Children's Home run by Full Circle Care Limited in Tameside

Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 1 SC396104 Registered provider: Full Circle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care and support for up to six children who can no longer live at home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2019.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2021 Full Good 12/11/2019 Full Good 25/09/2018 Full Outstanding 12/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take their time to get to know the children. They spend time building positive and trusted relationships with the children in their care. Children told the inspectors that they feel extremely safe and secure in the home. One child said, ‘I can talk to all the staff and they help me understand things better.’ Another child said, ‘I would recommend this home to other children. The staff are great.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Decision-making about children moving into the home is well considered. The manager liaises well with other agencies. Where possible, children visit the home in advance of moving in. This means that children can discuss their anxieties, ask questions and meet the other children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to reflect and record their views, wishes and feelings in their care plans. This means that they are actively able to contribute to the quality of care that they receive. However, the plans concentrate on the child’s risks and behaviours. There is little information about the positive aspects of a child’s behaviour, their personality and abilities. This does not provide a balanced view. Children have excellent attendance at school and college. A child said, ‘I go to college and I am completing employment skills. I would like to work in a shop in the future.’ Children understand the importance of education and respond well to the education incentives in place. Consequently, the children’s outcomes have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to adopt healthy lifestyles by encouraging them to eat a healthy diet and to engage in physical exercise. Children are supported with their individual health needs, and they have good access to local health services. In addition, a psychologist provides the staff with additional support around the children’s mental and emotional health. As a result, the children have been able to explore ways of coping, and they have strategies to help them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When the children were talking with the inspectors, they all agreed that the best things about this home are the activities and daily opportunities that they have. One child said, ‘At my last home, it was about what staff wanted to do. Here, it is all about us. We get to try new things and do the activities we want to do.’ Another child said, ‘I never get bored. There is always something to do.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Direct work sessions help children to make sense of the world. The sessions support children to understand issues such as being safe, being independent and making good choices. Agreed targets are set in the sessions, linking them to practical work and assessing the child’s understanding of these tasks. As a result, children say that they feel prepared for their adult life. Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 4

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

Children move into the home in a planned way. This is in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. Staff members understand the children’s individual needs, and these are met consistently.

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

Risk assessments identify the vulnerability of each child but lack clear strategies and actions for staff to take should a risk arise. In addition, the wording within the risk assessments could be open to different interpretation and some language used is inappropriate. However, staff are able to demonstrate a verbal understanding of the steps they will take if incidents arise.

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

The manager and staff work closely with external professionals and community services to ensure that children receive the support they need. A range of professionals say that staff communicate well with them and keep them informed of the children’s progress and any concerns.

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

All safeguarding incidents are reported quickly to the relevant safeguarding professionals. The manager is excellent in making sure that care planning or strategy meetings take place quickly. Therefore, the support and care for children remain dynamic, and all professionals involved agree the best way forward.

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

Children’s behaviour has improved due to the relationships that they have with staff. When behaviour is unacceptable, children receive a suitable consequence. However, the manager has not evaluated the consequences. Therefore, she has not been able to reflect on whether they are effective or identify any trends or patterns. Progress and good behaviour are rewarded regularly. Children say that they have received items including extra money, games for their computer console and trips out to theme parks.

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

The care provided by staff promotes children’s safety and well-being and supports them to develop their independence. Children rarely go missing from this home. When children go missing, staff follow the agreed reporting protocols. They actively search for children and try to maintain contact with them. Children receive a return home interview from an independent person. This means that they can discuss why they went missing from the home and any concerns.

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

Staff are subject to safer recruitment protocols. This ensures that those working in the home are safe to work with children. Health and safety checks are carried out in the home each week and any maintenance issues are addressed quickly. The home has a warm environment which the children have been able to personalise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, the manager and deputy manager work well together and have a good balance of skills, knowledge and experience. Most members of staff have a relevant childcare qualification. Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 5 The manager has taken appropriate steps to address the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection. The manager has used the location risk assessment to decide if the area is safe for new children moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external oversight has improved because children and external professionals are asked about the quality of the care in the home. Children’s records are clear and are now signed and dated. The manager has improved the workforce development plan. This now includes the timescales for supervision, induction and probationary periods for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend regular team meetings and have received monthly supervision. They have access to a wealth of training and development opportunities to support their professional development. Staff feel empowered as the manager listens to their suggestions and talks to them about the home. Staff say that this has helped to improve care practices in the home and provided an opportunity to talk about what is working well and what needs to change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established good lines of communication with other agencies. However, the manager has not challenged local authorities and social workers effectively when documents such as pathway plans are not sent timely. The manager has contacted the relevant social worker, but there is no escalation process when these are not received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose and development plan are up to date. Monitoring and review systems at the home help the manager to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager is then able to alter her practice, when necessary, to make improvements that are in the best interests of the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that risk assessments include the child’s view of the risk and include clear strategies for staff to follow. Further to this, ensure that the risk calculation format is not subjective. 30 November

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 30 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour. Specifically, the aspects of the child’s good behaviour should be recorded in their plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13) Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 7  The registered person should ensure that consequences are evaluated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information about a child in a non-stigmatising way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC396104 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Full Circle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Danielle Barton-Crump

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Inspectors

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Aislinn Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC396104 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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