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Inspection report for children’s home: SC394463 1 SC394463 Registered provider: Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in June 2021.

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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 10 March 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: 27 November 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: SC394463 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2019 Full Good 04/04/2018 Full Good 01/11/2017 Full Good 29/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC394463 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s behaviours well. They know when they require additional specialist support to enhance the care provided. When identified, this is quickly progressed. Staff also benefit from regular input from a clinical psychologist. Overall, this means children’s needs are well met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff love working at this children’s home. They say they are well supported by their colleagues. They work effectively together as a team. They help children achieve their goals and meet their aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have been accommodated at this home with no education. Sometimes, children’s previous experience of education has been poor. Managers ensure that children are quickly enrolled into a school. The transition back into formal education is at a pace that they can cope with. This means that children are more likely to succeed with their educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been a significant number of short-term placements. However, leaders and managers are aware of the need for an effective matching process of children currently in the home and those children proposed to move in. They know the potential impact on children already living at the home. They know the importance of a settled group living environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, they are provided with a children’s guide. This provides essential information, including what to expect from the home and staff. However, the information provided is not always child friendly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a semi-detached house located in an urban area. The environment is homely and warm. Children have access to a games room. There is a family-based model of care used in this home. This means that children are encouraged to join staff for meals around the kitchen table.

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

Children’s complex care needs are well understood by staff. This means vulnerability is reduced. Staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They know what to do if they are concerned about a child’s welfare.

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

Children are rarely restrained. This is because staff work proactively, and they identify emerging behaviours before they escalate. As a result of these strategies, restraints are rare. If a restraint takes place, they are recorded in detail. Records are easy to analyse, which means lessons can be learned, and changes made to risk management plans if required. All restraints have an overview by a manager. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394463 4 When children go missing from care, managers and staff make exhaustive efforts to locate them and bring them home safe. Managers work closely with the children’s placing authority and the police to ensure a joined-up approach in caring for children. When agencies fall short of their responsibilities, the manager has made complaints to the individual agencies.

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

Managers ensure that only adults who have been through a rigorous safer recruitment process work with vulnerable children. Staff say that from their initial employment, they receive a good level of support from managers. This means they have confidence to perform their care duties to a high standard.

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

When concerns are raised about staff conduct, managers refer their concerns to the relevant agencies. They make decisions on how best to keep children safe. However, investigation and complaint records do not provide sufficient details about actions taken.

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

Managers ensure that the risk factors associated with the location of the home are reviewed annually. However, when children are accommodated, specific risk factors about the children are not included in this assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and experienced. She manages two children’s homes for this provider. She is well supported by a deputy manager. Together, they provide good leadership to a committed and experienced staff team, which has seen minimal changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers spend time with the children and staff. This means that managers are accessible for advice and support. Staff say they feel well supported by their managers. They are very much a part of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are fully involved in making decisions about the accommodation of children. When concerns about the stability of placements arise, the manager works with the local authority to ensure the best outcomes for children, which may mean that a child moves on from the home. Leaders and managers continually review their admissions processes, to ensure children’s suitability and stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision with a manager. This formal supervision is effective in providing a good level of support. Children are spoken about in detail. Staff are professionally challenged, to improve their practice. Staff are confident to raise concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff are provided with a thorough and supportive induction. This induction provides staff with essential training. Once established, further and ongoing learning and development opportunities are offered. When children are accommodated with specific care needs, bespoke training is provided. Recently, this has included training in autistic spectrum disorders and county lines. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394463 5 Staff have regular team meetings. These meetings are effective in sharing important information about the children. Areas for development of the home are identified. The providers clinical psychologist provides specialist training. Staff value these meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394463 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide is age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)  The registered person should ensure that supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risk to them. Specifically, that records of complaints and investigations are clear and concise.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC394463 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Centenary House, Centenary Way, Manchester M50 1RF

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC394463 8 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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