of how to respond when children are at risk. However, plans do not include the triggers to children‟s behaviours. This means that staff do not always have all the information that they need to de-escalate situations.

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

The manager has a range of systems in place to ensure that the home is a safe environment for children to live in. For example, regular health and safety checks and fire drills are carried out in line with organisational policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since May 2018 and is working towards the level 5 qualification in leadership and management. She has had regular supervision and an annual appraisal, which includes positive feedback from children. She feels supported and valued by leaders and managers within the company.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals say that managers and staff work well with them and ensure that children get the support that they need to make good progress. One social worker said, „The support and care that they provide to (name of child) is of a consistent good standard, and I appreciate everything that they do to support him‟.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that the staff receive regular supervision. Supervision sessions are well recorded and evidence that the registered manager talks with staff about their performance, listens to their views and supports them to care for children effectively. The staff have regular appraisals with the registered manager to discuss their development needs. The registered manager has therefore developed a skilled and consistent staff team whose members work together effectively to meet the children‟s and young people‟s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed their level 3 qualification in residential childcare or are working towards the award. Staff receive ongoing training that enables them to keep children safe and meet their specific needs. The registered manager uses research in meetings with staff to increase their knowledge and understanding of issues such as child sexual exploitation and the impact on children of early childhood neglect and abuse.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong advocate for children. She works tirelessly to ensure that they get the services that they need. However, the manager needs to keep up the challenge to the social worker to ensure that one child or young person receives the help and support that he needs.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 6 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: SC479230 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 32, Anglesey Business Centre, Anglesey Road, Burton-on-Trent DE14 3NT

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC479230 8 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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