Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 1 SC008269 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 private company that operates a number of children’s homes across the country owns this home. This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 24 September 2015. He holds a level 5 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2018 Full Outstanding 09/01/2018 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(2)(c)) This specifically relates to the lack of safe internet access in the home. 27/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)) 27/03/2020

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b)) 27/03/2020

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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 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 27/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) 27/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant 27/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 4 person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. Regulation 40(4)(b)(e))

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, three children have left the home. Two of these children had planned moves to semi-independent settings and one child has returned to live with his family after notice was served on his placement. One child had lived at the home for over six years. Staff provided him with good support to move to his new home and advocated for him to move to a setting that he was comfortable with. Staff have ensured that they have remained in contact with him since his move and he returned to the home for Sunday lunch. This continued investment from staff is positive. At the point of this inspection, two children had recently moved into the home.

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improvement to be good

The quality of planning for children to move into the home is variable. On one occasion, limited consideration was given to the compatibility of new children with existing residents. This resulted in one child witnessing aggressive outbursts from another child and necessitated staff taking her to another home to protect her. This did not provide her with a positive first experience of living in a children’s home.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to complain. Managers and staff respond appropriately when children do raise complaints and children know what has happened as a result of their complaint.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with their families. They recognise the significance of these relationships for children. Family members are welcomed to the home and children are able to enjoy time with those who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Some children have positive relationships with staff. Staff understand that children may not have experienced consistent and nurturing care and they try to provide children with a sense of belonging. Staff spend time with children and try to provide children with a range of positive experiences. One child spoke enthusiastically about how much they like the staff and said that they feel that they are well cared for. However, some children spend significant periods away from the home and staff are unable to engage them in positive activities. This increases children’s risks on a day-to-day basis.

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improvement to be good

Although staff have some success in engaging children in education, this is limited. Staff in the home told the inspector that one child ‘always went to education’. However, records indicate that his attendance was sporadic and as low as 30% at times. Three children have recently moved on from the home. At the time they left the home, their engagement in education and employment was deteriorating. Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 5 Staff provide children with key-work sessions. The majority of these sessions are in response to significant incidents. There are inconsistencies in the quality of this work and it is not evident that it is beneficial for children. There are missed opportunities to engage children in meaningful and preventative work.

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improvement to be good

Staff have mixed success in keeping children safe. For example, staff have a good understanding of some children’s vulnerabilities and review risk appropriately. This knowledge is used by staff to implement strategies to try to safeguard children. Despite this, children have been engaging in cannabis use, and incidents where they have assaulted one another. Some children have also engaged in suspected criminal activity. Staff have not always been able to safeguard children effectively because they do not understand the risks of children not having safe access to the internet.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well but have been unable to protect them from some unnecessary risks. An example of this is that children spend time outside a local pub in order to access free wi-fi. A child told the inspector that because there is no internet at the home, they access this wherever they can. Children do not benefit from using the internet in the security of the home and under the supervision of staff. They face increased risk through accessing the internet without adult guidance and in locations which are not appropriate for children. These arrangements do not promote children’s welfare.

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improvement to be good

Staff have positive relationships with local police. The community support officer visits the home and spends time with the children. They have also undertaken work with children around issues such as knife crime and the dangers of underage alcohol use. However, children’s engagement with the police has been variable and concerns around alcohol and drug use have continued.

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improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention is rare. There have been two incidents of restraint since the last inspection. Records of these incidents are detailed, and children are given the opportunity to express their feelings as well as staff being provided with the opportunity to reflect on their practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always explore incidents that have happened with children appropriately. Bullying is discussed as part of a set agenda within weekly children’s meetings, but this does not provide children with a safe opportunity to discuss their feelings about personal safety. There is a lack of creative consultation with children.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond swiftly when young people go missing from the home. For example, they complete searches of the local area and notify the relevant agencies, such as the police and local authority. Return interviews are completed. On occasions, staff have liaised with the placing authority to ensure that these take place.

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 6 Managers do not always evidence a good understanding of risk. Despite shortfalls being raised with the manager during the inspection, he was unable to demonstrate reflection and understanding in respect of the quality of care provided to children. He remained steadfast in his views about children’s access to the internet. Additionally, he had refused to agree to a child having a punchbag to help with his aggression, despite the child’s social worker requesting this, without giving an adequate rationale or alternative.

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

Furthermore, the registered manager was unable to reflect about the timeliness of placements. A child came to live at the home during a period when three children were moving out and one child in particular was experiencing significant challenges.

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

Internal and external monitoring and review systems are not fully effective. They have not identified the weaknesses found during this inspection. This prevents managers and staff from reviewing the quality of care provided to children effectively and using this to develop the service.

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

The registered manager encourages staff to be ambitious for children. Staff are encouraged to provide support for children when they have left the home, when this has been agreed by the placing authority.

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

Children benefit from a stable staff team. Most staff are appropriately qualified or are working towards this within the required time frame.

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

Staff benefit from a range of training opportunities, including safeguarding and behaviour management training. Despite receiving training in respect of children’s vulnerability to exploitation, staff understanding of how to keep children safe online is limited.

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

Managers and staff receive regular supervision. This means that managers and staff are being provided with regular opportunities to receive feedback on their practice.

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

The registered manager has ensured that notifications of all significant events have been made to the relevant placing authorities. However, Ofsted has not been notified of some serious incidents and this has prevented the regulator from having accurate information about the home.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 7 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

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Information about this inspection

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: SC008269 8

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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

Annemarie Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC008269 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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