Children's home run by PCF Residential Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2503031 1

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PCF Residential Childcare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been in post since September 2020. He has submitted his application for registration to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place in response to an escalating pattern of concerns as noted in the safeguarding notifications sent to Ofsted. This included incidents of a child absconding from the home and placing herself at risk.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home. One child had recently moved out of the home due to safeguarding concerns.

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This monitoring visit

One child, who no longer lives at the home, left the home on several occasions without permission. Staff were able to maintain contact with the child during these incidents. When the child was missing, staff worked hard to locate the child and return her home safely. The manager involved the child in planning how to manage and reduce the risks associated with her leaving the home without permission.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s relationship with staff enabled her to tell staff about the risks that she had been exposed to when she was away from the home. The manager recognised that due to the nature and level of risk it was unsafe for the child to continue to live in the home. The manager worked closely with the local authority and other agencies to support the child to move to a new placement in a well-planned way. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2503031 2 Despite the child’s placement ending, the child had made progress in some aspects of her life. For example, the manager had supported the child to access education. The child was excelling in school and as a result has developed high aspirations for her future. A teacher told the inspector, ‘She has done incredibly well. Some of her work is the best we have seen. Our relationship with the staff is excellent. They are one of the best homes I have worked with.’

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This monitoring visit

The two children who are currently living in the home continue to make progress in a range of areas. The inspector spoke to both children during the inspection. They told the inspector that staff ‘listen’ and ‘care about us’. A child stated, ‘I can talk to any of the staff when I need to. I’d give my home a score of 9 out of 10.’

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This monitoring visit

Staff are committed to children and genuinely care about them. They demonstrate a good knowledge of children’s needs. This informed and nurturing approach means that children feel settled and can seek support when necessary.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans and risk assessments are detailed, individualised and reflect their needs. Regular reviews of these plans enable staff to keep up to date with the agreed measures to help reduce risk and keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is child focused and has high aspirations for the home. He is keen to continually develop staff practice and improve the quality of care children receive. Staff have access to training which ensures that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff speak highly about the support they receive from the manager. The home has a healthy learning culture that encourages staff to reflect on their practice and embed learning. However, staff supervision records are of variable quality. The manager has plans to address this shortfall by embedding a consistent format for staff supervision.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, staff provide children with targeted support to help them understand their behaviour and its impact on others. However, this good work is not always reflected in the quality of children’s records. For example, some one-to-one sessions lack exploration of children’s feelings and the context of their behaviours. This is a missed opportunity to fully explore incidents and improve children’s care.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has worked hard to address the majority of the shortfalls raised at the previous inspection. For example, the training programme equips staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs. In addition, the manager has developed effective working relationships with a range of agencies and challenges them when necessary. Furthermore, the manager plans to meet with the local police officer to explore local community risks and update the home’s location risk assessment accordingly. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2503031 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2503031 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive consistent supervision support to include opportunities for reflection on their practice and the needs of the children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that records of one-to-one sessions demonstrate how staff support children to fully explore their emotions and feelings. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 provider: PCF Residential Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 37 Copthorne Road, Wolverhampton WV3 0AB

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2503031 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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