Children's home run by Stepping Stones Children’s Homes Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 1 Registered provider: Stepping Stones Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation and is registered to provide care for up to four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that high-quality therapeutic support is provided for children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a qualified and experienced manager.

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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 7 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 27 November 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2019 Full Good 31/07/2018 Full Good 20/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 4

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outstanding

Children receive exceptionally well-planned care. In partnership with external agencies, children’s individual needs are identified, assessed and consistently reviewed. As a result, children thrive and make remarkable progress.

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outstanding

Children form extremely trusting relationships and strong bonds with the staff team. Because of this, the children engage very well with staff and the professionals undertaking work with them. The impact of this work is evident in the exceptional progress children make in this home. However, this work could be further enhanced by encouraging children to review and comment on this work. This is intended to enable children to feel a sense of control about their lives and the progress they make.

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outstanding

This home promotes positive family values in a supportive, safe and happy environment. The children share their home with two cats and one dog, who are very much a part of the family created in this home. One child said, ‘I love our pets. They sit on my knee, and I stroke them. I have never lived anywhere with pets before. I like it.’

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outstanding

Since the home registered in 2018, it has accommodated seven children. This low number of placements is because children are extremely well matched and remain in placement until they are ready to live independently.

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outstanding

The registered manager and staff have a proven track record of advocating well for children with a plan of independence. As a result, independent accommodation for children is suitably sourced, supported and based close to familiar links. This is because the registered manager is passionate about making sure that when children leave the home, they succeed in their steps towards adulthood. The registered manager said, ‘We have formed trusting bonds with children. It is our duty to make sure transitions are positive and children never feel alone.’ One child said: ‘I love it here. The staff are really special to me. I am moving to adult services and have just had my first overnight stay. It was great. I hope the new staff will become special to me too.’

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outstanding

Children come to this home with a history of educational disruption. Some children have not attended school for an extended period and have successfully restarted their educational journey. The staff team works in close partnership with established education providers to develop detailed individual support packages. This level of support enables children to re-establish themselves in the educational environment. As a result, children’s educational attendance and attainment have excelled.

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outstanding

A headteacher said: ‘The children make excellent progress in school. One child was predicted to reach a level 2 in English and Maths. As a result of the partnerships Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 5 between the home and school, the child has exceeded our expectations and has already gained a level 4.’ In addition, another teacher said: ‘One child had no English language or writing skills when he came to our school. He has been with us for 18 months and is now fluent in both areas. The home provides absolutely amazing support.’

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outstanding

Family contact is extremely well supported. The staff team works directly with the children and their families to help to build positive relationships and acceptable boundaries. This has proved to be successful. Children who previously did not have contact with their families now enjoy regular supported contact, including weekend stays. Furthermore, when difficulties arise, the staff take prompt action to address these concerns and help the child and their family to move forward positively.

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outstanding

Children’s health and well-being are prioritised in this home. From the point of admission, staff take prompt action to escalate any previously unmet health concerns. This ensures that children’s health is assessed and monitored in accordance with their needs. Likewise, when a child is diagnosed with a specific health condition, prompt action is taken to ensure that staff are provided with suitable training to manage this condition.

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outstanding

Children are encouraged and supported to take part in community activities. Some children enjoy boxing and trampolining, while others enjoy mountain biking and climbing. This has provided excellent opportunities for children to make positive and safe friendships within the community. One child said, ‘We get to do lots of things here. I love [name of trampoline park]. The staff take me and join in with me. It is funny.’

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

Risk management plans are thorough and include critical information regarding each child’s lived experiences. Strategies to manage incidents of disruption are developed in partnership with external support agencies and consider each child’s emotional intelligence. This means that children’s behaviours are managed in a way that helps them to understand their own triggers and build positive and proactive coping mechanisms.

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

The staff are trained in the use of de-escalation and physical intervention strategies. Behaviour management strategies make good use of the positive and trusting relationships the children have developed with the staff team. As a result, there have been no occasions where a physical intervention has been required since the last assurance visit in October 2020.

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

Children feel safe in this home. Therefore, it is rare for a child to be absent or missing from the home. In the past 18 months, there has been only one brief incident. A child said, ‘If I have a problem, the staff help me to sort it out. I can talk to any member of staff, and they will help me because they care about me.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 6 Previously identified behaviours that placed children at risk are successfully managed. Consequently, there are minimal safeguarding concerns in this home. However, to ensure that the staff remain vigilant and responsive to risks, the registered manager promotes continued learning through the use of practice scenarios in team discussions. This ensures that a team approach is used to identify potential risks and promotes reflective practice.

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

The house provides spacious accommodation that is a safe and homely environment for children to thrive and grow. However, when children do not wish to have blinds on their bedroom windows, the registered manager should consider a different solution to obscure the windows to protect the privacy of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management of the home are outstanding. Children live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. Children, social workers and families are clear about the service and support that the home provides.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team receives a consistent annual training package. Mandatory training is regularly refreshed, and additional training, based on the theoretical framework of attachment, is the foundation for all planned work with the children. Likewise, the team benefits from regular input from external agencies which work in partnership with the home. These sessions enable the staff to continue to provide the high standard of effective care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team receives excellent managerial support. The registered manager is the driving force behind the aspirational care provided to the children. One staff member said, ‘The registered manager makes sure we are doing the best we can for the children. If there is a problem, he is always there to guide us through it.’ The staff receive regular supervision, including group supervision and key-work supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the team demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering excellent child-centred practice that is tailored to the individual and personal needs of children. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the excellent progress children make, particularly in education, risk reduction and positive transitions to independent living.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home employs a strong and committed staff team. All staff have received the children and young people’s workforce diploma at level 3. The training at this level ensures that the staff team is suitably qualified in the care and management of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Internal monitoring systems provide the home with a clear approach to the overall monitoring of care. Detailed information highlights areas for development. The manager’s action plan details the methods used to enhance the service. Likewise, external monitoring takes place in accordance with regulation. The independent visitor’s report provides a realistic insight into the progress children make. Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 7 The staff are skilled, knowledgeable and exceptional role models for the children in their care. They consistently invest in creating positive experiences and opportunities for the children. This is reflected in the mutual respect generated in this home. Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that bedroom windows are obscured to protect children’s privacy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.24)  The registered person should ensure that children are actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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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 children’s home: 1244493 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stepping Stones Children’s Homes Limited

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1244493 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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