Children's Home run by Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd in Dudley

Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 1 SC483958 Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates the home. The home is registered to provide care for three children aged from eight to 17 on admission who have emotional and/or be- havioural needs. They may also consider children who display associated mild to moderate learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: 3 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/02/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time getting to know children, and this helps children to settle into their home. Children talk about things they like to do and, as a result, staff plan activities that the children enjoy. These leisure opportunities help children to develop positive relationships with the staff who look after them. When children move on from the home, staff visit them to say goodbye, and children receive gifts and a memory book of their time living in the home. Planned moves into and on from the home support children’s welfare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education daily. Staff ensure that children are well prepared for their school day. There is good communication between staff and teachers. This means that children’s emotional needs are known and supported, and this helps children to focus on their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to develop life skills. The manager ensures that, alongside this good work, children continue to receive the care and nurture they need as they prepare for adulthood. This supports children’s development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to register with local health services and access them when needed. There are good daily routines in place to support children to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staff help children to develop good self-care skills. Children’s health plans that are not received are requested by the manager, and she escalates her concerns if there are delays in receiving essential documentation about children’s health. This means that children’s identified health needs can be supported by the people caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that staff have completed training on administering medication. As a result, medication is managed well and accurate records are kept.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s views are considered about who they want to see. Staff work well with families and professionals to ensure that plans are in place for children to keep in touch with people who are important to them.

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

Managers and staff have a good understanding of children’s behaviours. Risk assessments are clear and provide staff with guidance on how to identify and manage behaviours. This means staff respond consistently well to children, and risks are reduced.

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

Children understand what is expected of them. Staff spend time with children, helping them to think about the impact of the choices they make on themselves and others. This practice supports children to make informed decisions and develop skills to keep themselves safe. Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 4 When there are concerns about a child’s safety, the manager shares information with professionals who are involved in the care of the child. She ensures that external specialist services are consulted. For example, when there were indicators that a child was potentially being exploited, the manager requested support from a specialist service. The sharing of information and the use of specialist support help to keep children safe.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. Staff try to keep in touch with children who are not where they are expected to be. They search areas where children are known to visit and contact friends and family to try to find them. Information is shared with the police when necessary. When children are found, staff make arrangements for them to return home, and they are welcomed when they do. Staff ensure that children are provided with an opportunity to speak to an independent person about what happened while they were missing from home and why they went missing. Information gathered is used to reduce the risk of them going missing from home in the future.

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

Staff promote positive behaviours by using incentives and reward systems. Children respond well to this approach and make progress. Sanctions are used to reinforce behaviours that could have a negative impact on them or others. On rare occasions, staff use physical intervention to keep children or others safe. When they do, this is managed well and overseen by the manager.

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

Some areas of the home are looking worn. The manager has plans in place to improve the environment and decor of the home. Fire doors are not always kept closed when the room is unoccupied. In the case of a fire, this practice has the potential for fire to spread rapidly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a good understanding of the children who live in the home. They ensure that staff care for them well. Managers work well with people who are important to children and ensure that children’s care plans are implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been no new staff. There has been a reduction in the use of agency staff. This ensures that children are cared for by people who they know.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place to check the suitability of agency staff who work in the home. This reduces the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that all staff receive regular supervision. This allows staff to discuss children’s plans and further understand their needs. It also provides an opportunity for them to raise concerns, reflect on their practice and focus on their development needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 5 Staff receive yearly reviews of their performance, and this helps staff to recognise their contribution to the progress children make and set personal targets that support their development. This practice creates a reflective culture and aids learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and held regularly. These meetings provide opportunities for managers and staff to review children’s plans and monitor how the service is effective in meeting their needs. It supports staff to work consistently with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are supported to hold their own meetings that reflect on the care they receive. In addition, it promotes their involvement in the day-to-day running of the home. The manager maintains good oversight of discussions with children and responds to them in writing about the issues they raise. This helps children to feel listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff complete training to help them carry out their roles and responsibilities well. Additional training is completed to support staff to understand the specific needs of children who live in the home. As a result, children receive care from staff who are suitably skilled and knowledgeable. Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff should support children to stay safe and that the home is an environment which supports this. In particular, managers and staff should ensure that strategies listed in the home’s fire risk assessment to reduce the risk from fire are followed and that fire doors remain closed when the room is unoccupied. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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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: SC483958 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited, 16 Queen Street, Wellington, Telford TF1 1EH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Laurence O’Dwyer

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Inspector

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC483958 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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