Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 1 SC005589 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Services

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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 operated by a partnership and provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since November 2011.

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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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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/05/2018 Full Good 15/06/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 3

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should always be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34). Specifically, ensure that individual strategies are recorded on the behaviour management plan and are of a restorative nature.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5).  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of

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Recommendations

activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5). Specifically ensure that young people know what activities are available to them and ensure that a timetable of activities is prepared with young people for the holiday period.  When a child returns home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s home

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30).

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection in May 2018, three young people have left the service. Two young people have successfully returned to the care of family members and one young person has made a successful transition to a semi-independence service. At the time of the inspection, two young people are accommodated in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people say that they are happy and settled in the home. One young person said, ‘The staff are really great and help you to feel like you are at home.’ A social worker commented, ‘My young person has made a great deal of progress in this home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between young people and staff are based on mutual regard and respect. Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 4 Staff listen to young people and are consistent in engaging at a level they understand and respond to. Likewise, young people confirm that they are consulted about how the home runs. Key-work sessions, young people’s meetings and feedback forms are used to provide an opportunity for young people to express their views and opinions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Residential care planning is good. Clear and realistic placement goals are developed and reviewed between young people and their key worker. Young people engage well with staff and attend regular key-work sessions to review the care they receive. Consequently, young people are on target to achieve their individual goals. One young person is preparing for transition into independent living, while another young person is preparing to return to their home community or family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a history of educational disruption and non-attendance. From their initial starting points, individual educational needs are well met. For example, staff work with a range of external providers to ensure that each young person can achieve educationally in their particular setting. This means that young people have a range of innovative opportunities to help them in their educational journey. As a result, young people grow in self-esteem and confidence and develop personal goals and aspirations for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On the whole, healthcare planning is good. Young people attend routine appointments and check-ups with support from the staff team. Where additional support is required, staff link with a range of external agencies in order that young people receive the specialist advice they need. Likewise, regular visits from the looked-after children’s nurse and sexual health adviser enable young people and staff to discuss any health concerns or queries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Contact with family and friends is suitably supported. Young people are helped to maintain contact with important people in their lives through visits and telephone contact. Young people confirm they are happy with their contact arrangements and feel that they can approach staff if they wish to have contact arrangements reviewed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff suggest activities for young people to try outside the home. Some young people have enjoyed experiencing new activities, although some young people refuse to engage. However, information about community activities, day trips or community groups is not readily available in the home for young people to review. Likewise, a programme of activities to undertake during the summer break is not developed. Consequently, young people are unable to plan and look forward to pre-planned holiday activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people with a plan of independence are supported to develop the skills necessary to live independently. Young people learn to budget, shop, prepare food and are supported to make more decisions about their lives. Likewise, young people are encouraged to take on new challenges, such as learning to drive. One young person said, ‘I like driving, it is going well, and it will give me the independence I need to visit friends and family in the future.’ Overall, transition planning is good. The staff work closely with the young people to prepare them for their move on to independent or other living accommodation. Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 5

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

Young people’s safety is prioritised. Detailed impact assessments ensure that all young people placed at the home are assessed against the needs, interests and aspirations of those already resident. Likewise, individual risk assessments identify risk-taking behaviours. However, some risk assessments do not consistently provide clear guidance for staff. For example, the documents lack details of de-escalation techniques for challenging behaviours and information regarding specific behaviour management strategies. Consequently, the monitoring and review of risks does not include which strategies to use or their effectiveness. This information is important when measuring risk reduction, including whether the service is making a positive impact on young people’s lives.

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

Young people and staff form excellent relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Therefore, young people work with staff to identify areas for development and a suitable reward for the progress they make. For example, the use of star charts and positive behaviour programmes means that young people receive consistent praise and reward for positive and improved behaviour. However, some actions to address negative behaviour are not restorative, therefore do not enable young people to learn about the impact of their behaviour. For example, the use of financial penalties does not enable a young person to reflect on the impact their behaviours has on themselves or others.

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

Young people know how to complain and receive valuable information from the home and their placing authority to guide them in this area. Since the last inspection in May 2018, there has been one complaint made by a young person and one external complaint. Both complaints were suitably addressed and records contain the investigation, outcome and any learning and development points for the home.

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

Staff receive annual training in the use of physical intervention and confirm that physical intervention is only used as a last resort in the home. Since the last full inspection in May 2018, there have been eight incidents where minor intervention has been deemed necessary. Records clearly detail each incident and include the debrief with the young person and staff. Likewise, after the use of a physical intervention, detailed key-work sessions are undertaken. This helps young people to understand their triggers for challenging behaviours and develop strategies for self-management. However, as detailed earlier in this report, records do not contain the agreed de-escalation strategies. This matter is addressed in an earlier recommendation under risk assessment and management.

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

From young people’s initial starting points, missing-from-home episodes are significantly reduced. Young people come with a history of absenting themselves from their previous placement. Staff work with young people to identify risks and to develop an individual missing-from-home plan. This document is supported by an individual record of incidents and key-work sessions. However, not all young people receive a return home interview arranged by their placing authority. Furthermore, the manager does not consistently receive a record of those interviews which have taken place. Consequently, information pertinent to a young person’s episode of going missing is not gained or shared with the Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 6 manager on a consistent basis in order to review and assess any continued risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since November 2011. She is committed to leading a consistent and strong team in the delivery of individualised childcare practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the home was registered, there has been a significant change in the community in which the home is based, specifically the increase in take-away restaurants in close proximity to the home. This concern was raised in the home’s previous inspection. The organisation has now purchased a new property and is preparing for registration in order to transfer young people and staff. The manager, staff and young people are delighted and are looking forward to having a larger property with a garden in a quiet residential area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring systems provide the home with a suitable approach to the overall monitoring of care. Reports highlight areas for development, and the manager’s action plan details the methods used to enhance the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a good annual training package. On the whole, mandatory training is regularly refreshed, while additional training such as sexual health, positive relationships, autism and knife crime is sourced to provide additional support for young people and staff. Likewise, staff receive regular supervision and have an annual appraisal of their social care performance. A staff member said, ‘We are all very well supported. The manager is great and always gives good advice and guidance. We are all happy working here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering consistent child-centred practice that is tailored to the individual and personal needs of young people. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress young people make, particularly in the reduction of risk-taking behaviours, in their education and in the development of their self-esteem.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a strong and committed staff team. The majority of staff are qualified at NVQ level 3. The training of staff at this level ensures that they are suitably qualified in the care and management of young people. Young people’s records are securely stored and regularly updated in order to capture the essence of young people at a given time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff routinely notify Ofsted, placing authorities, parents and community police of any concern or event involving a child in accordance with Regulation 40. Immediate action is taken to reduce risks. The home places the needs of the young people at the forefront of its practice and this is evidenced in the positive progress they make.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 7 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: SC005589 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider : The Partnership of Care Today Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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