Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC369840 1 SC369840 Registered provider: Stoke on Trent City Council

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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 children’s home is run by the local authority and offers care and accommodation for two young people who have experienced early childhood instability that has led to trauma and/or associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2017 and is qualified to the national vocational qualification level 4 in leadership and management for care services.

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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: 20 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC369840 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2018 Full Outstanding 01/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/08/2017 Full Good 06/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC369840 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 26/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 26/02/2020

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good-quality care from staff who demonstrate a commitment to meeting their individual needs. As a result, young people make good progress in relation to their emotional, social and behavioural development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend school or college placements that are appropriate to their abilities. Staff provide transport to support young people to and from respective placements and seek feedback from their teachers on their progress. This sharing of information helps the staff to stay up to date with young people’s education progress and achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend health and hospital appointments, with good support from the staff. This helps young people who have specific health concerns to make good progress under the guidance of health professionals. Medication is stored and administered safely. Inspection report children’s home: SC369840 4 The relationships between young people and their families remain a priority for staff. Staff facilitate young people’s time with their families, provide transportation and monitor arrangements closely. All time spent with family members takes place within a clearly defined plan. Friendships are encouraged, and the staff support young people to have friends in and outside of school and college. This allows young people to engage in the local community in a positive way.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the importance of safeguarding and the need for vigilance. Good collaborative working with the police, teachers and other professionals contributes to keeping young people safe.

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

However, the manager has not ensured that the assessment of risk levels faced by young people is correct. For example, some risk assessments have not been updated with relevant information and some records are scored highly without any reasons for this decision. This leaves staff without all the necessary information that they require to enable them to always keep young people safe.

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

Some young people have required physical intervention as a measure of control to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Management oversight of such incidents helps to ensure that staff practice is effective and that young people can express their views about their behaviour and the measures used by staff. This reflective approach has contributed to a reduction in the number of restraints and a notable decrease in their intensity.

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

Staff work closely in partnership with other agencies such as the police and local authority when young people go missing from the home. Young people are provided with an independent person to speak to on their return home. This enables any information that may help protect them from going missing again to be considered.

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

When appointing new staff to the home, the manager follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. As a result, only suitable adults work with young people.

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

All staff are trained in fire safety procedures and ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision. However, the recording and content of staff supervisions are not always consistent. Some records are more detailed and cover the required areas, whereas others are more light-touch and lack reflection. This inconsistent approach minimises the value and impact of staff supervision. Inspection report children’s home: SC369840 5 The staff team members are all appropriately trained and qualified in their roles. Staff handovers and team meetings are used to good effect and provide staff with learning opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor evaluates the quality of care and monitors safeguarding each month. The reports highlight areas of strength and detail any shortfalls. The manager uses this informative feedback to improve young people’s outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff work well with other professionals. As a result, young people receive well-coordinated care. The manager will actively challenge other professionals when the responses from other services are not effectively meeting the needs of the young people.

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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: SC369840 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: , Boothen Road, Staffordshire ST4 4SY

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC369840 7 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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