Children's home run by Vitality Care Residential Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2501566 1 Registered provider: Vitality Care Residential Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home offers residential placements for up to three children, aged eight to 18 years old on admission, who experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides emergency, medium- and long-term placements for children, however the registered manager will accept emergency admissions only if there is no other child in placement.

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Information about this children’s home

A small private provider owns this home, which Ofsted registered in February 2019.

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Inspection date: 4 March 2020

Date of last inspection: 5 November 2019

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Inspection date: 4 March 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2501566 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this home’s first inspection in November 2019, the inspector made one requirement. The registered manager has addressed this shortfall. Staff now have monthly consultations with an independent psychology service to review young people’s progress. Psychologists provide staff with a theoretical understanding of young people’s behaviour. Staff implement the strategies given to improve the quality of care that they provide to young people. The deputy manager told the inspector that he values the psychological support and clarified, ‘I could not do my job without it’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager reviews young people’s care with the psychology service on a six-monthly basis. This enables the registered manager to oversee how the psychological support is impacting on the skills of staff, their delivery of care and the progress and experiences of the young people living in this home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people choose whether to engage with an art therapist, who visits the home weekly. Young people benefit from creative activities to explore their wishes and feelings in therapeutic sessions. This helps young people to understand their experiences and regulate their emotions.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When a young person moved into the home, the registered manager coordinated a planned transition. The registered manager visited the young person. The young person also visited the home. She chose her bedroom and had tea with the young person already living in this home. In addition, the registered managers created risk assessments using information shared by the home that the young person was living in. The staff discussed the young person’s needs and their approach to caring for her at a team meeting. The registered manager ensured that staff had the knowledge and skills to feel confident in their roles.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person is making remarkable progress from her starting point, which professionals state is due to the placement preparation and the therapeutic way that staff respond to her. The young person has not placed herself at risk by going missing and staff have managed her behaviour without physical intervention. This shows that the young person feels happy and settled, living in this home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team has remained stable since this home opened. This contributes to young people developing positive relationships with staff. They engage in key-worker sessions and house meetings. Young people express their grumbles and staff work hard to listen and improve experiences for young people. The young people living in this home get on well together. Staff encourage restorative practice and the young Inspection report children’s home: 2501566 3 people initiate apology notes if their actions have upset each other or staff. Staff acted quickly to manage an isolated incident of cyber-bullying between the young people. The young people now appreciate each other’s situation. They show empathy and respect each other’s space. When they spend time together, they especially enjoy doing each other’s and staff’s hair and makeup during ‘pamper time’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and families work together to provide consistency in care for young people. This helps families to set boundaries and young people to maintain positive relationships with their families. Grandparents told the inspector that they feel included in decision-making, as staff ask for their opinions. They recognise that, while living at this home, their granddaughter is developing skills to manage her behaviour and emotions better.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff promote diversity in society by displaying and discussing information about cultural and religious festivals and traditions. They raise awareness of learning from events such as World Epilepsy Day. Young people living in this home engage in volunteering and charity events. This increases their awareness of people’s different experiences and needs within our society.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff meet the physical, emotional and mental health needs of the young people whom they care for. Staff act according to young people’s care plans and seek emergency medical treatment when required. Leaders ensure that staff receive training to meet the specific health needs of the young people living in this home. The registered manager informs Ofsted of any serious events.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff share information with specialist health teams and families. They administer medication as prescribed. This helps young people to receive the care and treatment that they require to remain healthy and improve their well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager advocates to ensure that young people living in this home receive education. He challenges where there is delay in the educational assessment of young people. Young people benefit from progress made, which allows them to access more appropriate education provision. However not all young people living in this home receive full-time education at a school. Young people have limited opportunities to interact socially with their peers if they attend a non-school education provision. This hinders their social and emotional development. Inspection report children’s home: 2501566 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2019 Full good Inspection report children’s home: 2501566 5

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Recommendations

 Children’s home staff should act as effective advocates for or on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education or training matters including, but not limited to, attainment, admissions, attendance, or behaviour, as a good parent would do. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28 paragraph 5.12)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2501566 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Vitality Care Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Central Avenue, Bucknall, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire ST2 9AR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison Fitchford-Raji

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Inspector

Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2501566 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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