Children's Home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 1 SC420876 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

A small private provider runs this four-bedded children’s home. The home provides care for children who have social and emotional difficulties, and who may also have a learning disability. The company has its own therapeutic team.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and registered with Ofsted.

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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. We last visited this setting on 21 October 2020 to carry out an assurance 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: 11 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2019 Full Outstanding 21/09/2017 Full Outstanding 28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. They are cared for by staff who know them well, and who are ambitious for them. Children enjoy living at the home and they have developed trusted relationships with staff. The care afforded to children by staff ensures that they are brought up in an environment where they feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met appropriately. Staff advocate for children and ensure that the decisions made about their health are in their best interest. For example, when necessary, staff advocate for children’s medication to be reviewed. This has resulted in positive outcomes being achieved for them. This evidences that staff know the children well and ensures that they are able to access the appropriate level of care to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education. School staff speak positively of the support that staff provide to the children, and how this has contributed to the progress that they have made. Staff communicate effectively with the school when children are struggling to get settled in their education, and plans are implemented to ensure that children continue to make good progress. Consequently, children’s educational experiences are positive, and this motivates them to continue to do well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to engage in a wide range of activities in the community. Staff ensure that children’s interests and hobbies are promoted. Children are supported to develop their independence through their interests, but to also gain confidence through challenging them to engage in other activities. As a result, children are developing their skills and have opportunities to interact with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children access specialist support provided by the home’s therapist. The therapist knows the children well and is involved in all aspects of their care. Children are being supported to understand their experiences and to develop strategies to manage the impact that the trauma they have experienced has had on them. As a result, children are developing skills to manage their emotions more effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers promote positive endings for children who leave the home. They make child-centred decisions to ensure that children are supported to settle into their new homes. This approach promotes the welfare and well-being of children.

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

Staff take proactive action in reducing harm to children. For example, staff ensure that they follow risk assessments for children who self-harm; and there is effective monitoring in place to assess an increase or decrease in risk. There is a coordinated Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 4 approach to manage the risks to children, and this includes consultation from the home’s therapist. This ensures that plans are effective in reducing harm to children.

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

Children are settled in the home, and the number of serious incidents have reduced. For example, children who have previously struggled to regulate their emotions are developing the skills to manage their feelings safely. In addition, incidents requiring physical intervention have reduced. This means that children feel safer in the home.

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

Staff ensure that physical restraint is used appropriately and as a last resort. There is good oversight from the manager who considers the effectiveness and appropriateness of the measure. There is also good debrief with staff and children. This ensures that the use of restraint is scrutinised effectively.

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

Children can identify trusted adults that they can speak to about their worries and concerns. Children feel listened to by staff, and their concerns are taken seriously and responded to appropriately. For example, staff challenge others when children experience discrimination, and they support them to develop their resilience. As a result, children have adults who advocate for them and support them when they experience challenging situations.

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

The manager ensures that safer recruitment practices are followed appropriately. This ensures that children are cared for by adults who have been adequately vetted and are deemed suitable to work with children.

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

Staff’s recording of incidents do not consistently demonstrate that they have embedded trauma-informed approaches in their practice. For example, the language used with children when supporting them to manage their emotions and behaviour does not always reflect that staff have understood the impact the trauma that children have experienced may have on their behaviour. This may impact on the effectiveness of the approaches that staff use to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an inspirational leader who is passionate about the home. She is ambitious for the children and understands their plans. The staff also understand the manager’s vision for the home to ensure that children continue to make progress. The manager’s leadership and management skills have ensured that the home has a positive impact on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed with a consistent team which offers stability for children. Staff speak positively of working in the home, and of the support they receive from their managers and leaders. Staff are supported through regular supervisions and team meetings. They are appropriately challenged and praised for good practice. This ensures that children are cared for by staff who enjoy working in the home, and who also feel supported in their day-to-day care of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers ensure that that there is good communication with other agencies and professionals involved with the children. There is appropriate challenge Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 5 when they do not agree with the local authorities’ plans for the children. Staff and managers work effectively with social workers to ensure that permanence plans for children are suited to their needs. This ensures the effective planning of children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s case records reflect their everyday lives. However, the quality of the case records is variable. Some lack clarity, context, and are open to misinterpretation. Consequently, some records do not fully reflect the actions that staff have taken to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes child-centred decisions about children coming to live at the home. However, the manager does not evidence in her assessment that she has considered the impact on the children already living at the home. As a result, assessments lack analysis and evaluation of how all children will be supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person’s report lacks consistent consultation with children, professionals, and families. As a result, the independent person is not able to triangulate information from multiples sources to help inform the review of the overall experiences of children, and quality of care provided to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 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 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.

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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 persons should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a clear and objective way. Children’s records should be sufficiently detailed and reflect the actions that staff have taken to support them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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Recommendations

 The registered persons should ensure that when a new child moves into the home, the impact risk assessment evidence that the manager has fully considered the impact all children will have on each other. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4).

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Recommendations

 The registered persons should ensure that staff consistently use trauma informed approaches in their work with children to reflect that they understand the children’s background and experiences, and how this may impact on their behaviour. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14) Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 7

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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: SC420876 8

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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

Mazviita Makiyi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC420876 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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Inspector

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