Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Bolton

Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 1 SC057718 Registered provider: The Together Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by an independent organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties, physical disabilities or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home specialises in caring for children with autism spectrum conditions and additional complex needs. At the time of the inspection, four children were being cared for in the home full time and one child is cared for in a shared-care arrangement with his family.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2021. She is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/05/2019 Full Good 26/11/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s positive experiences of living in the home and the quality of care they receive from staff enhance their lives. All children have made significant progress since coming to live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s families are encouraged and supported to play a key role in their children’s lives. Parents are welcomed into the home to spend time with their children and contribute to their care. One parent said: ‘They know my child like I know him. It is like they are his second family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by staff who have high aspirations for what they can achieve. In this positive environment, children make good progress with their communication. Staff use a range of communication tools, including Makaton, Picture Exchange Communication System and LAMP (a speech-generating device for non-verbal people). These communication tools help children to participate in day-to-day decisions about their lives and to share their feelings and wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a range of social activities. They recently joined the national jubilee celebrations with a party at the home. Staff dressed up as the queen and the children enjoyed getting dressed up for the day. They had party food, and photos of the day show that all those involved had lots of fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are in full-time specialist education that meets their needs. There are good relationships with education staff, and staff in the home make active contributions to children’s education planning meetings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Twin brothers who have come to live at the home more recently are being cared for in a way which recognises and supports their unique needs. This is helping the children flourish as individuals while providing them with the opportunity to continue to grow up together and maintain these important family relationships.

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

Children’s care records and their plans and assessments are written in a way that bring children to life for the adults reading them. The quality of these records mean that staff have all the information they need to understand children’s needs, to care for them safely and help them to make progress in their lives.

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

Staff spend lots of time with children and have warm and nurturing relationships with them. However, children’s key workers are not undertaking planned and purposeful one-to-one work with children that addresses the tasks and goals set out in their care plans. As a result, although children make good progress, there is a lack of focus on what needs to happen to support children to develop their skills and become more independent. Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 4 One child who is approaching adulthood does not have a pathway plan from his local authority. Another child’s looked after review minutes have not been provided in a timely manner. The registered manager has raised these issues with frontline staff in the local authority. However, they have not escalated these issues to more senior managers to ensure that the required documentation is provided. This means that staff do not have all the information they need from local authorities to support

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

children in line with their agreed plans.

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

Staff only intervene physically to safeguard children when they are at risk of harming themselves or others. Records of these interventions are detailed and clear. Children are given an opportunity to share their feelings after these events through the use of symbols and emojis which capture their experiences. This positive culture contributes to safeguarding children and helps them to build trusting relationships with staff.

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

Children have a safe and pleasant home environment. Children’s bedrooms meet their individual sensory and physical needs. The sensory room and the refurbished back garden, with trampoline and play equipment, provide children with different ways to relax and to burn off energy when needed. The locality risk assessment does not specifically address the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home for children with autism spectrum conditions and additional complex needs. This has not impacted on children and all the children are cared for safely when out in the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and children benefit from strong and empathetic leadership and management. The registered manager and assistant manager provide staff with good support and guidance which enables staff to do their jobs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision. New staff have regular reviews during their probationary period . When practice issues arise, the registered manager identifies and addresses these swiftly. She provides a proportionate response which keeps children safe and gives staff the guidance and challenge they need to meet expected standards of practice. Staff say this support has helped them to gain confidence in their roles and make a better contribution to the care of children and to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with the training they need to understand and meet the needs of children with autism spectrum conditions and additional complex needs. In addition to formal training, new staff are able to learn from working alongside more experienced colleagues in order to build up their skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a reduction in the use of agency and bank staff as vacancies in the staff team have been filled. For the most part, the same agency and bank staff are used to ensure that children receive consistency from the staff caring for them. Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 5 Safer recruitment processes are in place for all staff, including agency and bank staff, to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders and managers are strong advocates for children and work proactively with placing authorities. When necessary, senior leaders provide child-centred challenge to local authorities, while maintaining positive professional relationships to make sure children are safeguarded and their needs met. Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if they consider a placing authority’s or relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that concerns about local authority practice are escalated in a timely manner. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that the review addresses the appropriateness and suitability of the location for children with autism spectrum conditions and additional complex needs. 31 July 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand their roles in progressing children’s care plans through planned and purposeful one-to-one work which is clearly recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5) Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 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: SC057718 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC057718 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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