Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 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 two children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered by Ofsted in December 2020. The registered manager is suitably qualified and has managed the home since registration.

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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: 23 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The two children living in the home have lived here since it opened. Children develop positive relationships with each other. This helps children to feel a sense of permanence. It provides stability and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop safe and trusting relationships with children. Staff know the children well. Children value these relationships. Consequently, children make good progress in the home. One child said, ‘The staff are the best thing about living in the home.’ Children enjoy their interactions with staff. They were observed as happy and comfortable in their company.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff engage children in activities such as ice skating, trampolining and going to theme parks. Children can enjoy regular holidays to the company-owned caravan. Staff support children to access the community independently and encourage activities to develop social skills. For one child, arrangements had been made to attend a group activity, to promote new friendships and support them in their transition from care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are able to express their views. Monthly consultations with the children allow their voices to be heard in respect of their experiences and views of the home. Children are actively involved in how consultations are delivered and recorded, with children designing the template for recording the content of these meetings. There have been no formal complaints from children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills. Children develop skills in cooking, shopping and seeking employment. Staff are proactive in engaging children to help them make informed choices about their futures. One child is keen to move on from the home, stating, ‘I no longer want to live in care, but I have good memories of living in the home and have enjoyed times here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children in their education. The manager advocates for children when education provisions do not meet their needs. Alternative provisions are identified, to ensure that education placements meet their needs. This improves children’s well- being and engagement with education. The manager challenges decisions made by education providers which would place children at a disadvantage. This ensures that children have equal opportunities and access to education.

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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. Staff respect the importance of these relationships for children, and friends and family are welcome in the home. One child has recently enjoyed a holiday with their siblings. One professional said, ‘Staff have got to know all sides of [name of child] and his siblings. They go out of their way to know his siblings and appreciate how important they are to him.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 4

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

Staff understand the children’s risks and vulnerabilities well. Staff are flexible yet consistent in their approach to children. This supports children to feel safe and cared for. One child is reluctant to engage with support offered by staff. Staff work hard to engage her and have developed alternative strategies to support her.

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

Staff recognise and identify emerging risks well and work hard to protect children. The manager recognises when children’s needs are not being met. He works hard with professionals to identify alternative placements and support. The manager advocates well for children when support is not in place to safeguard and protect them from unsafe relationships in the community. However, the manager has not formally assessed the risk of an unsafe known adult visiting the home. This prevents staff from knowing the action they should take should this occur.

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

The strong and caring relationships staff build with children support them to improve their mental health. For one child with complex mental health needs, incidents of self-harm have significantly reduced. Staff have a good understanding of children’s early life experiences and trauma. They understand how this can present in behaviour. One mental health professional said, ‘The manager and staff have been outstanding in their care to [name of child]. They go above and beyond to create a safe and nurturing environment, despite high levels of risk and complexity.’

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

There have been no incidents of physically holding children. Staff de-escalate any challenging behaviour well. Reflective work is undertaken with children following any incidents of challenging behaviour. This encourages communication between staff and children. Consequently, incidents of this nature are rare. However, not all records of incidents have been signed and dated by staff and children or include accurate information.

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

The manager recognises potential risks in the community. He liaises well with the local police community support officer to share information. However, the known safeguarding concerns are not included in the location risk assessment.

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

Children are cared for by an established and stable staff team. Any shortfalls in staffing are covered by staff from other homes in the organisation. This provides stability and consistency for the children. The recruitment practices for new staff are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated and committed to providing the best possible care to children. He knows the children well and is involved and engaged in the daily care provided to them. He challenges professionals when decisions are made that are not in the children’s best interests. He works hard to ensure that children are Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 5 safeguarded and protected from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to creating a warm and homely environment for the children. However, the use of door alarms detracts from the homely environment staff strive for. A clear rationale for the use of door alarms is lacking. Remedial works are required to establish the cause of a strong smell emanating from one child’s en-suite bathroom. In addition, fire doors were wedged open, which would place children at risk in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an established and experienced staff team. Staff say that they are supported well by the manager and their colleagues. When issues with staff practice arise, these are addressed through regular supervision sessions and further training opportunities. However, not all staff have undertaken training specific to the children’s needs. This means that staff may not have adequate skills and knowledge to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive support and challenge through regular team meetings. Guest speakers are invited to deliver bespoke training. Team discussions take place on good practice and learning from serious case reviews. This ensures that staff have up-to-date knowledge of how to support and protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with the local community. He promotes positive engagement with neighbours. This has led to positive relationships being developed which have overcome the local community’s previous negative attitudes towards the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager takes appropriate action following recommendations made by the independent visitor. Internal quality of care reports are detailed. They include feedback from children and professionals involved in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 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 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

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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. (Regulation (13) (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that staff undertake training relevant to the children’s needs. 7 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation (36)(b)(c)) 7 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they comply with relevant health and safety legislation. Specifically, fire doors should not be wedged open and repair work should be undertaken to ensure that potential drainage issues are rectified. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 7 and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should have a written policy describing how the use of door alarms will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and

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Recommendations

working in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.16)

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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: 2608484 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 Road, Heaton Moor, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspector

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2608484 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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