Children's home run by Social Care Services Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC357133 1 SC357133 Registered provider: Social Care Services Limited

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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 is a privately run children’s home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2013.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 25 February 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: SC357133 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/05/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC357133 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 04/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 04/10/2019

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Recommendations

 As part of reviewing and revising where appropriate the Statement of Purpose (regulation 16 (3)(a)), the registered person should review and update the children’s guide as necessary, and make sure children are given an explanation of any changes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality Inspection report children’s home: SC357133 4 standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.23)  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28,

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Recommendations

paragraph 5.15)  All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s life chances improve as a result of living at this home. Young people spoken to during the inspection said that they have good relationships with staff and feel well cared for. One young person who recently moved in to the home has settled very quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions are well managed, and staff ensure that young people move on from the home in a positive way. One young person has successfully moved on to semi- independent living, which was in line with his wishes. Staff gave the young person a memory book to remind him of his time at the home. His social worker wrote, ‘I just wanted to email to say a big thank you for your support and commitment to [X]. He has built some really lovely relationships with you all, and I know he has left your care with positive memories and on a good note. Thanks for his leaving book. That was a really nice thing to do for him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the importance of education with young people. The manager and staff have successfully re-integrated a young person into education following a period of the young person refusing to attend. They are currently on a reduced timetable, which means there is little structure in the remainder of the day. One young person achieved Inspection report children’s home: SC357133 5 100% attendance and secured a place at college to take a construction course.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are routinely encouraged to attend their health appointments. They also have access to a range of specialist services to promote their emotional and psychological well-being. A young person told the inspector that they have stopped smoking since coming to live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to build positive relationships with young people’s families. Staff support contact both within and outside of the home. This ensures that young people maintain attachments to those who are important to them. A parent wrote, ‘I’ve been coming to my son’s care home on a weekly contact for many months … I have been made to feel welcome … They’re friendly towards me and every Sunday make me and [X] a lovely meal … I would like to thank them all for their kindness towards myself and my children.’

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

Young people said that they feel safe living at the home. They said that they are able to talk to all staff about any concerns or worries that they may have. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and take appropriate action after any incidents involving young people’s welfare and safety.

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

Clear protocols are in place for the management of young people going missing from the home, including staff following and searching for young people. The frequency with which young people go missing has significantly reduced from their individual starting points. Individual risk assessments and recommended actions to take post-incident are well known by staff and followed in practice.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of bullying or physical interventions. Consistent routines and boundaries together with positive behaviour management strategies ensure that the use of sanctions is kept to a minimum. When a sanction is imposed, the records show they are fair and proportionate. Key work sessions support young people to reflect on their emotions and feelings.

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

A young person told the inspector, ‘Staff talk to me about keeping safe, especially when using social media. Staff are good at talking me down. I really connect with staff. I do know that I have people around me who don’t want me to hurt myself.’

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

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. Young people continue to benefit from a stable staff team that is enthusiastic, caring and committed to delivering good- quality care.

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

Staff said that they are well supported by the manager. In the main, staff receive regular supervision. However, they have not had their performance and fitness formally Inspection report children’s home: SC357133 6 appraised. This is a missed opportunity to further improve individual staff practice.

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

A requirement repeated at the last inspection in relation to a workforce development plan has been addressed. However, there are gaps in staff training, including the safe administration of medication and food hygiene.

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

Young people receive good information about the home prior to admission. However, the young people’s guide requires updating, as it makes reference to a senior manager who no longer works for the company. One young person does not have an internal health plan or placement plan in place. This is despite their moving in to the home more than a week prior to the inspection.

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

Shortfalls were identified in a number of the home’s records. For example, the location risk assessment has not been updated. In addition, the staff meeting minutes and young people’s house meeting minutes are difficult to read as they are handwritten. Missing from home records do not consistently record when young people have had a return interview with someone independent from the home.

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

The manager is responsible for reviewing and updating the home’s health and safety risk assessment and the fire risk assessment; however, he has not had risk assessment training for a number of years, to ensure that his knowledge is up to date and that the home remains compliant with legal requirements.

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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: SC357133 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Clayton Limited, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspector

Michelle Bacon: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC357133 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 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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