Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 1 SC413985 Registered provider: The Together Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2018.

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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 15 December 2020 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: 21 October 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: SC413985 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/10/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/11/2018 Full Good 25/01/2018 Interim Not judged Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Children have built positive relationships with staff. This has enabled all of them to make progress in different areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have complex needs and staff demonstrate a good understanding of these. Staff use their knowledge of children’s needs to provide individualised care that is based on what children respond to best. Strategies are discussed and formulated with external professionals, which ensures that their expertise is drawn upon effectively. One child displays a high level of compulsive behaviours, and staff work in creative ways to help the child manage these behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a wide range of activities, many of which they had not previously had the opportunity to do. An activity holiday to Scotland provided children with a variety of new experiences, including zip-wiring and canoeing. Children were well prepared for this holiday, with one child taken there for a day trip in advance to help allay their anxieties about being away from the home. Children also go swimming regularly. Some who were previously unable to swim have made significant progress and thoroughly enjoy this experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children make progress in their education. During periods when children were unable to attend school due to COVID-19, staff helped children undertake education at home. One child’s school said that the child had returned to school having made educational progress. Staff have since continued to help and encourage the child to do schoolwork at home, supporting continued educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported in their moves to and from the home. One child recently moved from the home after living there for a significant period of time. Clear plans were put in place, including them visiting their new home with their key worker on a number of occasions. Information about the child’s needs was shared effectively. Good planning helped the child have a successful move to their new home and help allay the anxieties they had about this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of children’s plans is inconsistent. Some plans are detailed and individualised, containing clear information about how all of a child’s needs are met. This supports staff in the care that they provide to children. However, one child’s placement plan was lacking in detail and without some basic information in some areas. Another child’s behaviour management plan was not up to date. Inconsistent planning for children means that it is not always clear exactly how all their needs are being met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 4 The home environment is child-friendly. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, with large murals on their walls which children have helped contribute to. However, some areas of the home need decorating, with paintwork marked and flaking.

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

Staff have a good understanding of risks to children. Staff use social stories to help children have a better understanding of risks. Due to their vulnerabilities, some children have high levels of restrictions to their freedom in place. However, managers actively work with external professionals to continually review what restrictions are needed and how these can be safely reduced. This approach to risk management means that restrictions for children remain appropriate and they are given additional freedoms when possible.

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

Staff respond to incidents well and in line with children’s risk management plans. The use of restraint is rare and when it is used it is done so appropriately and in the least restrictive way necessary. After incidents, staff and managers consider how they managed them and identify any learning that can be taken from the incidents. However, on some occasions, actions identified as a result have not been added to children’s risk management plans. This means that learning from incidents is not always used to develop appropriate strategies to help children.

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

There has been one allegation against a staff member. When the child made this, staff on duty sought advice straight away. Managers then took prompt action to initiate the appropriate processes. The allegation was investigated alongside external professionals. A quick and appropriate response to this allegation demonstrated that children’s concerns are always taken seriously.

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

There have been concerns for one child in relation to unexplained bruising. When raised, prompt and appropriate steps were taken to investigate. The child saw a medical professional and managers worked alongside the child’s school and social worker to investigate. Additional safeguards were put in place for the child, resulting in an increase of monitoring of any possible injuries. Good responses to safeguarding concerns help to ensure that children remain safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly experienced and qualified to level 5. Managers have high aspirations for children and demonstrate a good level of understanding of children’s needs, as well as the strengths and areas for development of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have built good working relationships with external professionals and children’s families. There are good levels of communication in place and managers seek support from relevant professionals. The manager has also challenged external professionals working with the children when needed. This helps ensure that children are receiving all the services they are entitled to. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 5 Managers provide a supportive environment for staff, which helps them provide good levels of care to children. Staff said that they feel valued by managers and that their development is prioritised. A good programme of training is in place for staff, relevant to children’s needs. This helps staff develop the knowledge they need to provide effective care for children. However, two staff have not completed their level 3 qualification within the required timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have some good systems in place for internal monitoring of the home. They actively seek feedback about the home and use this to help develop the service. However, the independent person’s reports do not regularly include feedback from children’s parents and visits are always announced. Given the developmental needs of the children, seeking feedback from parents is important to ensure that the reports can give a clear overview of the progress children are making and how well they are safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervisions. These encourage staff to think about how they are working with children and how they can further improve the care they provide. The manager’s supervisions are also of good quality. However, they have not always taken place on a regular basis. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff update children’s risk management plans following incidents. 11 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s plans are kept up to date and detail how staff will meet children’s needs. 11 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing, homely and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, ensure that decoration of the home is maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 7 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65,

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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: SC413985 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Joe Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 9 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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