Children's home run by Platform Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2576423 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children. The company’s aim is to build children’s resilience through support, nurture, structure, consistency and routine, with tailored support specific to each child.

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Information about this children’s home

The home opened on 27 April 2020. A new manager was appointed in January 2022 and is not yet registered.

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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: 15 November 2021

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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: 2576423 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2576423 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in this home stay for a long time and have good relationships with one another. Children like their bedrooms. They personalise their rooms to reflect their individual tastes and interests. Since the last inspection, some children have developed friendship groups outside of the home. This is a very positive improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have education provision that meet their needs. Staff read with children and encourage them to do arts and crafts or play football. One child is sporty and attends several clubs after school. This helps children to develop skills, confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For some children who struggle with their mental health, staff support them and take effective action to keep them safe. However, one child is currently sleeping in a bedroom with just a bed. Although this is the child’s preference, there is not yet a plan in place to move this situation forward. Two children, who have been living in this home for two years, do not yet have bank accounts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When new children move to the home, the matching documents do not yet set out what children’s cultural needs are or how these will be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff from other children’s homes in the organisation have been brought in to care for children due to staffing shortages. This has led to children receiving care from staff they do not know well. Although stakeholders have raised concerns in regard to changes in staffing, they are positive about the care being provided to children.

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

When there are incidents with children, these are managed safely by staff. However, because of staff changes, children have not had the opportunity to develop trusting relationships with staff. At times, it is difficult for staff to know how to de-escalate situations. Staff are working hard to develop strong bonds with children, because they know this will help to keep the children safer.

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

When restraint has been necessary, children have been held safely by staff trained in physical intervention. However, when staff have been injured during restraints, this has not been consistently recorded.

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

The children’s documents are accurate and descriptive. They detail children’s risks, vulnerabilities and support needs. However, following behavioural incidents, the manager has not yet put in place a plan to decrease risks for children and help them make progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2576423 4 The environment is not completely safe. For example, a ligature cutter was stored in an unlocked office drawer. This is unsafe because children could access it. In addition, not all staff knew where the ligature cutter was. This is a shortfall because there needs to be a consistent protocol in place to ensure children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement

Since the last inspection, some staff have left which has resulted in the home being short-staffed. A deputy manager has been recruited but has not yet started in the role. Some senior staff are not yet clear about their roles and responsibilities. For example, senior staff do not always finish tasks they are asked to carry out.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement

There are some shortfalls in safer recruitment of staff. On one occasion, the manager did not use professional curiosity to risk assess a previous member of staff’s suitability to work in a children’s home. Additionally, some information was missing from other recruitment files. This is a shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement

When the manager takes annual leave, incidents are not being reviewed or evaluated until she returns. On occasion, the manager has reviewed incidents that she has been part of. These issues prevent a timely review of incidents and the objectivity of an independent person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement

Overall, staff receive regular training. However, one member of staff did not understand whistleblowing. Although supervisions do not yet evidence reflective practice, supervisions happen regularly and staff find them useful. Despite the challenges with recruitment, permanent staff are working hard to try and provide stability for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement

There are areas for further development in the home. However, the manager and responsible individual have implemented plans to recruit staff and increase managerial support. The manager has a good relationship with the children and they are doing well. Staff are satisfied with the support provided by the manager and feel well motivated to provide children with very good care. Inspection report for children's home: 2576423 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 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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;

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager regularly reviewing and evaluating the care provided to children. Staff should be clear about their roles and responsibilities and care and 4 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2576423 6 support plans should accurately reflect children’s cultural needs. The manager must maintain a safe environment.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure safer recruitment checks of all staff working in the home. The manager must exercise professional curiosity and complete necessary checks to assure herself that staff are safe and of good character to care for children. 4 August 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff supervision must enable staff to reflect and act upon how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. This specifically relates to reflective supervision not yet being documented in supervision records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15) Inspection report for children's home: 2576423 7

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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: 2576423 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

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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 for children's home: 2576423 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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