Children's home run by Social Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. The provider states in their statement of purpose that they provide care for up to three children who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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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: 8 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The two children currently living at the home have lived here since it opened. They are happy and settled. Children have positive relationships with each other. One child said that the home is ‘calm and relaxing’. Children make good progress in all areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop positive relationships with children. This helps children to feel safe and settled in the home. Children say that staff are approachable and they can ask any of them for help. Children feel listened to. The use of ‘you said, we did’ letters to the children shows how their views are considered. Children are informed of the action taken following any requests they have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their education. Staff work well with school professionals when children are reluctant to engage. This has supported children to achieve 100% attendance. Children make good progress with their education. One child is exceeding in many areas of his education. One child has completed her GCSEs and plans are in place for her to start college in September 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with their families both in the home and community. Children’s relationships with those close to them are encouraged. Staff welcome families and friends to the home, and they are included in celebrations and activities with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in supporting children with their independence. Staff work hard to promote independence skills, and they actively support children who may be reluctant to engage in this learning. Children are involved in decisions for their future and know the plans for them moving on. This supports children to feel informed and prepared for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff engage children in various activities at the home and in the community. Children enjoy holidays in the company caravan with staff. Staff follow guidance from health professionals to ensure that children have a balanced diet and lead healthy lifestyles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in the decoration of their bedrooms, which are personalised to their tastes. Children say that they have everything they need in the home. However, many areas of the home require modernisation and fresh décor. Some areas feel institutional. Internal doors have locks on them, which is not conducive to a home environment. The cleaning and maintenance of the home need improvement. Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 4

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

Staff understand children’s risks well. Risks have reduced for children in all areas. Staff remain alert to children’s previous risks when they reduce. This helps to keep children safe. One social work professional commented: ‘The home has been the making of her. Staff have nurtured her and wrapped care around her. This has led to her risks reducing significantly.’

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

Children’s records reflect their progress. They include clear and detailed guidance for staff to follow. However, records are not always updated by staff.

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

Staff are proactive in working with children when emerging risks are identified. They engage children in direct work to educate them on internet safety and associated risks. Staff implement boundaries and appropriate sanctions when children engage in unsafe behaviour. This helps to keep children and others safe.

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

There have been no incidents of physically holding children or of children going missing from the home. Children’s records include clear guidance for staff to follow should these incidents occur.

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

Staff develop positive relationships with children. Staff respect children’s individual wishes and preferences. Children say that they feel listened to. This minimises incidents of challenging behaviour. When incidents do occur, staff manage these well. Reflective and restorative work is undertaken with children following incidents. This supports children to develop strategies to self-regulate and learn to manage their emotions.

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

Children know how to make a complaint, and staff support them in raising any concerns. Complaints are managed well. The manager takes appropriate action when issues arise in respect of staff practice. The manager supports children to engage in mediation work with staff. This helps to repair relationships and resolve conflict.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well. She has positive relationships with them and is involved in the daily care provided to them. A competent deputy manager supports her in providing good-quality care to the children. However, oversight of the care provided to the children is not consistent. Some records had not been updated and the quality of staff recording in some records was poor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to create a comfortable home for the children. She is able to identify areas of the home that require improvement. She works hard to advocate for improvement works to be undertaken. However, these attempts have not been fully successful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an established and stable staff team. Staff say that they feel supported in their roles. One member of staff commented, ‘The manager is one Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 5 reason I have remained working in the home for so long.’ Staff receive regular supervision sessions and their professional development is supported. However, staff recruitment practices are not robust. Relevant checks have not been completed for one member of staff who had previously lived abroad.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is proactive and efficient in managing staff practice issues. She addresses difficulties in staff relationships well. Practice issues are discussed in supervision and team meetings. The manager remains focused on providing good- quality care to the children at all times. Additional staff training needs are quickly identified and actioned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager develops positive relationships with professionals involved in children’s care. One social work professional commented, ‘There is always good communication, and the manager always attends meetings and reviews.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback is sought from professionals. This supports the manager to identify any improvements that may be needed in the care being provided to the children. The manager has a good understanding of the progress children make. Internal development plans and quality of care reports are detailed. Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 6

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the interior of the home is modernised, and the decor of the home is maintained to a good standard. 15 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person —

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understands 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. (Regulation 13 (2)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children’s records are maintained and updated, and staff recruitment procedures are completed when further checks are required. 15 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 15 September 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 7 children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that doors for internal communal living areas do not have locks on them.

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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 children’s home: 2553543 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Shaw Rd, Heaton Moor, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspector

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2553543 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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