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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2526893 1 Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company that operates a number of children’s homes across the country. This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with social and emotional difficulties. The home offers young people who are at school leaving age support to gain skills in preparation for independent living. The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in October 2019 and has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Two young people live in the home in individual self-contained flats. The flats are warm and comfortable and are a homely place for young people to live. Staff support young people to personalise their flats and to keep them clean and tidy as part of their preparation for independent living.

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This monitoring visit

The relationship between young people and the staff is excellent and enables young people to develop a sense of security and belonging, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people spend time with staff in the communal flat, where they share Sunday lunch and a weekly takeaway meal. Young people say they like living in the home and that staff are always available to help them.

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This monitoring visit

An independent reviewing officer told the inspector that a lot of effort had been made by staff to get their young person engaged in education. However, the impact of restrictions related to COVID-19 and young people’s complex behaviours have resulted in a delay in securing the right educational provision. To bridge the gap staff have continued to encourage young people to participate in online learning and to do voluntary work in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been creative in using technology to enable young people to stay in touch with family throughout the periods of national restrictions. When it has been safe, Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2526893 2 staff have helped young people to see family members face to face. This has included taking a young person to and from a parent’s home to enable them to stay overnight. Consequently, young people have been able to maintain meaningful relationships with people who are important to them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff use well-designed workbooks and programs to help young people to gain essential skills to live independently. Staff consult with young people to set achievable goals to acquire new skills. This joint working means that young people take ownership of their independence plans and make significant progress.

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This monitoring visit

The home is safely located. The manager has established good working relationships with the local police to ensure that staff have the most up-to-date information about risks in the local area.

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This monitoring visit

When young people go missing from the home, staff follow well-established protocols which are agreed with the local police. Staff welcome young people when they return home and ensure that they are given an opportunity to talk with an independent person. As a result, young people begin to recognise that people really care about them and start to make safer decisions. Consequently, the number of incidents of young people going missing from home reduce.

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This monitoring visit

Staff practice is guided by informed risk assessments and behaviour management plans. Despite these being detailed, the records do not cover young people’s high- risk triggers. Consequently, staff do not have access to all the information that they need to help them to recognise situations when young people may be at increased risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There has been one physical intervention since the home was registered. Although a record was made, managers forgot to evidence they had reviewed the effectiveness of the intervention or to speak with the staff within the timescales set by regulation. This was a missed opportunity to evaluate staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Managers ensure that the home is fully staffed. The staff team has a wealth of experience and most staff have achieved a level 3 diploma in residential childcare.

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This monitoring visit

Staff say the home is well managed and that they benefit from regular supervision and an annual appraisal. However, the manager does not always set ambitious goals. This limits the manager in driving improvement.

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This monitoring visit

During the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have continued to access online training, including safeguarding training. However, despite young people being at risk online, staff have not received sufficient training to improve their knowledge and understanding of e-safety to help young people stay safe online. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2526893 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers ensuring that young people’s risk assessments include triggers to their behaviours and that staff educate young people about online risks. 27 December 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff receiving e-safety training. 27 December 2020 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2526893 4 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 27 December 2020

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Recommendations

 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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Kyra Knight Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2526893 5

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2526893 6 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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