Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 1 SC005589 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children who are not able to live at home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2019 Full Good 22/05/2018 Full Good 15/06/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently one child living at the home. He spoke with the inspector and he was very complimentary about the staff and his care. The child said, ‘I feel happy, safe and I have everything I need. The staff are brilliant.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child, who is currently living in the home, moved into the home in a planned way. However, the manager did not formulate a transition plan to show how the move was planned. Therefore, the manager was not able to take any learning from this, for example what went well and what he would need to consider next time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a friendly, nurturing and very comfortable home. He said that he feels at home and can be himself. He said that he is treated with warmth, understanding and affection. The child has developed healthy and very positive relationships with the registered manager and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making important progress in their education, health, emotional well- being, personal safety, social skills, managing their feelings and in building positive relationships. For example, a child who previously lived at the home has now moved into foster care. This was made possible because the staff worked tirelessly with the child and external professionals to help them to prepare for the next stage in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Similarly, the current child is making good progress. However, the support that staff give to the child is not always recorded within the child’s plans. Further to this, the child’s files are not structured well. This is because there is old information stored within the file. This means that staff may not have the most up-to-date information available to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is attending an alternative educational provision and he is doing well. The staff team supports him with home schooling and homework. The child applied for a college course himself and is waiting for an outcome. This shows that the child has ambitions for his future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s emotional health and well-being is very well supported. Staff have explored additional health services to give the child further options to talk to someone independent from the home about his identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys being with staff and spends time playing board games, going for walks, or enjoying trips to the fun fair. Likewise, he is involved in the home and he helps with the chores and he enjoys baking and cooking. This gives him skills for his independence.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff have created a home where children feel safe. The child has a strong sense of safety and well-being. He sees the staff as people he can trust. He Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 4 said that he is confident to talk to staff if he is worried or has a problem. Importantly, staff recognise when the child is upset and when he needs help from them. Staff know the child very well and how best to help him to manage his feelings and frustrations. Staff are calm and patient. They help the child to develop the skills to understand and manage his emotions safely.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The quality of care that the child receives from staff protects him from harm. Staff understand his vulnerabilities. Since coming to live at this home, the child has become increasingly safer. For example, risks to the child from going missing from home have reduced significantly. Risk assessments give staff clear information on how to calm a situation, but they do not give clear advice on what actions to take if an incident was to occur. This means that staff may not be consistent in their approach.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no safeguarding incidents to report to external professionals. Likewise, there have been no restraints or sanctions imposed. However, there was an incident in the local area which involved the child. The manager did not inform Ofsted. This means that the regulator did not have oversight of the incident and could not assess whether the appropriate action was taken.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child responds to a good incentive and reward system. He can receive additional monies or gifts when he has done well. For example, he was taken to a fun fair for his continuing effort in school and at the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home is a warm, nurturing and safe environment. The home is decorated to a good standard and the child’s bedroom reflects his uniqueness.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The company follows the safer recruitment guidance. This means that new staff are vetted to make sure that they are safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. Staff said that the manager is fair and approachable. There is a full staff team, including senior members of staff. This means that the child receives consistent care by staff that know him well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a range of life experiences and qualifications. They are skilled in working with the child, and are passionate and compassionate. Staff said that training opportunities are good and that this gives them the skills and knowledge to work closely with the child. Staff have updated their knowledge by completing online training throughout the COVID-19 restrictions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend regular team meetings and have received monthly supervision. Staff said that this has continued to help to improve practices in the home and provided an opportunity to talk about what is working well and what needs to change. Staff feel empowered as the registered manager listens to their suggestions and provides them with the opportunities to test out new ways of working. However, the manager Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 5 does not have a workforce plan. This means that there is no information about timescales for supervision, introduction and probationary periods for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring by the independent person is good and provides a good overview of the service and areas for the manager and staff to develop. Similarly, the manager’s six- monthly monitoring report shows what the home does well and any areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are strong advocates for children. They challenge professionals effectively to ensure that each child receives the right care and support. Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 6

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)) Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that children’s risk assessments give clear guidance to staff. 28 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 28 June 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19) This is specifically in relation to the structure of the child’s files.  The registered person should ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the steps taken by staff, to secure good progress and outcomes, are clearly recorded within the child’s documents.  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 7 to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27) In particular, ensure that the home has a transition plan that supports children to move in or out of the home.

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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: SC005589 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC005589 9 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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