Children's Home run by Footsteps a Path to Change Limited in Cheshire East

Assurance visit report: SC476008 1 SC476008

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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. 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: SC476008 2

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The care of children

This home is situated in a semi-rural location that is not easily identifiable as a children’s home. The accommodation is clean and tidy. It provides a comfortable and homely environment for children and young people to thrive.

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The care of children

Due to COVID-19 and local area restrictions, it has been a challenging period of time for the home. Young people have not had the opportunity to attend their usual social groups in the community. Staff have provided structured activities in the home to engage the young people. An increase of missing from home episodes has occurred for those young people who have struggled to adhere to the restrictions.

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The care of children

There have been several changes in the home. A new registered manager has been appointed. Young people who were resident for some years have now moved on. Other young people have come for a shorter stay before their placements ended. At the time of the assurance visit, there were two new young people living in the home.

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The care of children

Young people have been supported with successful transitions to their new homes. One young person had a planned transition back to his family. His social worker reported that staff were intrinsic in the planning of, and facilitation of, regular visits to the family home. Staff listened to the wishes and feelings of another young person who wanted to move from the home to another placement. Both young people keep in touch with staff at the home. This highlights that young people have successfully built positive and trusting relationships with staff.

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The care of children

All young people are registered with local health services. Young people have therapeutic input from the in-house therapist. The therapist is available to advise staff with behavioural strategies to support young people. Other young people are supported with their emotional difficulties through alternative provisions, such as play therapy, which are provided in the school.

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The care of children

All young people require up-to-date education plans. This is important, and relevant, for those young people who may present with more challenging behaviours in school. Educational risk management plans and clear communication between the home and key stakeholders are paramount to ensure the safety of young people who leave school without permission.

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The safety of children

Prior to a young person coming to the home, the manager completes a detailed impact risk assessment form for each young person. Although these documents are comprehensive screening tools, they do not contain sufficient detail of behaviour management strategies relating to risks for each young person or how to manage risks between each young person. Assurance visit report: SC476008 3 Risk management plans are in place for young people so that difficult and challenging behaviour can be managed. Lack of communication between the manager and her staff team did not ensure the safe supervision of one young person. Consequently, the young person went missing from the home and a safeguarding incident occurred. Despite this error, there was no serious harm to the young person.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments and risk management plans for those young people who present with self-harming behaviour and/or suicidal ideation are not thorough. One young person, who frequently presented with suicidal thoughts, threatened to harm themselves with a sharp piece of crockery from a broken cup that was in their room.

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The safety of children

The positive relationships standard ensures that young people are helped to develop healthy relationships with others. On two occasions, there have been incidents between young people where inappropriate sexual relationships have occurred. Sexual identity and/or sexual preference should not be considered as a low risk factor in order to minimise risk among vulnerable young people.

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Leaders and managers

The manager was appointed in June of this year. During the handover period, the manager has been able to familiarise herself with policies and procedures of the home.

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Leaders and managers

Developing and maintaining effective relationships with professionals, such as schools, are important to ensure that the needs of children and young people are met. This is relevant to those children who may have additional safeguarding needs to keep them safe in school and the community.

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Leaders and managers

All children and young people are required to have up-to-date documents on their records to ensure effective care planning. The manager reported delays in receiving documents from placing authorities. The manager should consider utilising escalation processes through senior managers to avoid drift and delay.

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Leaders and managers

The manager is reflective and has acknowledged some of the shortfalls in practice. She is receptive and open to learning to improve her practice and management of the home. Assurance visit report: SC476008 4

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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, the 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—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 28 February 2021 Assurance visit report: SC476008 5 (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 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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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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lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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

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ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 28 February 2021

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The care planning standard is that children—

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receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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

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that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 28 February 2021 Assurance visit report: SC476008 6 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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positive responses to other children and adults.

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

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encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(vii)(b)) 28 February 2021

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In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to 28 February 2021 Assurance visit report: SC476008 7 be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps A Path To Change 08 Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Landmark House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme SK8 7BS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Davies

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Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC476008 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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Inspector

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