Children's home run by Smoothstone Care & Education Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 1 Registered provider: Smoothstone Care and Education Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to six young people aged between 11 and 18. The young people may have multiple complex needs, learning difficulties or associated mental health conditions. The home extends their leaving age to 19 when this will assist young people in their transition to independence.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1), (2)(a)(b), (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 24/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 24/12/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff skills for safeguarding include being able to identify that children may be at risk and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10) Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 4 This is in particular relation to how young people can be criminally exploited.  Ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The records should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy living at this home and their needs are met. Staff respect and cherish young people, speaking extremely positively about them. Staff are good at recognising and celebrating young people’s progress and achievements. This means that young people grow in confidence. Professionals speak highly of the staff. One social worker said: ‘If I could bottle them, I would. They are amazing.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are very familiar with each young person’s communication style. Communication resources are adapted so that young people can take part in decision-making, whatever their communication style. Young people can take part in conversations, make choices and make complaints. One young person gave an example of making changes in the home as a result of giving feedback.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning is effective. It is detailed and specific to each young person. Plans are reviewed regularly. This means that, as young people’s needs change, their plans remain relevant and their care is consistent. Effective care planning means that young people become healthier and develop much-improved self-care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s garden is an example of good, personalised care. The garden has been developed with one of the young person’s specific interests in mind. This makes a positive difference to both how the young person enjoys his free time and his overall behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Progress is particularly good in relation to education outcomes. For example, one young person was not in education before living at this home. They now attend full time. Close working relationships with education colleagues at the home’s on-site school mean that young people’s education needs are well understood and fully met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders make sure that new young people coming to live at this home are compatible with their peers. Good placement planning means that young people settle quickly.

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

Young people are safe and protected. Staff understand young people’s particular vulnerabilities well. High staff ratios allow for the close supervision of young people.

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

Behaviour management is very respectful. Young people who are frustrated and anxious when they came to the home are helped to settle quickly into stable routines. Staff help young people to develop new strategies so that they become better able to manage their anxieties. Staff have good de-escalation skills. This means that incidents are managed sensitively and effectively.

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture. Staff understand their responsibilities clearly and fully adhere to all safeguarding procedures. Even when staff are very new, they have the Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 6 confidence to report any concerns that they might have.

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

Staff personnel files are generally well organised. This reduces the risk of unsuitable adults being able to work in the home. However, on the rare occasions that agency staff work at the home there is not the same attention to detail. Young people have not been affected by this shortfall, but could be in the future if this is not put right.

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

Staff do not fully understand the risks associated with criminal exploitation. For example, staff do not have a good understanding of county lines exploitation and may not be able to identify the warning signs of such activity. This is particularly important, because the young people are especially vulnerable and one uses the internet regularly.

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

Weaknesses in staff supervision arrangements were identified at the last inspection. Significant shortfalls in this area remain. Staff have not all received regular supervision. When supervision has taken place, some records are of a poor quality and show that the meetings have been basic and rushed. Opportunities to monitor staff performance and to develop staff have been missed. Some staff feel let down by this. Some staff report that, despite their personal commitment to their role, team members have low morale.

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

There is some animosity between staff. This affects team cohesion. This has not impacted on young people’s care, but it has the potential to do so if not put right. Leaders are aware of the shortfalls and have plans in place to put things right.

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

Staff are generally well trained. They know how to meet young people’s specific needs. However, the central training database does not contain all areas of training. The registered manager is developing a clearer training programme to avoid any gaps developing. Leaders have started to build on what the home is good at, for example bespoke care to vulnerable, disabled young people. Some research has begun, but this is not yet threaded through practice. Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 7

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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 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: 1278966 8

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Smoothstone Care and Education Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Datum House Electra Way, Crewe, Cheshire CW1 6ZF

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Inspectors

Caroline Brailsford, social care inspector Simon Hunter, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1278966 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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