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

Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 1 SC403895 Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by the local authority. It offers care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Good 09/07/2019 Full Good 18/09/2018 Full Good 12/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s overall care requires improvement. There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress is mixed. One child has no education provision in place. Staff have failed to promote informal learning. As a result, this child has missed out on significant learning opportunities. However, another child has successfully completed their college course and is due to return to college in September.

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improvement to be good

There is a lack of routine and structure at the home. As a result, one child spends long periods of the day in their bedroom. They will often choose to eat their meals in their bedroom. This child requires support with socialising and developing their interests, however, this is currently lacking from staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to develop their independence skills. They have independence plans in place, but these are not reviewed or updated. Despite this shortfall, children are making progress in this area. They are independently budgeting, shopping and preparing their own meals.

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improvement to be good

Despite changes in the staff team, children have been cared for by a small and consistent team. Staff have covered additional shifts and regular casual staff have been used to cover gaps in the rota. The registered manager has ensured that there are sufficient staff on shift to look after the children. As a result, children have experienced consistent care.

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improvement to be good

Children are generally settled in the home and have good relationships with staff. Children have personalised their bedrooms and appear to have everything they need. One child has their own pets, that they take good care of.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the children well. During the inspection, positive interactions between staff and the children were observed. One child told the inspector that they like the staff team, and another child said they wanted to stay at the home until they were 21.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are in place and have been reviewed. However, they are not all up to date or accurate, and some paperwork contained conflicting information. Risk assessments direct staff to use strategies that they have not been trained in. In addition, staff who work at the home have not read all the risk documents. These shortfalls have the potential to place children at risk. Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 4 Staff do not always follow processes put in place to safeguard children. For example, daily checks of one child’s electronic equipment and phone are not taking place. In addition, during the inspection, a large kitchen knife was left out on the kitchen side. These shortfalls could compromise the safety of children and staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not challenge all unsafe behaviour. Staff allow one child to smoke. This child is permitted to smoke in the garden, despite this being a no-smoking home. On occasion, this child has smoked inside the home. This child also vapes. There are no strategies in place to help staff to monitor or support the child with this behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff have regular conversations with children, however, these conversations are not linked to children’s care plans or risk assessments. These conversations are missed opportunities for staff to explore with children important issues such as smoking, healthy relationships and acceptable behaviour in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff reward children for their achievements and positive behaviours. However, staff do not use sanctions to discourage undesirable or risky behaviours. The registered manager was aware of this but had not addressed this shortfall. As a result, undesirable behaviours occur without challenge.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond well when children go missing. Staff search for them and contact emergency services as needed. Staff make attempts to keep in contact with children to bring about their safe return. The frequency of children going missing has reduced during this inspection period.

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improvement to be good

There are times when staff need to physically intervene to keep children safe. These interventions are appropriate and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has ensured that new staff working at the home are safely recruited. All relevant checks have been made before new staff start their employment. This means that staff have been suitably vetted to work with children.

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improvement to be good

Ofsted is notified of serious incidents in good time. This helps the regulator have oversight of incidents between inspections.

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good

The shortfalls identified at this inspection show that the registered manager does not monitor all aspects of the home effectively. The registered manager does not use the monitoring systems in place to have sufficient oversight of the home in all areas.

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good

The registered manager’s oversight of recording and reporting is poor at times. She has failed to identify and address poor recording and inaccuracies in records or ensure that staff read children’s documents quickly following review. The registered Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 5 manager has failed to address a practice issue with one member of staff despite being aware of it. This member of staff has since left the home.

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good

Two members of staff have not obtained the level 3 diploma in residential childcare or equivalent within the required time frames. In addition, staff have not had specific training that they require to meet the needs of the children living at the home. Not all staff have completed training in drug and substance misuse, child exploitation or preparing children for independence. In addition, staff have not been trained in the therapeutic approaches they are expected to use, as detailed in the children’s risk assessments. This could compromise the quality of care children receive.

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good

The registered manager has not consulted with children or professionals as part of her review of the quality of care. This is a missed opportunity to seek feedback that could improve the quality of care provided to children.

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good

Staff describe the registered manager as being supportive and available. Regular team meetings take place and staff receive regular supervision. The staff spoken to on inspection are happy in their roles and enjoy working at the home. Staff raised no concerns regarding the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that children are helped to understand the importance of education and that staff provide children with support and encouragement for informal learning while they are not in formal education. 10 September

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet 10 September Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 7 their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children are encouraged to participate in meaningful activities and that children have structure to the day.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, 10 September Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 8 sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that children are supported to develop socially acceptable behaviours and to understand their own behaviour. Staff should use sanctions effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that children are supported to understand healthy relationships.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments are up to date and include effective strategies for staff to follow. This also relates to supporting children to understand and reduce their own risks. 10 September Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 9 In addition, this relates to ensuring that the registered manager takes effective action to address any staff practice issues.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that staff are sufficiently trained to meet the needs of children they care for.

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Requirement Due date

Also, this relates to the registered manager ensuring that internal monitoring systems are used effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 10 September

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or 10 September Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 10 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff obtain the relevant qualification within the required time frame.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that the home’s visitor log is kept up to date. 10 September

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when completing the review of the quality of care they consult with children and relevant professionals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 11

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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: SC403895 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC403895 13 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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