Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 1 SC467268 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

This privately operated home provides care for up to five children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children are primarily placed in the home with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered in August 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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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 25 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

Date of last inspection: 10 February 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: SC467268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/02/2020 Full Good 15/11/2018 Full Good 18/10/2017 Full Good 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides stability, consistency and safety. This enables children to learn to trust the adults who care for them. As a result, they develop healthy attachments. Members of staff know the children well and understand their anxieties, fears, hopes and aspirations. Consequently, staff have a good understanding of why children behave the way they do, and they view this as a means of communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As a result of the care they receive, children have made significant progress in their development, self-esteem and achievements, both socially and educationally. All the children attend the on-site school. For some children, this is the first time they have consistently attended school, and this has resulted in an increase in educational attainment for all of them. This progress is excellent in view of their troubled histories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are promoted and protected. Specific health needs are known and met, and specialist appointments are organised when necessary. The on- site therapist ensures that interventions are readily available to the children. When children do not feel comfortable with the direct involvement of the therapist, the appropriate guidance and advice are provided to staff members, who in turn support the children. This ensures that the children’s emotional needs are met to a high standard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen carefully to children, who are encouraged to express their views about issues in the home which affect them, and to contribute their ideas to everyday matters in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Any areas of conflict which arise are addressed and resolved effectively. The staff spend time reflecting with the children, and, subsequently, the children are able to discuss their disagreements and move forward. This process has enabled children to improve their self-management skills and better regulate their behaviour and responses. This is significant progress, especially when taking into consideration the children’s starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The support provided to children during contact with families is exceptional. Staff implement carefully thought-out strategies so that any contacts or visits with family are managed sensitively and skilfully. As a result, children are better able to cope with the emotions that contact with their families might trigger, resulting in a more positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of experiences, including some memorable firsts, which they talk about excitedly. Staff tailor activities to individual interests and abilities. These include swimming, ice skating and dry slope skiing. One child described a trip to the ski-slopes as ‘one of the best days of my life’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 4 Staff ensure that children know how to complain and that complaints are taken seriously. The manager meets with the children to discuss any complaints and to ensure that these are resolved positively.

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

Children living in this home feel safe and are safe. Children are confident that staff will support them and help them if they feel unsafe or worried. Risk assessments devised by staff are comprehensive and thoroughly monitored in order to ensure that they are implemented effectively and remain relevant.

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

There have been no incidents of children being missing from the home since the last inspection. There have been four safeguarding incidents that have been appropriately reported to external bodies in timely manner.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of and insight into the wide-ranging aspects of safeguarding. They understand and know how to apply the training they have received in safeguarding and child protection and know how to respond appropriately to any disclosures or allegations made by children.

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

Children have trusting relationships with staff. Children are confident that staff will take action in the light of any concerns they raise with them. Staff speak positively about the training in behaviour management, which was delivered by the therapist. Staff learn about strategies, attachment styles and the impact on children’s relationships and behaviour. As a result, staff understand behaviour as an expression of feelings or life experiences and manage children’s behaviour in this context.

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

Staff support children to behave well through praise and rewards, and they encourage the desired behaviour by the use of incentives. As a result, children flourish.

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

Staff use restorative sanctions when children’s behaviour is inappropriate. Children are encouraged and supported to ‘make good’ what they have done wrong, for example by apologising.

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

Staff provide intensive support to children following any incident of inappropriate behaviour, which encourages them to develop a better understanding of what is and is not acceptable, and to regulate their behaviour accordingly. Positive behaviour is celebrated and is rewarded with special treats. This process has helped children to develop self-esteem and enjoy success.

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

Physical restraint is used in line with regulation, but only as a very last resort to ensure the safety of all. Appropriate records are kept of all incidents. Debrief meetings are conducted after every incident. These sessions ensure that members of staff and children resolve any issues, and that the reasons for the restraint are understood. This has increased understanding of children’s behaviour, and incidents of physical restraint for each child have substantially decreased. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 5 Robust recruitment procedures ensure that all members of staff are thoroughly vetted before commencing work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

There were three recommendations made at the monitoring visit. Actions have been taken to meet all three recommendations. Children said that their ideas are listened to by staff and acted on. Children attend all of the necessary health appointments. The manager has revised the procedures to ensure that return home interviews take place following a missing-from-home incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The registered manager knows his service well and demands high standards of care and performance from members of staff. He is ambitious for the children in his care. Staff are proud to work for the organisation, and they celebrate the difference that they make for the children. Their professionalism, skills, diligence and commitment to meet each child’s individual needs are of an unquestionably high standard. Their multi-disciplinary approach works collaboratively with clear communication across the disciplines. This ensures that children have the necessary routine, structure and consistency, and that their progress is maximised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Education staff and care staff are indistinguishable in their approach to supporting children. Care staff learn how to support each child in education, and education staff learn how to support each child in their care needs. Care and education staff understand and value the contribution that each professional brings to improve the life chances of each child, and all professionals contribute to all of the children’s goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Staff are supervised regularly. Supervision focuses on the outcomes and experiences of children while also providing staff with the opportunity to consider their own practice. This includes the effect that working with children who display very challenging behaviour has on them. Team meetings and supervisions are used effectively, to reflect on how well the team is working together to respond to children’s behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Staff carefully plan for children’s reviews and meetings, and they facilitate children’s contributions towards them. This ensures that children have a meaningful opportunity to voice their opinions and contribute positively to planning their own futures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

A diligent approach to assessing the potential effect of new admissions has enhanced the stability of children in the home. Comprehensive assessments ensure that children only come to live in the home if the staff feel that they can contribute positively to a child’s life, and that any negative influence on other children already living in the home is minimised. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 6 The registered manager has a good overview of day-to-day care. He uses other monitoring systems, such as the monthly independent visitor’s evaluation and the six-monthly statutory report, to drive forward improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The administration of medication is not always recorded in accordance with the legislation and the home’s policy. There have been occasions when staff have not appropriately recorded administration of medication. This has not resulted in a negative effect on children. There is a requirement in relation to this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The statement of purpose is not written in a manner which is conducive to the needs and understanding of young people. A recommendation has been made in relation to this matter. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 7

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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, the 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 registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 15 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the information set out in the statement of purpose is child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15 paragraph 3.5 and 3.6)

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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: SC467268 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

Jacqueline Georghiou, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 9 regulates and inspects 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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