Children's home run by Footsteps a Path to Change 08 Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 1 Registered provider: Footsteps A Path To Change 08 Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home. It is registered to care for up to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager commenced in post in December 2021 and is yet to register 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.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 22 to 23 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. This 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living at the home. One child has inadequate educational provision in place and is in school for only two hours a week. While the new manager has recently raised this issue with the school, there has been a lack of challenge to the school and local authority. Managers have failed to put in place structured home learning for this child and, as a result, he has missed significant learning opportunities.

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improvement to be good

Children are not supported to develop their independence skills. One child who should be preparing to leave the home does not yet have an independence plan in place. Managers have put in place a reward chart and provided her with a booklet but this has proved to be ineffective. Staff have not explored with her what support she needs to complete the independent tasks. This approach does not prepare children for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Children are given incentives, such as money or treats, to complete certain tasks. Overall, these incentives are unsuccessful and children are not making specific progress in these targeted areas.

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improvement to be good

Children are not encouraged to read or contribute to their plans. As a result, children are not clear on their goals. Key-working sessions take place. However, conversations are not linked to children’s care plans or risk behaviours. This creates a missed opportunity for staff to explore with children their difficulties and risks. Despite these shortfalls, staff support children to share their views and make suggestions in regular children’s meetings.

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improvement to be good

Children appear to like the staff team and can talk to staff if they have concerns. The main areas of the home are clean, tidy and welcoming. Children know how to complain if they are not happy about any aspect of their care. Feedback from one child’s social worker was very positive.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to keep in contact with those that are important to them. This enables children to maintain a sense of belonging with their friends and family.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not challenge unsafe activity effectively. Staff have not prevented children from smoking. On occasion, children smoke in their bedrooms, including smoking cannabis. Both children have brought alcohol into the home. Despite staff being aware of the risks, they have failed to address these ongoing behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 4 Risk assessments are in place; however, they do not capture or address all risky behaviours. Risk assessments fail to address the use of smoking vapes, and strategies in place to help staff address smoking in the home are insufficient and do not provide supportive strategies to help children reduce or stop this behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow processes put in place to safeguard children. For example, staff permit children to have access to lighters across the day and night. In addition, staff do not prevent children from entering the staff offices. These shortfalls have the potential to place children in unsafe situations.

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improvement to be good

One child requires additional support to keep his bedroom clean and tidy. There were significant stains on his carpet, a plate with leftover food, and rotten food on the floor. In addition, there were cigarette stubs on the floor and a lighter on the side. Despite staff completing daily room checks, the standard of the bedroom was not good enough.

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improvement to be good

The response when children go missing is varied. On one occasion, staff took prompt action when a child went missing. However, with another child, staff did not make adequate attempts to keep in contact with the child when they were missing overnight. In addition, staff did not phone key people to try and locate the child. These are missed opportunities to bring about a child’s safe return.

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improvement to be good

Staff use de-escalation and distraction techniques to help keep children occupied and reduce the need for physical intervention. On one occasion, staff used physical intervention when it was unnecessary. In response, managers took swift and effective action to address staff practice concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the children well and, as a result, children are settled and there are very few serious incidents in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to complete online training to enhance their understanding in areas such as gangs, sexual exploitation, internet safety and substance misuse. This helps children to gain an understanding of these areas.

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improvement to be good

Managers have ensured that new staff arriving at the home are safely recruited. All relevant checks have been made before new staff start their employment. This means that staff have been suitably vetted to work with children.

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good

The shortfalls identified at this inspection show that managers have not monitored the home effectively. The leadership and management of the home have not been sufficient to sustain improvements seen at the last inspection. One of the two requirements raised at the assurance visit in October 2020 has not been met and will be reissued. In addition, five further requirements have been raised following this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 5 A new manager joined the home in December 2021. She is yet to submit an application to register with Ofsted. The manager’s oversight of recording and reporting is poor in some areas. She has failed to identify and address gaps in paperwork. As a result, there are shortfalls with some paperwork.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose indicates that a therapist provides support and direction to the staff team in addition to one-to-one support to children. However, a therapeutic informed approach was not evidenced at inspection.

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good

The previous registered manager’s review of the quality of care has lacked feedback from children, professionals, staff and family members. This hinders a robust review of the quality of care provided to children.

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good

There have been significant changes in the staff team since the last inspection. However, despite this, managers have ensured that shifts have been covered. As a result, there have been sufficient staff in place to care for children.

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good

On the rare occasion that a complaint is made, the manager responds swiftly to address the issues raised.

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good

Staff feel supported by the managers and have access to regular team meetings and supervisions. This means that staff have the opportunity to reflect on practice and discuss children’s needs. In addition, there is a comprehensive training programme in place.

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good

The new manager has a good knowledge of the children. She understands the children and is passionate about improving the quality of care. She has high aspirations for the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(a)(b)(i)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children’s bedrooms are clean and tidy and a welcoming space for children. The registered provider must also ensure that the home provides the care as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. 16 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; 16 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 7 raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children of school age receive appropriate levels of education. This also relates to ensuring that the managers effectively challenge educational provision and the local authority when children are not in education.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should take all necessary steps to safeguard children. Managers should ensure that risk assessments are up to date, that they include effective strategies for staff, and that staff follow these risk assessments. 16 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 8 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—

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Requirement Due date

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 ensuring that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place to review and improve the quality of care provided to children. 16 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that physical interventions only take place when it is necessary to safeguard a child. 16 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the manager submits an application to register with Ofsted without delay. 16 May 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 9

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that staff actively support and encourage children to contribute to their records and inform the care that they receive. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the manager consults with children, professionals and families when reviewing the quality of care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: 2545082 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps A Path To Change 08 Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Landmark House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme SK8 7BS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Davies

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2545082 11 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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