Children's home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 1 SC362170 Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since July 2019. He holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 13 October 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 28 October 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2019 Interim Not judged 19/03/2019 Full Good 22/08/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care from staff who know and understand them well. Staff provide a stable and supportive environment. They are enthusiastic about children’s progress. There has been a significant reduction in incidents in the home, specifically behaviour management episodes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The individual health needs of children are met. Children are registered with primary health services. This ensures that children have day-to-day access to healthcare and health advice, including mental health services and therapeutic support. This means that children receive the specialist input that is designed to meet their specific individual needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication is stored safely, and records are maintained effectively on the administration of medication.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. They share information with children’s teachers and help children to have good daily routines so that they maintain good school attendance. This support ensures that children receive the help they need to overcome barriers in their learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s time with their families. This ensures that children remain close to people who are important to them and benefit from being involved in a wider support network outside of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have been creative in helping children to continue to access a range of activities. This has created normality and structure for children during the pandemic.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been a deterioration in the condition of the home since the last inspection. For example, the outside decking area has holes in it and specific areas of the home require decorating. This environment is not in line with the quality of care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A door to the games area is locked and not accessible to children at specific times. This is not in keeping with the environment of a family home.

p.3

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

Staff have a positive understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities and they take appropriate action to address them. Staff ensure that risk management plans are in place. These plans help to safeguard children by identifying their risks and vulnerabilities and set out strategies to minimise risks. Review of the plans is ongoing to ensure that the strategies remain effective. Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 4 Incidents of physical intervention are recorded with evidence of management oversight. Staff are clear that the use of physical intervention is a last resort. Instead, staff use their positive relationships with children to defuse difficult situations.

p.3

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

Staff ensure that the relevant health and safety checks are in place. All equipment is regularly maintained and serviced or replaced, when necessary. Staff are trained in fire safety and records indicate that fire drills take place.

p.4

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

Children are protected by the organisation’s recruitment practice. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and has a strong commitment to improving children’s outcomes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they feel supported in their roles. They say that managers are approachable and freely give advice and guidance. Staff say that communication with the wider organisation is good.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager undertakes practice-related supervision with staff. This helps staff to reflect on their practice and develop their skills and knowledge to provide good- quality care to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a training programme that helps equip them with the skills required to look after the children in their care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work closely with a range of partner agencies, including the police, schools and social workers, to meet the needs of children. The manager has been a firm advocate for children, particularly in successfully sourcing appropriate education for a child in his care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been thorough. Clear risk management strategies are in place. Appropriate checks occur when visitors come to the home and frequent reviews are undertaken to continue to meet the current guidance. These measures contribute to ensuring that children remain safe and healthy.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor calls at the home once a month to monitor and report on the quality of care. The quality of the reporting does not demonstrate that the quality of care is robustly monitored. For example, one report contains incorrect information around an incident, while other reports lack scrutiny and analysis. This does not ensure that Ofsted has a good overview of the home between inspections. Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the outdoor decking and the inside environment. 28 June 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the locking of the games room. 28 June 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

p.5

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.5

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

p.5

Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. 28 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 6 The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

p.5

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to regulation 44 reports containing information that is relevant to the home.

p.6

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: SC362170 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Marcus House, Parkhall Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent ST3 5XA

p.7

Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC362170 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8