Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 1 Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and managed. The home provides care and support for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in relation to their starting points. Children who have recently moved into the home have settled in extremely well. They benefit from effective help and support from staff. Children who have lived at the home for a long time show positive improvements in their behaviour and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent said, ‘Her overall mental health and negative behaviours have improved dramatically. Staff are not only her carers but her mentors.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that children are safely and suitably matched. However, the recording of risk impact assessments could be more thorough in evidencing the manager’s rationale behind his decision-making. A requirement is made in respect of this issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good relationships with staff and each other. Staff provide children with positive, age-appropriate activities. This supports them to pursue their interests and hobbies. A child said, ‘I have been on lots of activities. I like it here. I really like the staff. They’re very kind and nice people.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their friends and families. This ensures that children enjoy time with the people who are most important to them. Children have access to the health services they need to promote their emotional, physical and psychological well-being. There are good arrangements to promote the children’s good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child attends school on a regular basis and they are learning and making good educational progress. However, another child is no longer engaged in employment or suitable training. Consequently, a recommendation is made in respect of this issue. This child is currently working towards achieving her independence and relevant plans are in place to support her to be prepared to move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child who was recently admitted requires a care plan to promote their specific needs.

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

Children feel safe living at the home. The use of clear risk management plans ensures that staff are familiar with the children’s known and emerging risk-taking behaviours. Behaviours such as self-harm, going missing from the home and substance misuse have reduced considerably. Children are becoming increasingly safer because of the actions staff take to protect and support them. Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 4 A child said, ‘I was awful when I first came here but staff have helped make my life easier. I don’t think they could do more to improve my well-being.’ A parent reported, ‘Safeguarding is of an excellent standard. She sees staff as an extension of her family.’

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

There have been no complaints or allegations since the last inspection. Staff are trained in child protection and know how to report suspected abuse.

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

When children have gone missing or engaged in other forms of unsafe behaviour, staff work proactively with the appropriate safeguarding services to ensure that children are protected from harm. Staff maintain strong and effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety and well- being of the children.

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

The use of restraint is rare. When restraint has been used, on two isolated occasions, it has been used professionally and has been a last resort to protect a child from harm.

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

Children benefit from a physically safe, comfortable and homely environment. Overall, health and safety matters are addressed effectively by staff. However, the home’s portable appliance testing (PAT) safety certificate has expired and a PAT test is now overdue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who demonstrates strong leadership of the performance of the home. The manager creates a culture of positivity and strives to achieve positive outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have established effective partnerships with a wide range of external professionals to meet the individualised needs of the children. This ensures that children benefit from effective help and good levels of all-round professional support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that he is meeting the aims and objectives of the home’s statement of purpose. The manager and staff team provide a good-quality service for the children and provide the services and facilities the children need to make change and improvement in their lives. The manager has met and addressed all the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that significant incidents are communicated quickly to the appropriate authorities charged with a duty to protect children from suffering harm. A social worker said, ‘I have been very impressed with the home. Communication has been excellent.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The performance of the home is scrutinised effectively. The home is visited by an independent professional who reviews the quality of the children’s care, including Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 5 the effectiveness of the manager’s arrangements to keep children safe. Their reports highlight the home’s strengths and areas for development. The manager uses this learning to address shortfalls in practice and improve outcomes for the children. Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to impact risk assessments, including the outcome of consultations held with relevant professionals to inform the home’s decision-making, including what contact was made with the child, social worker and previous carers, and consideration of the existing needs of other children at the home. 1 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that relevant plans are obtained from the placing authority. This relates specifically to obtaining a care plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1)  The registered person should ensure that portable appliance tests are undertaken throughout the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that eligible care leavers have access to suitable training and/or employment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.16)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 7 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: 2615395 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care Today Children’s Services, 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport SK2 6LR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Liam Fitzpatrick

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2615395 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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