Children's Home run by Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 1 Registered provider: Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd

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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 is one of four homes owned by an independent provider. The home, which Ofsted registered in June 2019, cares for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home has a registered manager who holds a level 5 diploma in leadership, health and social care.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the home’s first inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 19/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 19/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. A notification made under this regulation— must include details of— the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)(5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 19/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance and supplement that provided by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change, negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a large house where they enjoy watching football together with staff in the lounge. Young people and staff in this home share football as a common interest. Staff display photos of the young people meeting players and souvenirs such as football match tickets in frames. This helps young people to create positive memories, build relationships with staff and invest in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have personalised their bedrooms, which again reflect their love of football. Young people also enjoy time playing individually or together on their X-box. Staff supervise the young people and build good relationships. Young people speak openly to staff about their day. Staff encourage young people, advocate on their behalf and support them in making the right choices. This allows staff to reduce challenges for young people and helps them to achieve positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people living in this home are making progress. One parent told the inspector that her son says he is happy living in this home. She clarified that he has always previously complained about his children’s homes. She stated that she is proud of his achievements as he is ‘not running away as often or hanging around with the wrong crowd’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people living in this home attend school or apprenticeships. The registered manager has been proactive identifying an apprenticeship for one young person. The young person enjoys his apprenticeship and recognises how staff are helping him to succeed. He complimented, ‘Thank you for everything (registered manager) has done to help me get a job… Never had this much support from other homes, and this house is nicely decorated.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s parents are pleased with the progress they are seeing. Young people are more settled, staff manage their behaviour without the use of physical intervention and Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 5 they are safe. Young people’s social workers reported that staff motivate young people and, as a result, they are making progress in all areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff act as role models to young people who aspire to be fit and healthy. They encourage young people to participate in exercise. One young person attends the gym and goal-keeper practice. Staff also educate young people to encourage healthy eating. Fresh fruit is available in the kitchen, and young people can prepare healthy snacks for themselves between meals. However, the inspector found that the main fridge is in the garage off the utility room. There is a smaller fridge in the utility room from which young people can help themselves to milk, cheese and butter. The registered manager has separated food to help young people manage their calorie intake. However young people are not free to get food from the main fridge. They must ask staff, which does not create a homely kitchen for young people. Staff, when meal planning and encouraging healthy eating with children in their care, would benefit from advice from experts such as a

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

nutritionist and a psychologist. This would give staff knowledge and skills to help young people, who have different life-experiences and needs, to achieve their desired outcomes.

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

Staff help young people to feel safe and protected in this home. Staff maintain high supervision levels and positive engagement with young people who go missing or are vulnerable to exploitation. The registered manager works closely with agencies to share information. This helps the registered manager to identify and monitor risk so that staff intervene promptly and effectively.

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

The registered manager updates risk assessments and behaviour management plans. This informs and guides staff working with the young people living in this home. Staff carry out work with young people to help them understand the risks from drugs, smoking and inappropriate friendships. This encourages young people to become responsible and make different decisions. As a result, young people in this home are going missing less often, maintaining better social relationships and leading healthier lives.

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

Staff manage young people’s behaviour without the use of physical intervention. The staff work together as a team. This helps to de-escalate or effectively manage incidents. When staff give a consequence for negative behaviour, it is of short duration. The registered manager talks to young people about the difficulties they are having. Young people respect and listen to him. The registered manager supports staff and helps young people to engage in activities which re-build relationships. Staff promote appropriate behaviour and recognise it as it occurs. Young people respond well to verbal praise and additional treats delivered by the registered manager, such as a well-deserved takeaway on a Friday night after a week in school and work.

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

Staff help young people in this home to develop independence skills. Young people enjoy cooking meals. The inspector observed one young person going to the hairdressers on Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 6 his own. Staff welcomed him home and complimented him on his hair-cut. This helped the young person to feel proud of his achievement and increased his self-esteem.

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

Following incidents, the registered manager shares information with parents, social workers, the designated officer and schools. Agencies reported that communication is good and that partners work together to keep young people safe.

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

The registered manager usually notifies Ofsted of serious incidents and ensures that he provides regular updates. On one occasion, the registered manager did not notify Ofsted of an allegation. The inspector has reviewed good multi-agency working, which effectively safeguarded all parties on which the allegation had an impact. However, the regulator was unable to monitor the effectiveness of the care provided at the point of the allegation to ensure that the young person was safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child focused in his approach and wants young people living in this home to have the successful outcomes of stability, safety and preparation for independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision from the registered manager. Supervision balances support, professional challenge and personal development. Staff feel valued by the registered manager. All staff have completed mandatory training. The registered manager monitors the training matrix to identify when training requires updating. A wide range of additional training courses are available to help staff meet the needs of the children they look after. Where needed, staff are completing level 3 qualifications.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff help young people living in this home to express themselves either through group discussion or individually. Young people contribute to decoration of the home and activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff help young people living in this home to develop good social awareness. Staff and young people raised money for Save the Children by participating in the Christmas jumper day. The registered manager is promoting a forthcoming Big Sleep event, which involves sleeping overnight at their team’s football stadium, to raise money for the homeless. This encourages young people to engage with others and increases their awareness of diversity in society.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager maintains records as required and responds to recommended actions made by the independent visitor. He does not currently use a monitoring and review system to pick up patterns and trends with young people. This would be helpful to monitor and review care, including the delivery of the healthy eating programme to young people. The registered manager recognises that systems to record monitoring now need developing to ensure that the home operates effectively and efficiently while making continuous improvements. Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 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 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: 2503915 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd, 2 Sheriffs Orchard, Coventry, Warwickshire CV1 3PP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leonard Pattinson

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Inspector

Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2503915 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 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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