Children's home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1249034 1 Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who has had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2018 and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 23 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: 1249034 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/07/2019 Full Good 19/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/01/2018 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: 1249034 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a good quality of care that enables them to make good progress. Staff work hard to ensure that children live in a safe, caring and supportive environment. This coordinated approach helps children to have improved outcomes, especially in their school attendance and in being able to have better self-control regarding their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have personalised care and risk-management plans that staff keep under review. These plans take account of the full range of their needs and identify their daily support requirements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are identified effectively. Staff make sure that children have access to a range of health services that promote their physical and emotional well- being. Children are encouraged and supported to attend routine appointments with dentists and doctors. A good medication management system ensures the safe administration of medication. Clear records are maintained by the home and medication is securely stored.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that staff work closely with education providers to ensure that children receive the maximum benefit from education. When issues do arise within the school, staff are proactive in helping children to address the issues, so that any disruption to their education is minimal.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear plans in place to ensure that they retain positive links with family members. Staff support these arrangements both practically and by providing emotional support to children. This ensures that children remain close to individuals who are important to them and benefit from being involved in a wider support network outside the home.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practice and the ways that they can protect the welfare of children. There is effective working with partner agencies, such as placing authorities, the local authority, and police, to ensure a strong multi- agency approach to safeguarding children.

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

Staff have very good knowledge of children’s vulnerabilities. They develop detailed risk assessments and management plans, which are monitored and updated so they remain relevant and effective. Staff supervise children in line with their risk management plans to ensure that they remain safe in the home and the community.

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

Physical restraint is used in the home only as a last resort. Staff use positive praise, distraction and de-escalation techniques to avoid this. Records of physical restraint are well recorded and within timescales. They include feedback from children after Inspection report children’s home: 1249034 4 they have been debriefed. This means that children understand why the restraint was used and contributes to reducing future incidents.

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

The manager and staff comply with locally agreed protocols for children who go missing. When children do go missing, staff liaise with the police and complete detailed records of actions taken. Children have access to an independent person to speak to on their return home. This provides information that may help to protect them from going missing again.

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

Staff complete regular health and safety checks and follow a range of safety procedures to protect children from potential hazards. This includes fire drills and emergency evacuations, to ensure that children know what to do in case of an emergency.

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

The manager ensures that children are protected by the organisation’s effective recruitment and selection procedures. 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.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since December 2018 and is experienced and confident in her role. She is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good levels of supervision and support through regular one-to-one supervision, and team meetings. They receive guidance and direction from the manager, who monitors the learning and development needs of staff. All staff are qualified or working to gain the relevant qualification for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff undertake regular training, which helps to improve their skills and knowledge, keeping them up to date and in line with good practice. This helps to ensure that children’s current and emerging needs and behaviours are well supported and that they are effectively cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with other professionals. As a result, children receive well-coordinated care. The manager will actively challenge other professionals when the responses from other services are not effectively meeting the needs of children in the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1249034 5

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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: 1249034 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249034 7 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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