Children's home run by Atlas Healthcare Ltd in Cheshire East

Assurance visit report: SC429778 1 SC429778

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is registered to care for children who have learning disabilities. It offers full-time care and accommodation for up to 10 children and young people, and short breaks for up to five children and young people. The short-breaks service, which is part of this service, is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The registered manager has been in her current role since November 2016.

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC429778 2

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The care of children

Children and young people are building good relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them. Staff know the children and young people well and this means that they understand their individual needs and how to meet these. As a result, children and young people feel nurtured and valued.

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The care of children

Some children and young people use non-verbal communication, including Makaton, to communicate with staff. The staff help children and young people to talk to visitors. This means that the children and young people who are permanently living in this home were able to participate in this assurance visit. One young person said how much he liked the home and the staff, and how well he was looked after.

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The care of children

Staff have helped the children and young people to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and the reasons for the changes to their routines. Children and young people have been part of discussions about why they can’t currently do some of the things that they used to do. This has been especially important due to the learning needs of the children and young people living in the home. Children and young people are not able to attend school at the moment but they have continued to learn new skills and remain active. This supports children and young people’s confidence.

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The care of children

Most children and young people continue to make progress from their starting points. Professionals said that the staff provide the children and young people with ‘exceptional support’, and that they communicate effectively with other agencies. Where the needs of a child or young person have changed, and can no longer be met by the service, the manager works with professionals to identify a more suitable placement. This means that the best interests of the children and young people are at the centre of practice.

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The safety of children

Children and young people are better protected from harm because of high staffing ratios. Risk assessments clearly identify the risks to children and young people. Staff closely follow the plans in place to manage and reduce these risks.

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The safety of children

The staff are familiar with, and use, the safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures which are in place to protect children and young people. Staff raise any safeguarding concerns with managers. Leaders and managers take immediate action to protect children and young people, and investigate any allegations of abuse.

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The safety of children

The number of physical restraints for one child has recently increased. This is due to their changing needs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their usual routines. The recording of these physical restraints is clear and staff detail the steps taken to manage the child’s behaviour. This gives the manager oversight into why there is an increase in the use of physical restraint, and whether this measure is Assurance visit report: SC429778 3 effective, necessary and proportionate. Consequently, safety plans for children and young people focus on keeping them safe and reducing the number of restraints.

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Leaders and managers

Decisions made by leaders and managers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic have meant that the welfare of the children, young people and staff has been prioritised. Due to children and young people’s specific vulnerabilities, visitors to the home have their temperature checked and masks must be worn at all times. Strategies implemented in the home mean that none of the children or young people have contracted COVID-19.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has continued to work with multi-agency partners to ensure that support plans were reviewed and remained appropriate for each child or young person. When the plans for one young person to move on from the home had to change due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, decisions were made in the young person’s best interests. A specialist nurse said, ‘The management have always been accessible and communication has been extremely effective.’

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Leaders and managers

The manager has used her internal and external monitoring systems to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care of children and young people. This oversight has enabled her to identify that the service was no longer able to meet the needs of one young person. This means that the young person’s plan has been changed so that an appropriate placement can be identified. Consequently, the young person can move on from the home in a planned way.

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Leaders and managers

The manager does not always notify Ofsted of serious events within appropriate timescales. While this does not impact directly on children and young people, this is an unnecessary delay. This means that the regulator is unable to fully review the effectiveness of the actions taken by the manager.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not provide staff with regular supervision in line with company policy. This means that staff do not have protected time to reflect on the impact that their practice has on the experiences and progress of children and young people.

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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. Assurance visit report: SC429778 4

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 05/11/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Atlas Healthcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Norcliffe House, Station Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 1BU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Maureen Richardson

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Inspectors

Deb Duffy, Social Care Inspector Debbie White, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC429778 5 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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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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