Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children. The provider’s statement of purpose states that the staff care for children with emotional and social difficulties, and children who have suffered complex or developmental trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since September 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

Date of last inspection: 8 December 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 children’s home: 2590342 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care and support that enable them to make good progress. Children are held in high regard by staff, which enables children to build positive and trusting relationships with the people who care for them. One child’s parent said, ‘The progress my child has made has been amazing, I can’t thank staff enough.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are attending education. Staff liaise effectively with schools and virtual heads to support children to attend school and do well in their education. One child is completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme. Children’s education and health plans do not reflect the correct information and details of the support that is to be provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Two of the children are receiving therapy, which is supporting their emotional well-being. The registered person recognises that the third child living in the home would also benefit from therapy and has advocated strongly for this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence. They work through a detailed plan with staff to help them develop their independence according to their individual need. One child has progressed to spending free time in the community. Another child has worked towards gaining the skills to care for a pet. This provides children with age-appropriate responsibilities and self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a wide range of activities, both inside and outside of the home. They watch films, play console games, have pamper nights and meet friends in the local area. Children also attend dance and jiu jitsu. They have the opportunity to have holidays and day trips. These experiences help children to build positive memories, as well as developing their social skills and interaction.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming and is furnished to a high standard. The children’s bedrooms are decorated in line with the children’s ages and preferences. One child took pride in showing the inspector around the home, in particular the allotment and the home gym.

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

Children said they feel safe. Consistent and clear boundaries are in place, which provide children with safe, reliable and predictable care. Risks are identified, understood and managed well. Risk assessments and behavioural support plans are detailed and provide clear strategies for how to reduce and minimise risks.

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

Two children who had a high staffing ratio of two to one to manage their care are making good progress. Staff have supported them to understand their behaviours Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 4 and how to keep themselves safe. Direct work, both planned and unplanned, responds effectively to children’s identified and emerging risks.

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

Children have been supported to understand the importance of keeping in touch with staff when they are out in the community. This has enabled children to have more free time with their friends, maximising their social interactions.

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

Safeguarding matters are shared with appropriate agencies and are managed fairly, quickly and in accordance with statutory guidance. This protects children from harm. The home has effective links with safeguarding agencies.

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

Children’s concerns and complaints are taken seriously and are responded to appropriately. However, the registered person needs to ensure that children have the opportunity to respond to the outcome of the complaint and record if they are satisfied with the outcome.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered person has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They are supported by a competent deputy manager and trainee manager. This leadership team is committed to about achieving positive outcomes for children. Staff feel supported and report that staff morale is high at the home. Children benefit from this positive environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular and effective supervisions and team meetings. These support their ongoing learning and their development of their role. Staff also receive group supervisions with the agency’s psychologist, which supports staff to review and reflect on their practice. However, annual appraisals have not been completed for any staff, which is a shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are committed to ongoing learning and are up to date with mandatory training. The registered person responds well to the learning needs of staff and will support them to repeat training if this is needed. The training package also responds to and meets children’s presenting needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered person and staff work collaboratively with a range of external stakeholders. A social worker said, ‘I have good communication with staff and the manager. I am always kept updated of any issues and progress. Staff are good advocates and understand and meet the child’s needs very well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

While monitoring of the home is in place, and is effective in most areas, the manager did not complete a debrief with a member of staff following a physical intervention. This limits the manager’s ability to review and identify potential learning, to improve practice in the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 5

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 20/01/2023

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)) 20/01/2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring systems to ensure continuous improvements. Specifically, support children to respond to the outcome of a complaint they have made to determine if they are satisfied with the outcome. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s education and health placement plans reflect the correct information and details of the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to the child. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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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) Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 6 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke- On-Trent ST4 6NW

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2590342 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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