Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 1 SC413985 Registered provider: The Together Trust 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 charitable organisation. It is registered to care for up to five children with autism spectrum conditions and additional complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since July 2022. A new manager has been appointed. He has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: 8 and 9 March 2022

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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: SC413985 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Good 21/10/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children flourish as a result of the nurturing and skilled care that they receive from staff. The children, who have autism spectrum conditions and complex needs, make progress in the home due to the dedication and commitment of the staff team. One parent said: ‘For the first time, in what feels like forever, I can sleep at night knowing my daughter is safe. The staff are amazing, I wish she could stay there always’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for children. Children are encouraged to develop their communication skills. Staff use individualised communication methods to involve children in decision-making about their day-to-day lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child, who had minimal verbal communication skills when he came to live at the home four years ago, can now speak in short sentences. This helps the child to express his feelings more clearly, and staff are better able to support him with an appropriate response that meets his emotional and sensory needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and education needs are met. All children are in full-time education and there is good communication between the staff team and schools. Effective information-sharing helps to ensure that children receive consistent care at home and school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular input from primary health care services as well as access to the specialist services they need. Staff work with the organisation’s speech and language staff and positive behaviour support lead to inform their care of children and support their progress and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children lead active lifestyles and are encouraged to try new activities and take risks. On a summer holiday to Scotland this year, children took part in a range of activities, including going down a zip wire for the first time. The home now has access to an allotment in the local community and some children have been involved in tending the plot. Children have lots of opportunities to have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents are encouraged to play an active part in the lives of their children. Some parents were able to visit their children on their summer holiday this year. Plans are in place for children and their families to spend time together at the home over the Christmas period. One parent helps out at the home’s allotment, and he is in the process of becoming a trained volunteer for the organisation. Staff go the extra mile to make sure that children build shared memories with their families and families feel valued.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 4 Children experience safe and consistent care from the core team of staff, who know them well. Staff are quick to identify new behaviours from children that may meet a sensory or emotional need. Staff ensure children’s safety and encourage positive behaviours.

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

Detailed daily information-sharing between staff ensures that all staff have an up-to- date understanding of children’s care needs.

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

This high standard of safeguarding practice is not always supported by children’s written care records. Some children’s records do not have the necessary statutory information from children’s placing authorities. Children’s internal risk assessments and placement plans are not reviewed regularly. Risk assessments do not consider patterns and trends in levels of risk. As a result, staff do not always have all the written information that they need to inform their care of children.

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

Staff use social stories to share information with children. These are used to explore issues with children such as puberty, feelings and emotions, and friendships. These help the children to gain an understanding of their lives as they grow up and experience changes in themselves and the world around them.

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

It is unclear if all staff have read updated documents. Regular review of children’s plans and assessments was a requirement at the last inspection. This has not been met and the requirement is restated.

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

When children demonstrate distressed behaviours or behave in a way that puts them or others at risk, the records of these incidents are clear and detailed. There is good oversight and evaluation from the interim manager and senior staff.

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

When these behaviours result in staff having to physically hold children, the organisation’s electronic recording system is not used in a way that helps to easily identify the use of physical intervention. Some incidents are recorded as involving physical intervention when they have not. This is not helpful for leaders and managers or for external scrutiny of practice as it leads to an apparent over- reporting of physical interventions within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has recently taken up this position, having been promoted from the role of assistant manager. He has a wealth of skills and experience, and his move to the manager’s position provides continuity for children and staff. He is a reflective practitioner and a positive role model for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home continues to experience challenges in recruiting new staff and there are vacancies within the staff team. The impact of this on children has been reduced by staff working additional hours and the use of a core team of non-permanent staff who are known to the children. The manager is working with the wider organisation to address issues of recruitment and retention and ensure that a full, permanent staff team is in place. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 5 Staff say that they enjoy working at the home and feel well supported by the manager. There is good support in place for staff to gain the skills and experience to progress within the home and take on more senior positions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the skills to undertake their roles. One member of staff is completing a nine-day course in relation to attachment, to inform life-story work that he will be completing with one child. Staff who are new to the home have a detailed induction, which includes off-site training and on-site shadowing of shifts before they start working as part of the core staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has increased the frequency of team meetings. Staff say that this allows them time to discuss the needs of each child in more detail and supports their practice. Staff receive regular supervision. Supervision records are detailed and evidence high-quality, reflective discussion, support and challenge, which drives practice improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The written review of the quality of care undertaken by the manager provides an evaluative assessment of children’s progress and experience at the home. The report does not include the views of families, staff and external professionals. This is a missed opportunity to gain an understanding of the views of others in order to inform the overall analysis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The safer area risk assessment for the home has not been reviewed within expected timescales. The statement of purpose has not been updated and sent to Ofsted when required due to staff changes. This has not impacted on the positive experiences of children and the quality of their care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 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, the 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, the registered person should ensure that children’s risk assessments and plans are reviewed regularly and amended as appropriate. All staff should sign to acknowledge changes to these records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2023

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 31 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 7 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 31 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 31 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are recorded in such a way that they are easily identifiable as such on the provider’s electronic recording system. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place to track changes to children’s risk levels over time. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: SC413985 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC413985 10 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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