Children's home run by Platform Childcare Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1263773 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience emotional and/or social difficulties. However, at the time of the inspection, staff were caring for two children.

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Information about this children’s home

An experienced manager and responsible individual have been in post for several years.

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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: 1263773 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2021 Full Good 18/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1263773 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff regularly spend time together playing board games or doing activities. The children attend several after-school clubs and staff cheer the children on at their football matches and fencing competitions. When children achieve awards, clear records are kept for the future. For example, one child has their swimming badge saved. One child said that the food served in the home was ‘two trillion out of 10’. Children experience good, quality care from staff who know them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and are making progress academically. The manager has ensured that both children get additional support to promote their education. For example, one child receives extra tuition in English and Maths. On occasion, the children struggle to understand how their behaviour may impact on their classmates. Staff support children to reflect on their behaviour, and to empathise with how others may be feeling after an incident has arisen. Children have built more secure friendships since being cared for in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given the tools to express and share their emotions with staff. For example, one child uses emotion cards to explain how they are feeling. This approach is working because the child can now explain what they are feeling and why. Children are given regular praise and one child has positive affirmations displayed on their bedroom wall. The manager has been a strong advocate in finding therapeutic support for both children. All health appointments for children are up to date, and children have a good understanding of why attending health appointments is important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, staff work hard to develop good relationships with children’s families. However, not all staff are clear about one child’s family history. This is necessary to ensure that staff understand how the child has experienced their life while being cared for by their family and throughout different care placements. Where one child has asked to see their siblings, staff have listened to the child. However, there has not been enough advocacy or escalation to make this happen.

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

Staff regularly talk to children about topics such as online safety and criminal exploitation. Children engage well in these conversations and, as a result, are better able to recognise and respond to risks. Children consent to room searches and they understand why staff need to supervise them when they are using the internet. Children recognise that staff do these things to keep them safe.

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

One child expressed that they are ‘proud of their good behaviour’ and that they had ‘got better at listening’. This child’s view correlated with them having no physical interventions for the last two months. This is clear evidence of progress. The Inspection report children’s home: 1263773 4 manager has good oversight of physical interventions, and she ensures that practice is safe.

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

Although, it is rare for children to leave the home without permission, when this has happened it has been managed well. The manager ensures that information is shared appropriately with wider professionals, and return interviews are consistently requested from the local authority.

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

Children know how to complain, and this process is regularly revisited with children. When a complaint is made, the manager will write to the child and explain what action will be taken to address their concerns. Where concerns have been raised about staff practice, the manager has taken immediate action to ensure that children’s safety is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a pattern of consistent, quality leadership within this home for several years. The registered manager is committed to her role and is supported by two deputy managers, who both have good relationships with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations of the staff team, and she works hard to improve outcomes for children. Staff receive regular supervision from their manager, and team meetings happen monthly. Staff gave good examples of the manager being readily available to help them when they required support. For example, on one occasion, a staff member asked for help during a behavioural incident with a child. There was an immediate coordinated response, and this staff member was quickly supported to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When a child joins the home, this is done in a planned way with consideration to the needs of any residing children. Although it is rare for children to experience unplanned endings, when this does happen, the manager ensures that children leave with positive memories. For example, one child had a leaving party and received gifts after living in the home for two years. Staff used the opportunity to tell the child how much they would be missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to ensure that all records are written in a way that is accessible for children. Children read their plans. They reflect on what is going well for them and what is going less well. Children’s life-story books are up to date and lots of photographs are included.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the manager is working hard to improve diversity within the staff team, this remains an area for development. Children would benefit from there being more male role models. In addition, care practice is not yet creative enough to recognise and respond to one child’s identity needs. For example, it is not recorded that one child speaks a second language and can read and write in a third. The child is not being provided with enough opportunities to build on these language skills. Inspection report children’s home: 1263773 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that care is provided that meets each child’s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account of the child’s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14 paragraph 3.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that advocacy is the process of representing the views, wishes and feelings of the child in matters that affect the child, or of enabling the child to express their views, wishes and feelings themselves. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 21 paragraph 4.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53 paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s statement of purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54 paragraph 10.22)

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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: 1263773 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 2, First Floor, Millennium Court, First Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton-Upon-Trent DE14 2WH

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Inspectors

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1263773 7 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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