Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2543081 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post and has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children at the home from May 2021 until November 2021. At the time of the inspection, three children lived at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2020

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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: 2543081 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2543081 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff care passionately about the children in their care. Staff have high aspirations for children and help them to work towards achieving their goals. This supports children to develop positive relationships with staff. As a result, children are able to be open about their early life experiences and their future goals with staff who have their best interests at heart.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children make progress with their education. Staff are always positive about education and advocate for children if needed. For one child, this has meant they have had a successful return to full-time education in a way that emphasises their achievement. Staff also encourage children to be optimistic about their future. This results in proactive help to children to be aspirational for their own futures. This emphasises the staff’s commitment to children’s educational outcomes and their future after they leave school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make valuable memories and enjoy activities. Staff and managers capture memories by taking photos for children’s memory books. They also write daily diaries for each child. These personal keepsakes ensure that children can understand their life story in later life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn valuable independence skills. Children have clear independence folders with plans of work. This helps staff and children know what their goals are, and staff provide consistent support. Through this child-centred approach, children develop their life skills to help them be more ready for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children stay in touch with people who are important to them. Staff make sure that children are clear about when they are seeing family and friends. This means children remain connected to these important people and they have a clear sense of identity. One family member told inspectors that they feel welcome when they visit, and it feels ‘like a family home’. This gives families confidence in the staff caring for their children.

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

Staff and the manager put in place risk assessments and individualised support plans to help keep children safe. They are regularly reviewed so that staff have the most up- to-date information to care for children. As a result, children receive predictable, consistent responses during difficult times. Staff also ensure that the home is free from hazards and address all health and safety concerns. This adds to children’s feelings of security in the environment and in their relationships with adults.

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

Staff carry out creative individual work with children. Staff personalise this to each child, and the manager regularly reviews the work to make sure children are making progress. The manager sets monthly targets in conjunction with staff and children. This Inspection report for children’s home: 2543081 4 means that children are fully included in decisions about how to address their needs. This approach means that children understand their own risks and know how they are being supported to reach their goals.

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

Children share their worries with staff so that staff know when they do not feel safe. Staff complete focused, individual work with children at these times to reduce any risks. This helps children understand how staff will help them be safe. It also helps children know how they can also contribute to their own safety. Staff and managers act decisively about children’s safety when needed. These actions, and approaches with children, give confidence about how staff ensure that children are safe.

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

Staff respond empathically when children express their worry or distress through damage to property. This shows children that staff understand their behaviour and what it communicates to them. This has also helped children to be able to recognise their feelings and emotions. Staff have worked with one child to increase their security through relationships. The child is now able to calm more quickly compared to when they arrived at the home. Staff’s thoughtful and containing relationships with children have meant that incidents in the home have reduced.

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

The manager considers all known information about children before they move into the home. He also considers the needs of the children already living at the home and makes child-centred decisions. Children have well-planned transitions where they can meet the manager and visit before they move in. This means that children feel settled and included from the very beginning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a passionate, child-centred practitioner. He role models good care practice and leads by example. Staff feel well supported by the manager, with one staff member commenting that his support is exceptional. Staff share the manager’s passion for achieving positive outcomes for children. As a result, children receive excellent care and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the strengths and areas of development for the home. He has put development plans in place and is clear about his aspirations to develop the care that children receive. This demonstrates to children and staff that he will drive to continually improve the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective systems to oversee and monitor the activity in the home. This includes ways for him to have clear oversight of children’s progress, outcomes and targets, and all health and safety matters. As a result of these systems, and the actions the manager takes, children receive help and support that is in their best interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive frequent child-focused supervision. This provides staff with regular opportunities for development and reflection. The manager introduces themes in supervision across the staff team to develop practice. For example, the manager has discussed the importance of good-quality recording with staff so that children have accurate records. The manager’s proactive approach to developing staff means they Inspection report for children’s home: 2543081 5 are more responsive to children’s needs. This also means he knows that children receive care from knowledgeable staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that children are central to the home and their care planning. As a result, children’s views are well represented in all areas. The manager invests time in children, which has led to positive and reliable relationships with them. For example, the manager provides day-to-day care and spends time with children away from the home doing activities such as going to local café to have hot drinks and cake. The manager also makes sure children have things to do in the home. The children requested a pool table as this was a shared interest for children, and the manager bought one for the home. This has helped children to build relationships with each other. It also reassures children that their views and experiences are important. This all adds to children seeing the manager as responsive, reliable and trustworthy. Inspection report for children’s home: 2543081 6

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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: 2543081 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2, Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke- On-Trent ST4 6NW

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Inspector

Melanie Griffin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2543081 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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