Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 1 SC381085

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It offers care for up to two children who may have experienced early childhood instability that has led to trauma and associated complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in post.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a full inspection on 25 and 26 April 2022. Serious shortfalls were identified and the home was judged as inadequate. Three compliance notices were issued under regulation 6, the quality and purpose standard, regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. A notice restricting accommodation was issued on 27 April 2022.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review progress in meeting the compliance notices and consider if the notice of restriction should remain in place. The three compliance notices were considered met, and the notice to restrict accommodation was lifted on 17 June 2022.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, there were no children living at the home. The registered manager has resigned and left the service. A new manager is in post, who is yet to register with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home environment is now clean, tidy and welcoming. Every room has been redecorated and furnished with new furniture.

p.1

This monitoring visit

All staff have completed a comprehensive two-week training and development programme. This included refresher training in safeguarding children, child exploitation and behaviour management. Further training has been arranged to provide staff with a better understanding of deprivation of liberty orders. Staff have been supported to reflect on their previous practice and the quality of care provided Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 2 to children. While some gaps in training remain, the staff are now better equipped for their roles. This was confirmed by staff spoken to at the inspection.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Managers have reviewed and made improvements to the home’s monitoring systems to ensure that shortfalls in practice are quickly identified and acted upon. However, these improvements remain in their infancy and are untested.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/04/2022 Full Inadequate 01/06/2021 Full Good 09/04/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.3

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are provided with appropriate levels of education. If children are not at school, the staff team should promote and support informal learning. 15 August 2022

p.3

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.3

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 15 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 4 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iv))

p.4

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.4

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff support children with all aspects of their health, including sexual and mental health. This includes ensuring that children have access to appropriate specialist services.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.4

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.4

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 15 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 5 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.5

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff support children to understand their experiences, behaviour and risks. In addition, support children to have positive and healthy relationships with others. Ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to meet the children’s specific needs.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 15 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 6 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that robust and up-to- date risk assessments are in place for each child, and that staff understand and follow these risk assessments. In addition, this relates to staff supporting children to understand their risks.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that allegations against staff are investigated. In addition, that the investigation and outcome are recorded. 15 August 2022

p.6

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— 15 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.7

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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there are effective monitoring systems in place to identify learning and improve practice. This relates to ensuring that staff have the skills to meet the needs of the children living at the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working 15 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 8 in a care role in a home; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

p.8

Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

p.8

Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff complete the Level 3 Diploma within the required timeframes.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must—

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staff rota shows planned and actual hours worked by all staff. 15 August 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 15 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 9 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(e))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated.

p.9

Requirement Due date

This specially relates to ensuring that the registered person notifies Ofsted without delay of any notifiable incidents.

p.9

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.9

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stoke-On-Trent City Council

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City Of Stoke-On-Trent, Swann House, Boothen Road, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 4SY

p.10

Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC381085 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.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11