Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 1 SC426318 Registered provider: Unity Residential 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

A private provider operates this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2019. She is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 22 January 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2019 Full Outstanding 08/01/2018 Full Good 27/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child is currently living in the home. Another child has recently left. Due to the exceptional progress that he made, he was able to return to the care of his previous foster carers. This was achieved through the close relationships that he had with staff and the high-quality, consistent, individualised support that he received.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive an extremely high standard of care from a dedicated and stable staff team. This consistency of care enables children to build strong, trusting relationships with staff. The registered manager has worked hard to retain a consistent staff team, recognising the importance of the secure relationships that children have with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide nurturing care to children. They are well trained in the home’s therapeutic approach. Children’s progress in response to this model of care is exceptional. Consequently, their life chances are significantly enhanced. For example, children’s emotional health significantly improves. Sensitive individual work by staff has resulted in sustained improvements in children’s self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly committed to promoting children’s education. Children achieve 100% attendance at school. As a result, children make excellent progress academically. A headteacher told the inspector, ‘Staff have done an admirable job with [name of child]. He had hugely significant issues when he first moved to the home. The registered manager and the staff… managed some extremely challenging behaviour. They stuck by him and gave him unconditional positive regard and affection.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff sensitively support and encourage children with their identity. For example, they have skilfully supported one child with issues around their gender identity and sexuality. Staff seek specialised help when this is necessary and undertake research to meet the needs of the children whom they care for. For example, the manager has delivered workshops to staff on subjects such as blocked care and caring for a child with foetal alcohol syndrome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff and children have an inclusive attitude and celebrate diversity. Children are encouraged to learn about other cultures and religions. In addition, children are involved in sponsoring a child living in Africa. As a result of this work, children have a greater tolerance of each other and there is no bullying in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy a range of activities that reflect their interests. Staff explore local resources to meet children’s individual needs. Children are also supported to continue with activities that they undertook before they moved to the home. For example, staff drive over 40 miles to support a child to attend their Scouts group. This helps the child to stay in touch with people who are important to him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff place great importance on ensuring that children are involved in planning their care. Staff have been very creative in finding ways to enable children to communicate Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 4 their wishes and feelings about significant issues. For example, staff provide children with ‘worry monsters’. Children can write down their worries and post them into a zipped soft toy. Children know that staff will check the toys and will help them with the things that they are worried about. Staff also help to prepare children for visits from their social workers. Staff spend time with children before a visit and think about questions that they may want to ask but may be too anxious to do so. As a result, children feel listened to and highly valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager has created a calm and homely environment. Staff receive training about sensory regulation and use these strategies to create an atmosphere in which children are relaxed and at ease. This innovative approach has resulted in a significant reduction in incidents. When children have caused damage to the home, this is repaired immediately. On occasions, when appropriate, children have helped staff to undertake repairs. This restorative practice enables children to reflect on their behaviour and to consider the impact that it has on others.

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

Children are safe and said that they feel safe. As a result of the exceptionally close and nurturing relationships that children have with staff, they feel able to share their worries and concerns. Staff ensure that clear written risk assessments are regularly updated to reflect new and emerging risks. These assessments ensure that staff have access to the most current information about how to safeguard children.

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

When one child was admitted to the home, he was involved in serious incidents with knives and caused extensive damage throughout the house. The registered manager recognised that the child was in crisis and worked collaboratively with the placing authority. Through the provision of increased staffing, high levels of nurture and perseverance from staff, the child’s behaviour improved dramatically. This child successfully moved back to foster care after a period of stability in the home. Staff have continued to provide support to him and to the foster carers.

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

The registered manager became concerned that children were able to access knives in a local shop. The shop is part of a national chain. When the registered manager did not receive a satisfactory response locally, she escalated this matter. As a result of her actions, there was a change in the way that knives were sold from these stores nationally. Knives are now sold from behind a counter where children are unable to gain access.

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

Staff know children well and understand their behaviour. Staff are proactive in identifying potential issues, and staff practice focuses on diversion and de-escalation techniques. The combination of staff knowledge and children’s positive relationships with the staff have resulted in a significant decrease in incidents for one child. As a result of this improved behaviour, he was able to return to the care of his foster carers.

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

Key work is undertaken with children to address their individual needs. As a result, children make excellent progress. For example, one child learned to express their Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 5 feelings and, consequently, he has been able to explore issues around his gender and sexuality with staff. As a result of being able to share his feelings, this child’s behaviour has significantly improved, and there have not been any incidents for a number of months. His confidence and self-esteem have also improved.

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

Staff practice is consistently underpinned by the home’s therapeutic approach. This is the cornerstone of children’s exceptional progress. Staff acknowledge that children will experience uncertainty, resulting in difficult thoughts and emotions. In response, they work together with children to find solutions and help them to develop new strategies to manage their anxieties. For example, one child has a small tent in their bedroom with lots of soft blankets to meet his sensory needs. He uses this to calm down when he is feeling anxious.

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

Staff are skilled in using de-escalation techniques and strategies which meet the individual needs of children living in the home. Consequently, physical intervention is rare and only used in exceptional circumstances. This means that children benefit from an environment in which they learn about safe behaviour and unacceptable behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager keeps children at the heart of all that she does. She is inspirational and ambitious for children and ensures that this ethos is cascaded throughout the entire staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager understands children’s needs exceptionally well and constantly scrutinises their progress. Her actions have a significant, positive impact on the progress that children make and the support that they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are very positive about the support that the registered manager gives them. Supervision sessions are regular and of an exceptionally high quality. They help staff to generate ideas and reflect on their practice. New staff are robustly vetted and are supported through a clear, effective induction process. This ensures that children receive high-quality care. The staff team is diverse and has an excellent mix of experience and skills. Staff are excellent role models for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have strong working relationships with other professionals. This coordinated approach helps children to make exceptional progress, as all those working with the child have up-to-date information and know about key issues. School staff and social workers are very positive about the care that children receive. They receive regular updates on children’s progress and feel confident that staff will address any issues. An independent reviewing officer told the inspector, ‘I have been very impressed with the home. They really did everything that they could to help [name of child]. The keyworker was very patient with him and really cared about his welfare. I would have no hesitation in recommending another young person be placed there.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager uses research to inform and improve staff practice. She holds regular workshops to share up-to-date research on issues such as promoting emotional Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 6 resilience in children. In addition to these workshops and individual supervisions, the registered manager facilitates group supervisions with staff, so that they can share ideas. This makes a real difference to the lives of children in the home, as managers and staff strive to provide them with the best possible care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager’s motivation and enthusiasm are infectious. She receives praise from children, staff and other professionals. She talks with pride about her staff and children’s achievements. She is also open to sharing her successes with people outside the organisation and has worked closely with education staff and foster carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has excellent oversight of the home through a range of review and monitoring systems. The registered manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses exceptionally well. Children and staff benefit from having a registered manager who strives to improve the lives of those whom she works with.

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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: SC426318 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Kibblestone Road, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 8UW

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Inspector

Annemarie Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC426318 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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