Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC005045 1 SC005045 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s 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

A large private provider operates this home. The home offers care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 4 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: 6 December 2018

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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: SC005045 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2018 Full Good 06/02/2018 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC005045 3

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Recommendations

 All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, ensure that internal plans reflect the needs of each child.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that staff receive specialist training in line with children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy and settled. They live in a warm and nurturing home. Staff invest in young people and genuinely care about them. Young people speak positively about the care they receive and their relationships with staff. A young person told the inspector, ‘Staff are good, they help me when I need it. I have come a long way since living here. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has excellent attendance rates at school and is making strong academic and social progress. Another young person achieved a number of GCSE passes recently and now attends college and an apprenticeship. Strong routines and structure set the foundations for success in education. In addition, staff work effectively with teachers to ensure that this progress is sustained. A teacher told the inspector, ‘Staff have done wonders for him [young person]. His outlook on life and attitude have changed massively. I can’t speak highly enough about his home. I can’t imagine a better place for him to be.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to ensure that young people spend regular time with those who matter most to them. As a result, young people strengthen their relationships with family and friends. This improves their sense of identity and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are at the heart of staff practice. Their views are considered in the day-to- day running of the home. Young people take part in weekly meetings to decide on activities and review their progress. Their views are also central in more complex aspects of their care. The living environment is warm and welcoming and has recently been refurbished. One young person has a pet. This inclusive and personalised approach supports young people to feel settled and proud of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a range of activities and enjoyable experiences. These include Inspection report children’s home: SC005045 4 holidays to the seaside, go-karting and trips to a local theme park. Young people also like spending time in their home with staff. This is symptomatic of how settled young people feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people effectively to prepare for their future. For example, young people complete independence booklets and learn important life skills such as cooking, budgeting and cleaning. Staff also support young people to take safe and appropriate risks. This helps young people to develop a sense of responsibility and maturity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote young people’s physical and emotional health. Young people attend regular health check-ups. When necessary, staff seek advice from specialist services. This provides young people with expert guidance on issues such as substance misuse and their emotional well-being.

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

Young people’s risk assessments are detailed and up to date. They capture all known risks and provide staff with clear guidance about how to keep young people safe. Staff respond promptly when risks arise and provide young people with targeted support. Good support reduces risks and also helps young people to understand risk and how to keep themselves safe.

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

Frequent and targeted key-work sessions with staff help young people to address behaviours that have caused concern. Staff also rely on their knowledge of young people to establish when they are unsettled or anxious. They provide young people with frequent guidance and reassurance. This proactive and strong response means that young people significantly reduce their risk-taking behaviours over time.

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

Young people receive rewards and praise for positive behaviour. They enjoy setting weekly targets alongside staff and take pride when these are met. Staff take an individualised approach to young people’s care. For example, they create a range of small and achievable tasks to help one young person to develop his self-care and independence skills.

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

Young people feel safe and settled. They report that they can seek out trusted members of staff if they feel anxious or concerned. This open and supportive culture helps young people to feel secure.

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

Both young people have been settled for a significant period. However, the registered manager and staff continue to provide them with guidance and advice to keep safe. For example, young people’s meetings focus on a range of safeguarding issues such as healthy relationships, community safety and online risks. This proactive approach keeps young people safe.

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

The registered manager has effective links with a range of key safeguarding partners. Local police representatives develop a positive relationship with young people and staff. On occasions, the registered manager has provided young people with support from Inspection report children’s home: SC005045 5 agencies who specialise in substance misuse. As a result, young people receive expert advice to understand and reduce risk-taking behaviour.

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

Safe recruitment practices ensure that young people are protected from unsafe adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has made a positive impact on young people’s lives. This means that they continue to feel settled and make progress. She knows the young people well and is passionate about their care. This ethos inspires staff to provide young people with good-quality, consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by managers and enjoy their role. They receive good-quality and frequent supervision. Staff benefit from a healthy learning environment and have opportunities for internal promotion and development. They complete a range of mandatory and specialist training. However, staff would benefit from further training to build their knowledge about a young person’s health condition.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has effective monitoring systems in place. Detailed monthly reports help her to identify strengths and shortfalls and improve the quality of care. The registered manager is proactive and has strong organisational skills. She ensures that young people continue to receive individualised care that is in line with their needs. Overall, the quality of internal records is good. However, some information in young people’s internal plans is repetitive and therefore does not fully reflect their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is established, experienced and diverse. As a result, young people have access to staff with a range of expertise. Staff know young people well and provide strong and well thought-out care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work effectively with a range of external agencies. These include social workers, schools and health professionals. This means that young people benefit from coordinated care and make good progress. A social worker told the inspector, ‘Staff keep me updated, we work really well together. He [young person] seems really at ease with staff. They have supported him really well.’

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC005045 6 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: SC005045 7

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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

Gareth Leckey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005045 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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