Children's home run by Care 4 Children Holdco Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children 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 home is privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted. The previous registered manager left the home in January 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 2019

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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: 26 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good 31/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each matter in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(3)(d) 15/10/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2). In particular, that staff supervision is delivered within the company’s expectations.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). In particular, that work completed with young people is recorded, independence work is presented in an accessible and streamlined format and education plans are specific to individual needs.

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38). Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s experiences of joining and leaving the home are positive. Staff work hard to ensure that young people moving on from the home benefit from considered planning. This ensures that young people do not experience unnecessary disruption and continue to have their needs met. Equally, those new to the home are offered care that meets their immediate and ongoing needs. Young people settle quickly, and staff work hard at building positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people attend education regularly and are given good levels of support from the staff to make academic progress. Young people benefit from engaging with the home’s psychologist and ongoing regular individual work with staff. As a result, they are provided with an environment that supports their educational and emotional progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop healthy routines and relationships, due to the consistent and firm boundaries set by staff. For example, one young person has successfully changed his sleeping patterns from daytime to night-time, enabling him to attend school each day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy many varied leisure activities. Each young person is given encouragement by staff to develop and explore their own unique interests and talents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s views about the care they receive is important to the staff. They are regularly consulted and there are plans by the staff to further improve young people’s engagement in this process.

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

The risks to young people are understood well by the staff and the care offered reflects that understanding. As a result, young people are safer through living at the home.

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

All young people feel safe at the home and they feel that they have developed good relationships with staff. This contributes to their feeling of well-being and helps young people to better manage the difficulties they may face.

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

Conflict between staff and young people is infrequent and this reflects the positive environment that staff have worked hard to establish and maintain. Staff de-escalate any incidents effectively and the use of physical intervention is infrequent.

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

Young people are appropriately referred to specialist agencies for support when concerns over possible drug misuse arise. However, since admission to the home young people’s propensity to use drugs has significantly diminished.

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

Any complaints or allegations have been dealt with by the manager in a timely and transparent manner. The records and outcomes are clear and there is appropriate liaison with local authority officers. Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 5 Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have worked hard to ensure that boundaries are well established and adhered to. However, some consequences that staff implement due to young people’s unacceptable behaviour are not always restorative in nature.

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

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted. She was appointed in January 2019, when the previous registered manager left the home.

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

Since the last inspection, the manager has worked hard to establish her leadership and as a result, all the requirements and all but one of the recommendations have been met.

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

She offers clear and effective management to a now stable and fully staffed team. Since the last inspection, the efforts to recruit staff have been successful and there is minimal reliance upon casual staff.

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

The manager understands well the plans for young people and the progress they are making. She has successfully challenged placing authorities and ensures that they fulfil their roles and duties towards young people.

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

There is a clear and effective plan for the home to continue to make improvements. Improvements to date have included additional training for staff in key areas of care, including admission planning for young people.

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

Recording by staff has improved since the last inspection. However, there remain gaps that include key conversations held with young people. In addition, independence work carried out with young people is spread over a number of documents and this reduces managerial oversight. There are also missed opportunities to individualise educational plans for young people.

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

Recruitment of staff has not always been robust and thorough. Discrepancies between references given and information gathered from other sources have not been resolved or followed up by senior managers or human resources personnel.

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

Staff report good levels of support and supervision. This support is both formal and informal, although the formal sessions do not always meet the company’s aspirations regarding frequency.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 6 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: 1240803 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Inspectors

Pauline Yates, social care inspector Kamal Bhamra, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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