Children's Home run by Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 1 Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) 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 operated by a private organisation. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for up to two children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first inspection since registration in April 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently one child living at the home. The child moved into the home in September 2022 following a well-planned and supported transition from their previous home. The child requires a new care plan and placement plan following their move to meet their needs and promote their positive outcomes. Recommendations are made in respect of these issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have left the home recently and are now living with their families. These moves were not planned and, despite staff’s best efforts to support the children, neither child wished to live in the area where the home is. As a result, the manager made the decision to support the children to move on in the best possible way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child at the home has settled in quickly and is developing good relationships with staff. Staff provide the child with continuity of care to help them develop and sustain their positive attachments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medical consent is obtained and staff are familiar with the health responsibilities that are delegated to them. The child is registered with a doctor, dentist and optician and staff ensure that the child has access to these services when they need them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide positive activities to promote the child’s interests and hobbies. Staff support the child’s friendships to ensure that the child sustains their familiar relationships with the people who are most important to them. The child enjoys spending time with a friend from school, which includes sleepovers at each other’s homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with effective support through one-to-one work. These sessions help staff to understand the thoughts and feelings of the child and ensure that the child is supported in all aspects of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is enrolled at a local high school and their educational attendance is encouraged. However, the child’s current educational engagement is limited. Staff are therefore working closely with the school, social worker and a tutor to support the child’s learning, both inside and outside school, to help the child return to full-time education as soon as possible.

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

Staff ensure that the child is kept safe and feels safe. They ensure that risk management plans are reflective of the child’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 4 Staff use risk management plans to promote the child’s safety and reduce the risk of harm.

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

Those children the home had previously looked after became increasingly safe because of the action taken by staff to help and protect them. This included reducing the risk of exploitation, and staff actively looking for a child when they were missing, going to great lengths to locate them to promote their safety and well-being.

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

There are no issues with substance misuse, offending or child exploitation. Risks associated with the child are well known and understood by staff. Staff are alert to the risk of harm and all staff are trained in child protection. This ensures that staff know how to protect the child from significant harm.

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

Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to promote the child’s well-being and safety. Significant incidents are shared with the appropriate authorities to keep the child safe.

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

Staff actively look for the child if they are missing from the home and work closely with the police to secure the child’s safe return.

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

Staff praise and reinforce the child’s good behaviour. Staff are trained in de- escalation so that they know how to manage challenging behaviour effectively and safely. There has been no use of physical intervention since the home’s registration in April 2022.

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

The use of consequences to address negative behaviour is balanced, restorative and fair. However, some consequence records failed to include the effectiveness of the measure. A recommendation is made in respect of this issue.

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

The home provides a physically safe, warm, comfortable and homely living environment for the child. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively to ensure the safety of the child, visitors and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a permanent, suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who exercises strong and effective leadership of the operation of the home. This ensures that the child benefits from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a stable, diverse, well-trained and experienced staff team. This ensures that the child benefits from developing relationships with staff who are from different genders and backgrounds.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff maintain effective partnerships with external professionals to ensure that the child benefits from effective help and support. The manager advocates on behalf of Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 5 the child to ensure that services deliver the support needed to meet the child’s specific needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular training and are well managed, led and supported. They receive regular performance-related supervision and meet the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Staff provide a service that contributes to improvement in the child’s life and promotes their positive progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is in the process of completing a six-monthly quality of care review, with the report due to be submitted to Ofsted in the month of this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent professional visits on a regular basis to report on the performance of the home. These visits help the manager and staff to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The manager produces an action plan following each visit to address any shortfalls to secure the home’s improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported to resume full-time education as soon as possible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that they obtain a revised care plan and placement plan for any child who requires one. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.10)  The registered person should ensure that they review the effectiveness of any imposed consequence. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2669033 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Houldsworth Business Centre, Houldsworth Street, Stockport SK5 6DA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ashley O’Leary-Jones

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2669033 8 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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