Children's Home run by Safe Places for Children UK in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 1 Registered provider: Safe Places for Children UK Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run and is registered to provide care for up to three children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 28 September 2021

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out due to the home serving notice on the placement. Managers recognised that they were unable to keep the child safe. Two children have recently moved into the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child’s routines are not yet firmly established and this is having an impact on another child. For example, there has been an increase in night-time incidents, sometimes extending into the early hours. This has an impact on children getting sufficient sleep for education the following day.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers have not sufficiently assessed known risks and prepared for the potential impact that children might have on each other. As a result, on one occasion, staff responded by making decisions that exacerbated the incident. For example, they made food for one child late in the evening and allowed the child to go outside at night to vape. This resulted in the other child leaving the home to look for their peer and being unable to settle until the early hours.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children benefit from staff who are attentive and caring in their approaches. Staff treat children with respect and warmth and spend time with them on individualised activities. A child spoken to said they like the staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff work hard to enable children to build trusting relationships and feel settled. Children are supported to develop positive relationships with friends and engage in local recreational activities.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have a positive experience of moving into the home. For example, in preparation for transition, children visit the home, enjoy activities with staff and are encouraged to personalise their rooms.

p.3

improvement to be good

Both children have school places. One child attends regularly and another child is due to start their new school imminently. In the interim, staff have ensured the child is offered meaningful daily activities and continued learning is encouraged.

p.3

improvement to be good

Overall, the home is well maintained and homely. However, tiling in the children’s bathroom has been poorly repaired and some tiles are loose. In addition, in another child’s bedroom which is currently unoccupied, window privacy screens are peeling off or are missing.

p.3

improvement to be good

On the whole, incidents in the home are de-escalated effectively by staff. However, inspectors found that during two incidents a child had made allegations about staff’s Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 4 actions. These had not been referred to the local authority designated officer (LADO) or investigated. In addition, some records made by staff were unclear as to their actions towards the child.

p.3

improvement to be good

There is no shared understanding between the LADO and the home’s manager regarding the actions that should be taken when there are concerns about staff. For example, it has been the practice of managers to complete an investigation rather than a ‘fact finding’ exercise before referral to the LADO.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children’s vulnerabilities and risks are understood well by the staff. There are clear plans and strategies in place to minimise those risks.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager establishes and maintains effective liaison with other professionals when children’s risks are believed to be increasing. She is proactive and challenges responses from other agencies effectively.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not use restraint or sanctions as a response to children’s behaviour.

p.4

improvement to be good

Since one child moved out, there has been a significant drop in the number of incidents of children going missing from home. When children have gone missing from home, staff are active and follow children’s safety plans.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has immediately made her leadership and management skills felt in the home. Staff feel supported and good levels of guidance and support are offered to the staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff. This does not provide for continuity of care for children or the relationships they establish.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is proactive in identifying patterns and trends and when staff responses require adjusting to better suit the needs of children. In response to the changes needed, the manager has provided detailed reviews and advice to staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence that the manager challenges staff, while providing the necessary environment for learning. She is aspirational for the home to improve and ensure that children make good progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager acts as a good advocate for children and ensures that they receive timely services. For example, due to the manager’s intervention, one child has received a school start date ahead of that initially proposed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s views and care are discussed in staff team meetings and regular supervision provides additional review of their plans and goals. Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 5 Staff have access to a range of training. However, this does not include training in substance misuse or sensory interventions, both of which directly relate to children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 6

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand what procedures to follow when a child has made a complaint or allegation against a member of staff. Also, that staff recordings with regard to incidents are clear and unambiguous. 31 July 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcomes of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 31 July 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that staff— 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 7 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(v))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are not unduly affected by each other and that individualised routines are firmly established for each child.

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is stability in the employment of staff in the home and there is continuity of care for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)  The registered person should ensure there is clarity and shared understanding with the LADO of how concerns regarding staff conduct are to be managed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)  The registered person should ensure they have fully considered the impact that any child placed will have upon existing children in the home and vice versa. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure there is prompt and professional repair to the home, such as the tiles in the children’s bathroom and privacy screens on

p.7

Recommendations

windows. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff complete training in substance misuse and the sensory needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.7

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: 2548260 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Safe Places for Children UK

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, Triad House, Mountbatten Court, Worrall Street, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 1DT

p.8

Inspectors

Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2548260 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.

p.8

Inspectors

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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9