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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 1 SC381085 Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It offers care for up to two children who may have experienced early childhood instability that has led to trauma and associated complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The previous manager resigned in April 2022. A new manager is in post. They are yet to submit an application to register.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted carried out a full inspection on 25 and 26 April 2022. Serious shortfalls were identified and the home was judged as inadequate. Three compliance notices were issued under regulation 6, the quality and purpose standard, regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. A notice restricting accommodation was issued on 27 April 2022. Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 2 On 8 June 2022, a monitoring visit took place. The three compliance notices were considered met, and the notice to restrict accommodation was lifted on 17 June 2022. Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2022 Full Inadequate 01/06/2021 Full Good 09/04/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved in since the last inspection. He has lived at the home for eight weeks. Another child is currently in the process of moving into the home. Her experiences are also captured within this report. She has benefited from a carefully planned transition. This has included staying for meals, overnight stays and enjoying activities with the current child. Both children enjoy many of the same hobbies. For example, they enjoy going to watch the local football team together.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have taken the time to talk to the current child about another child moving in. This has given him the opportunity to discuss his feelings around this. The two children have already started to form a positive relationship with each other. On the day of the inspection, the current child was seen to be helping the new child in with her bags. This helped the child to feel welcomed.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good support from staff to help them to follow their hobbies and aspirations. For example, one child is part of a gymnastic group, and another child is being supported to be able to join a local football club. Children become part of the local community. For example, a child took part of ‘brave the shave’ and raised £250 for charity. He has also been helping out in the local Caribbean kitchen, which supports the local community. This experience also enabled him to try Caribbean food for the first time.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff want the best for the children who live here. Their positive relationships are clear to see. Children like spending time with staff and enjoy living here.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is clean, welcoming and well furnished. There are personalised pictures around the home. Children have personalised their bedrooms with the help from staff. One child has a disco light installed, which he is proud of.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A healthy variety of meals are available to children in the evenings. However, not as much attention is paid to providing children with a healthy lunch and snacks. A recommendation has been made as a result.

p.4

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

Managers and staff provide children with consistent praise and rewards. Children benefit from the staff’s focus on positive behaviour and relationships. There have been no incidents where children have gone missing from care or needed to be held to keep them safe.

p.4

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

Children are actively involved in the day-to-day, and more complex, decisions about their lives. For example, children make plans with staff about how to keep them safe. Staff discuss safety with children and written plans are easy to understand and Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 5 child focused. As a result, children understand the actions staff will take to help to keep them safe. Managers are now ensuring that staff training is up to date. Where they identify gaps, training is booked to ensure that staff have the necessary skills to keep children safe. Staff have obtained their level 3 qualification in residential childcare within the necessary timescales.

p.4

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

The manager ensures that staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all the necessary checks. This helps to ensure that staff who work at the home are safe to do so.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a new manager and some new staff in the home. The new manager has taken the time to help staff to learn and reflect on the home’s past difficulties. He has reenergised them and has made sure they have felt part of the journey of improvement. For example, all staff have clear tasks and are accountable for these tasks. They have helped to decorate the home and are excited about the future.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers have worked hard to make the necessary improvements required from the previous inspection. As a result, the requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. There are already good plans to support children’s educational needs. Children’s health needs are given the consideration they require, and the staff rotas now clearly demonstrate the hours that staff have worked.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and staff supervisions take place monthly and are now used as a place for reflection and learning. Important issues are tracked and discussed, and children are now at the centre of all staff practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are happy to work in this home. They feel that the new manager has brought a new focus and high aspirations for the home and what it can achieve. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘We have [a] new manager in place now who motivates and supports staff in all areas. He wants the very best for our children and it’s a pleasure to work with him and [the] two fantastic children we have at [the home]. Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8)

p.6

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: SC381085 7

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC381085 8 regulates and inspects 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.7

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8