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

Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 1 SC005066 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

This private home is part of a large organisation. 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

A principal feature of the service is the use of a campervan, hostels and rental cottages. Ofsted does not inspect this part of the service.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 5 qualification.

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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: 12 February 2019

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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: SC005066 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2019 Full Good 31/01/2018 Full Good 06/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 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; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)) 24/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) In particular, make immediate arrangements to ensure that the fire doors close securely in accordance with the home’s fire risk assessment. 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)) This relates to maintaining the children’s register. 27/03/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should provide a nurturing and supportive environment that is homely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 4  Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children first move in, they initially stay with staff in rental cottages, a motor home or camping. During this stage, children enjoy a range of outdoor pursuits. Staff use this period to work with the child to stabilise any negative behaviours. Staff assess children’s progress and, when they are ready, plan for their transition to the community home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive in this environment. They have positive experiences and make good progress from their starting points. Children benefit from a high standard of care from staff who meet their needs. They develop strong relationships with staff, based on a foundation of open and honest communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for children. These children have usually been out of education for some time. Staff take the children on educational visits until they move to the community home, where structured education is provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have good relationships with children’s families and help children to see them regularly. This often involves taking the child long distances to maintain these important relationships. Families feel valued and involved. One child’s mother said, ‘The staff are really kind. They bring my son to see me and keep me informed. They really understand him, and his behaviour has improved no end.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Communication in the home is good. Children’s voices are heard, and they are involved in making decisions about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a register of all children who have lived there, past and present. However, the recording of information in the children’s register lacks important information. The address where children lived before moving into the home is missing from every child’s record. The address where children moved to is also absent on several children’s records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff retention at the home is good. Staff are well supported, and new staff receive a comprehensive induction. However, a new member of staff failed to understand the importance of speaking to children with dignity and respect. A colleague recorded that this member of staff antagonised a child, which resulted in the child becoming angry and assaulting them. The manager responded swiftly and appropriately to this concern. Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 5 The home is in a residential setting. It is well appointed and furnished throughout, and children can decorate their rooms as they wish. However, some areas of the building look tired. For example, part of the external rendering has deteriorated. There is a stain on a bedroom carpet and there is some damage to door frames. This detracts from what is otherwise a comfortable home.

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

Unwanted behaviours from children are de-escalated to good effect by staff. This is reflected in the low number of physical interventions since the last inspection.

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

Staff and children reflect on incidents, and the cause of unwanted behaviours is discussed openly. This reduces the likelihood of incidents happening in the future.

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

Staff receive training and are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. There is a well- embedded missing-from-care procedure. Staff look for children in the local area if they go missing. They communicate well with agencies until the child is found. Incidents of going missing are rare.

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

Positive reinforcement is used well with children. Rewards are used in favour of negative sanctions. This approach encourages children to manage their behaviours. Children take pride in developing skills to move towards independence.

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

The home’s fire risk assessment is updated annually. Fire doors were installed in communal areas following a review in 2018. These doors were found not to close securely into the frame and therefore pose a risk. The manager made immediate plans to have the fire doors repaired.

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

The home’s location risk assessment was updated recently. It mitigates risks around children being exploited and criminal activity. However, it does not consider risks posed by waterways and local establishments such as pubs and small businesses. This means that some risks are insufficiently assessed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 2017. He is a qualified social worker and has the necessary level 5 qualification in leadership and management. The manager is respected by staff, professionals, the children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have a good knowledge of children. They understand their needs and the progress that they are making. The staff team understands the importance of education, physical activity and family contact for children. This is reflected in the progress children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager oversees all records and documents in the home. The most recent internal review of the quality of care the home provides was thorough. External monthly visits are conducted, and the reports provide actions for the manager to consider. Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 6 Staff receive training to support their roles. Only one member of staff does not hold the level 3 qualification; however, this member of staff is enrolled to complete this. Senior staff at the home are undertaking the level 5 diploma. Other staff are training to become assessors for the level 3 diploma.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of records and documents in the home. However, on one occasion, following a physical intervention, it was not recorded whether the child agreed that the record was accurate. Failure to record such information does not give a complete account in important safeguarding records. Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 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: SC005066 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

Ricky D’Arcy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005066 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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