Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC025715 1 SC025715 Registered provider: The Together Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a voluntary organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 February 2020

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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: 13 November 2018

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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: SC025715 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2018 Full Good 30/08/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC025715 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to communicate their wishes and needs via a good range of suitable communication aids, which include a picture exchange communication system (PECS), social stories and timelines. Pictures around the home help young people to recognise their meal options and which staff will be available that day. This has helped to reduce young people’s anxiety and frustration. One parent gave feedback about her son, ‘He has a cheeky smile every time I visit and I feel he is happy at [name of home].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to make progress in all areas of their lives. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements from starting points. This includes those small steps which are really important to individuals. Examples of progress include the ability to now take turns, eating a healthier diet and increased Makaton vocabulary. One young person knew from looking at his activity planner that he had swimming that evening. He was then able to go and get his swimwear. The staff member was so proud that she immediately called the manager to share the progress made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed placement plans and behaviour support plans are followed by staff and help the team to provide consistent care. It is clear that staff know young people well. One social worker said, ‘They are in tune to [name of young person]’s needs and who he is.’ Individuality is promoted and celebrated. Independence is encouraged safely, and clear plans are in place to ensure a consistent approach to this. One young person’s placement plan informs staff, ‘I will climb into the car myself. I may just need time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff involve parents in the daily lives of young people. The team also promotes quality time between parents and young people. Staff send family updates twice a day, invite parents around for meals and involve them in activities. Where young people have struggled with transitions, changes in practice have been made, with good effect. For example, pictures are now used to help a young person understand each step of his plans. One parent is now able to have her son to stay for tea and take him to a disco, where staff follow in another car to ensure that support is available if needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a range of health needs. Staff receive and closely follow the advice from medical specialists, which supports their care of individual young people. One young person has epilepsy. Clear plans are in place and followed in practice, to help guide staff on how to monitor and record essential information and seek medical attention when required. One young person has a diagnosis of dysphagia. Staff follow medical advice to ensure that he is safe when eating by providing a semi-soft diet. Staff also enable independence, by using a two-plate method.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to engage in a wide range of life-enriching activities. These include eating out, climbing, youth clubs and trampolining. All three young Inspection report children’s home: SC025715 4 people went to Disneyland in the summer and were able to build life-long memories. This trip was highly staffed and one parent also went along with his children. Photos are regularly taken and used to make the home personalised. Memory books are made up for young people to take with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people all attend school and are achieving. Two of the young people are ready for an alternative provision to meet their needs. The manager has attended meetings to advocate for a good transition plan at the right time. The learning disability nurse is also completing observations at home and school. She will then assist staff in ensuring consistency across the established and new educational provision.

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

The home is situated in a safe area with access to local services, which meet the needs of the young people. Suitable services, including Healthy Young Minds and occupational therapy, are currently used to support young people with monitoring medication and their sensory profile. The manager has requested mental capacity assessments and powers to restrict liberty when necessary, due to the complex needs of the young people.

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

Risk assessments are clear and are reviewed and updated regularly. Staff know and understand the risks for young people and follow the risk assessments in daily practice. Due to their complex needs, young people receive one-to-one support and do not go out alone. So, they are not at risk of going missing from home or risks associated with this.

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

Measures are in place to ensure that young people are safe in their home. One young person has locks on his cupboard doors due to him ripping his clothes if he has access to them. The locks are very discreet, and his bedroom is homely and clean.

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

Young people have a number of additional measures agreed within their plans to keep them safe. Some examples are a helmet, a backpack with a wrist strap and a sound monitor. Where mechanical restraint is used in the form of a harness, it is recorded in line with legislation and to keep young people safe.

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

Staff receive comprehensive induction training before working with the young people. Training in epilepsy, Makaton, safeguarding, administering medication, dysphagia and autism spectrum disorder increases staff’s ability to care for young people and to keep them safe. Medication is only administered by staff trained and assessed as competent. Robust medication checks take place twice daily to ensure that staff find any potential errors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The departure of the previous registered manager and some of the staff team did have an effect on team morale. A team development day was held where staff were Inspection report children’s home: SC025715 5 recognised for their skills and able to input into the future plans for the home. The deputy manager also took on the role of acting manager, while steps were in place to recruit a suitable manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The appointed manager is committed, enthusiastic and has clear plans for the development of the home. She is very experienced, child-focused and suitably qualified. Professionals, staff and parents say the manager is proactive, organised and has already implemented positive changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

For agency staff who work in the home, the manager has implemented a grab file. This gives all the essential details about each young person in one place. Staff have worked well as a team to ensure limited impact of the staffing changes on the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Clear systems are in place to monitor and review the quality of care provided. Staff now record food intake, sleeping patterns, seizure charts and bowel movements. These allow staff to track any changes in young people which may need medical attention. There are times where changes to recordings have been crossed out preventing a clear audit trail and staff cannot see previous entries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people now have independent advocates. The manager and staff request assessments and reviews for young people if they are needed. One young person does need a copy of their current care plan from the placing authority. This will ensure that the home and placing authority are working to achieve the same goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions take place but have not always been consistent in frequency. However, they have increased in recent months. Staff do receive support, guidance and praise through regular child-focused team meetings. The workforce development plan has been updated to include records of staff training and qualifications. Inspection report children’s home: SC025715 6

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, ensure that there is a clear audit trail when recording that mistakes have been made.  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff

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Recommendations

employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC025715 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1JE

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Inspectors

Sylvia Eboigbe, Social Care Inspector Michelle Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC025715 8 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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