Children's home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 1 SC407933 Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care And Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since April 2021 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers 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

Date of last inspection: 13 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: SC407933 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2020 Full Good 18/03/2019 Full Outstanding 12/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children currently live at the home. Children make progress in most aspects of their lives. Staff actively support children’s education with a culture that encourages learning. Children’s attendance at school is good and they are making progress academically. Managers and staff communicate well with education providers to ensure that children receive the support they require when they struggle at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience child-centred and individualised care. The consistent approach of staff helps children feel safe, secure and ready to try new things. Staff encourage children to attend activities and clubs outside the home. This provides children with exciting experiences that help them grow in confidence. All three children are making excellent progress in their swimming.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and emotional well-being are well supported. Staff support all three children to attend weekly therapy sessions. As a result, children are starting to make sense of their experiences. This helps children feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living in a well-maintained, comfortable and homely environment. Children’s rooms are personalised, clean and tidy. Staff work exceptionally hard to create an atmosphere that is full of warmth, respect and laughter. As a result, children have excellent relationships with staff. Children enjoy spending time with the staff, and they feel valued and cared for. One-to-one staffing in the home ensures that staff are always available to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of relationships and support children to see their families and friends. One parent told the inspector that her child ‘is happy living at the home. The staff have built his confidence up, they keep him occupied and fully support his education and cultural needs.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The independent visitor has not regularly consulted with children or professionals as part of their monthly visit. This affects the quality of their report and ability to evidence the experiences of children living at the home. Managers were aware of this shortfall and have taken steps to address this issue.

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

Children are safe and feel safe in the home. Regular key-work sessions between children and staff focus on promoting healthy relationships and behaviour. As a result, there is no bullying in the home.

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

Staff apply consistently clear routines and boundaries, and this means that children understand what is expected of them. When children display challenging behaviours, the staff respond with understanding and compassion. As a result, the number of incidents has reduced. When staff need to physically intervene to keep everyone Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 4 safe, these interventions are appropriate and proportionate. Following any intervention, staff offer children emotional support to help them make sense of their behaviour.

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

Missing-from-home episodes are low. When a child does go missing, staff take appropriate action to safeguard children and follow the correct procedures to bring about their safe return. On one occasion, the return home interview did not take place within the required time frames. This means there was a delay in providing the child an opportunity to explore the reasons why they placed themselves at risk.

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

Staff use sanctions to help children try and understand their negative behaviour. The manager has not ensured that a robust review of the effectiveness of sanctions takes place quickly. As a result, sanctions put in place do not deter repeated behaviours. On occasion, high financial penalties have been put in place that are unrealistic for a child to pay.

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

Staff understand the risks and potential hazards for each child and, when necessary, take action to safeguard children effectively and promptly. Risk assessments are in place, up to date and accurate; however, not all staff have read these. The impact risk assessment for new children arriving at the home does not robustly consider the potential risks and impact to existing children in the home. Due to the staff’s good knowledge of the children, this has not compromised the safety of children. However, this is an area that can improve.

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

The selection of new staff coming to work at the home is carefully considered; however, managers have not verbally verified the reason why one member of staff left a previous post working with vulnerable adults. This has not compromised the safety of children as all other checks have been completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly respected by the staff team. She understands each child’s presenting needs and how to achieve the best outcomes. The manager has good oversight and monitoring of the home, and since being in post, the quality of recording in the home has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team have developed strong relationships with all the relevant professionals, including social workers, the therapist and school staff. As a result, there is good communication between them, which promotes children’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and regular supervision and team meetings ensure that staff remain skilled and supported in their roles. These meetings consider the children, as well as the needs of the staff. During the inspection, staff at the home said that they feel supported by the managers. This demonstrates positive relationships between managers and staff, which supports their development and understanding of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 5 There is a comprehensive range of training opportunities, including essential courses such as safeguarding and first aid. In addition, staff are trained in specialist areas, such as positive identity and self-esteem, self-harming behaviours and life-story work. Staff have achieved their level 3 diploma in residential childcare within the required time frames or are working towards this. As a result, staff have the relevant skills and knowledge for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have developed comprehensive plans for children, which focus on their needs. They speak of children in a warm and positive manner and are driven to support children to achieve positive outcomes. This caring and motivated approach is also present in the staff team. As a result, the culture of the home places children at the centre of what they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has failed to ensure that there is an accurate roster in place that records the planned and actual hours worked by staff. As a result, these documents cannot be relied on to identify when staff have been at work. Despite this oversight, children have been cared for by a consistent and dedicated staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 6

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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

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that any financial reparation is reasonable and not excessive. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The relates to ensuring that as part of the recruitment of staff, managers verbally verify the reason why staff have left previous posts working with children or vulnerable adults. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 7 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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there is appropriate management oversight of the effectiveness of sanctions.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staff rota shows planned and actual hours worked by all staff. This also relates to ensuring that the register of children is accurate. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the independent visitor seeks the views of children, professionals and staff as part of their monthly visit. 29 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for a child to have an independent return home interview when the child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission. Homes should take account of information provided by Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 8 such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that they fully consider the impact that a new child will have on any existing children in placement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that all staff read children’s updated risk assessments following review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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 for children’s home: SC407933 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 90 King Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 1JB

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC407933 10 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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