Children's Home run by Step-A-Side Company Limited in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 1 SC030650 Registered provider: Step-a-Side Company Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home currently provides long-term care and short breaks for a maximum of five children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours, and/or learning disabilities. A private company manages the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since August 2017.

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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: 4 September 2019

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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: SC030650 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/09/2019 Full Good 31/07/2018 Full Good 10/08/2017 Full Good 01/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make significant progress in this home. Family members consistently told the inspector that their child has achieved milestones that they otherwise would not have reached had it not been for the efforts of the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers have positive relationships with the children’s families. Family relationships are considered to be of high importance, and opportunities to support these are evident. For example, the staff work closely with another children’s home in order to support quality time between siblings. Another parent gave an example of the home hosting a party for a child so they could celebrate their birthday with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the needs of the children they care for and make continuous efforts to improve their experiences. Children are supported to be active in the local community through engagement at meaningful clubs, which are in line with their interests and talents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have positive working relationships with the professional network for each child. External professionals praised the staff team for their care of the children and shared that they have created a safe and stable environment that allows children to flourish in other areas of their lives, such as in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children told the inspector that they enjoy living in the home, and that they like the staff who look after them. The inspector observed positive rapport between the children and with the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have created a lively and homely environment. However, children’s bedrooms do require some improvement, such as décor and storage. The manager and leaders are aware of this, and there are plans to action these improvements. At the time of the inspection, there was building work underway to improve one of the bathrooms in the home.

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

Children’s needs are sought in order to be understood, and they are well supported. The manager and staff work closely with two psychologists who work directly with the children as well as with the staff team. Children are supported to identify areas that they would like help with, and this forms the basis of the goals staff work towards with the children.

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

The manager and staff have a comprehensive understanding of risk, and they respond well to mitigate any identified concerns. This means that children are kept safe in this home. When incidents have arisen, there is a timely response, which has Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 4 included the appropriate professionals. Learning from incidents is evident and has been used to avoid incidents being repeated.

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

The manager is a strong advocate for children. One of the children in the home is not accessing education full-time. A professional described the manager as ‘tenacious’ in her approach to advocating for this child’s education.

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

Children are well supported with their independence skills. Staff encourage positive routines for children to help prepare them for independence. One child has expressed a wish to shop and cook for themselves, which was positively supported by the members of the staff team, who held a meeting with the child to implement this into the child’s weekly plan.

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

Restraints are used appropriately in this home. The inspector found that de- escalation techniques are consistently used by staff and are effective in calming the situation. However, when the registered manager has been involved in a restraint their manager has not always had oversight of the incident and subsequent debrief with the child to ensure objectivity and robust scrutiny.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they feel well supported by the manager, who they describe as ‘approachable’. Staff and professionals share a view of the manager as being ‘responsive’ to the needs of children, and anything that needs addressing is done so promptly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. However, supervision is not always reflective, and recording of the discussion is not always an accurate account of the conversations that took place. Supervision records do not clearly record any decisions or directions agreed in the meeting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have been well managed by the manager and staff. The team worked creatively to minimise the disruption to children and ensure that they continued to access activities safely during the national lockdowns. Disruptions to family time has been minimal as a result of the teams’s response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are robust measures in place to ensure safer recruitment practices in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspector found that staff sleep-in rooms are not relaxing spaces for staff. Staff also commented that these are areas they would like to improve in the home. Leaders and managers are aware of this and plan to make improvements to these rooms.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a committed manager, and staff consistently report that they enjoy working in this home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 5

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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, 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff receive supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice, and that the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions are accurately recorded. 30 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 01 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 6 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii) (c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, where the registered manager is involved in the incident, their manager should review the record and debrief with the child to ensure objectivity and robust scrutiny.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that bedrooms for children and staff are maintained to a high standard to ensure that they are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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, Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 7 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: SC030650 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Step-a-Side Company Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Step A Side, 29 Market Place, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8AA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachel Carwardine

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Inspector

Katie Ratcliffe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC030650 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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