Children's home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in East Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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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 requires improvement to be 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Outstanding 14/11/2018 Full Outstanding 17/01/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about their care, and they describe staff as being kind and helpful. Children like the manager and state that she tries her best to ‘make things happen’. They say that she is fair and consistent. Children look forward to spending time with staff after school. They ask for hugs and eat together at the dinner table.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children have harmonious relationships with each other. However, when dynamics are strained, staff know how to intervene to de-escalate situations effectively. Although some children display behaviours that can be challenging at times, staff work through these periods and offer continued support and nurture to children. One social worker described the staff team as ‘brilliant’ and explained that they ‘never give up’ on her child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children spend time regularly talking with staff and doing activities with them. Children’s birthdays are celebrated, and friendships are supported. Where appropriate, children are supported to take age-appropriate and well-managed risks, such as walking to the shop on their own or travelling to school on their bike.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although some of the children struggle in educational settings, all children have an educational placement. However, some children’s education plans are drifting and there is no evidence of the manager advocating effectively on behalf of children to resolve this. Staff work hard to motivate children to attend lessons and to read in their spare time.

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improvement to be good

The manager is not yet consistently recording complaints or concerns. For example, some documents refer to complaints being made; however, these complaints or concerns have not been formally recorded. Therefore, it is unclear what action the manager has taken to resolve these matters.

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improvement to be good

On occasions, some children have made allegations about staff or other adults. These incidents have not been recorded or responded to effectively. For example, there is no written evaluation of why allegations may have been treated as unfounded. When allegations have been made against adults or children who are not at the home, these have not always been reported to Ofsted.

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improvement to be good

Staff are buying one child disposable vaping devices, despite the child not being old enough to use them. Although the manager states that this is happening at the request of the child’s previous social worker, there is no evidence of this agreement in writing. Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 4 Children have boundaries within the home, and they understand what is expected of them in terms of acceptable behaviour. Although discussions with children happen regularly, more could be done to encourage children to reflect on their emotions and coping mechanisms.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that the home is decorated to a good standard. Children’s bedrooms are well maintained and personalised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good relationship with the children. They respect her and listen to advice given. The manager chats with the children and responds to requests made at children’s meetings. The manager ensures that there are good transitions for children joining the home, and children who have left the home stay in touch.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and there is a full staff team in place. This has enabled children to build established, trusting relationships with the staff. The staff team is well supported through regular supervision and appraisals. All staff have had updated safeguarding training. Staff state that the manager is supportive and that team morale is good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the manager has taken some action to improve her safeguarding knowledge, some shortfalls remain. The manager is not consistently recognising, recording and responding to risk in line with safeguarding processes. The manager’s decision-making is not yet well evidenced. Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 5

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager needing to appropriately recognise, record and respond to risk. Actions taken to safeguard children must be recorded. 7 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 7 June 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager needing to review current safeguarding policies for children. When there have been shortfalls in safeguarding practice, it is necessary for the manager and the staff team to learn from these.

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that decision-making relating to complaints, allegations and safeguarding is well evidenced.

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Requirement Due date

Children’s records must evidence that staff are advocating for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 7 June 2022

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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: 1214266 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 2, First Floor, Millennium Court, First Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton upon Trent DE14 2WH

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Inspector

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1214266 8 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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