Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC454838 1 SC454838 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 large national provider of children’s services operates this home, which is situated in a rural location. Ofsted has registered the home to provide care for up to eight children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. There is a registered school attached to the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, a new manager has taken over the day-to-day running of the home. The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2020 and is working towards her level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 for children’s home: SC454838 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2019 Full Good 24/04/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good 25/07/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC454838 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All six children living in the home attend the organisation’s school, which is attached to the home. Staff promote education well. As a result, children’s attitude to learning improves and there is a significant reduction in children being excluded from school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak positively about their plans for the future. One child told the inspector that they want to be a geologist and another child would like to be a footballer. At the end of the school day, children are supported by teachers and staff to reflect on their day and identify positive contributions and strategies to help them to progress further.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers ensure that children are registered with local health services. They are supported by staff to access routine and emergency health appointments. The organisation’s clinician works closely with the managers and staff, providing consultation and guidance that informs children’s care. Children can access therapy and some do, which they find helpful. There are good routines in place that help children to develop self-care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff support children to understand their plans and this helps children to prepare for moving on from the home. One child spoke to the inspector about his plan to live with foster carers. Children understand that their plan is individual to them and that some will return to live with family or move on to semi- independent living. Children spoken with during the inspection feel included in making decisions about their future care and are happy with plans currently in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to keep in touch with people who are important to them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, managers ensured that children could maintain contact with loved ones through video calls or socially distanced meetings in outdoor spaces. One parent told the inspector that she was pleased with the progress her child is making and that she is kept informed of any issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged by managers and staff to share their views, wishes and feelings and children meet weekly to discuss things that are important to them. Staff listen and act on children’s wishes or explain to them why it is not possible for them to have something they have asked for. At the last meeting, a child said they wanted to try lobster and so seafood risotto was added to the menu, incorporating lobster!

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager assesses the needs of children being considered to live in the home. However, written assessments do not capture all the information the manager takes into account when making decisions. This recording issue has not had a direct impact on children and generally new children are matched well to those already living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454838 4

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

Managers and staff know children well. Children benefit from mutually respectful relationships with staff. They feel able to talk to managers and staff about concerns or worries and know how to make a complaint. Concerns raised by children are taken seriously and, as a result, children feel listened to.

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

Children feel safe and they are supported by staff to resolve conflicts between each other. Staff use the ‘Gibbs reflective cycle’ to help children to think about behaviours and how these have an impact on themselves and others. They are supported by staff and peers to think of strategies that they can use to help them in the future. This helps children to take responsibility for their actions, problem solve and develop strategies that will help to keep them safe.

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

Risk assessments are individual to the child and provide clear guidance for staff to follow to manage risks effectively. Managers and staff have clear expectations of behaviour, which are consistently promoted. Appropriate rewards and sanctions are used to help children to develop socially acceptable behaviours. As a result, children’s risks have reduced and children are kept safe.

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

Staff are trained in good safeguarding practices. There have been no incidents of children going missing or being exploited.

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

The registered manager ensures that all staff are safely recruited. Recruitment checks are thorough, with gaps in employment explored, employment references verified and Disclosure and Barring Service checks obtained before the start of employment. This good practice reduces the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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

Incidents are managed well by staff, including those that require them to use physical intervention to keep a child and/or others safe. Managers ensure that children and staff are spoken to about all incidents when physical intervention has been used. This helps staff and children to reflect and develop effective strategies to reduce the risk of future incidents occurring.

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

Allegations are rare, with only one being made by a child since the last inspection. The manager responded promptly and ensured that information was shared with relevant professionals and agreed actions implemented, to keep children safe. The outcome of the investigation was explained to the child and they were helped to repair their relationship with the member of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have effective working relationships with professionals. Social workers report that they receive regular updates about children and feel that they are well cared for. The community police officer visits the home regularly and a representative from the home attends the local residential police forum meetings. Collaborative working relationships promote children’s welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454838 5 Although some staff have left, children have continued to receive support from a dedicated staff team, who agree to work additional hours when needed. This means that children are cared for by people who they know well and provides them with consistency and stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff share the manager’s child-centred vision for the home and have high expectations for children. Managers ensure that staff receive regular supervision and that their performance is appraised annually. As a result, staff feel valued and well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good monitoring systems in place to ensure that staff skills and training are kept up to date. New staff receive additional support and training to help them to fulfil their role to the expected standards. Children receive care from qualified and experienced staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completes monthly audits of children’s records and regularly reviews the quality of care that children receive. This ensures that there is continuous development in the delivery of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the home is maintained to a good standard and feels homely. There is some damp in the laundry room that requires attention and some areas of the home require redecoration. The manager has requested that this work is carried out. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454838 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should work closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home. In particular, ensure that impact assessments contain all relevant information that informs decision-making. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3)  The registered person should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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 for children’s home: SC454838 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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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

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454838 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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