Children's Home run by Safe Places for Children UK in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 1 Registered provider: Safe Places for Children UK Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children aged between 10 and 17 years. The children may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since July 2021. An interim manager is also in post, who intends to apply to be the registered manager.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 10 November 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 for children’s home: 2541449 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in this home and have a range of positive experiences. The home is a stable and settled environment, and children have lived here for a considerable time. This provides children with security and an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive transition plans have supported one child to return home to his birth family. This plan involved effective partnership working with his birth family and professionals to support the child’s return home. This was carried out over a length of time and at the child’s pace with ongoing support from staff. This was a positive ending and the child left with memorabilia of his experiences while living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and well-being are a clear priority in this home. Staff have a good understanding of the needs of a child who has complex health issues. Measures are in place which mean that staff immediately react to the child’s health needs. One health professional said, ‘Staff go above and beyond to protect the child and meet the child’s health needs.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who were not previously in school are now in full-time education and have good attendance. One child has progressed from school to sixth form and will complete work experience. This supports children’s self-worth and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions help children to talk about their feelings, which supports their emotional well-being. Children attend staff meetings to provide them with an opportunity to feel listened to and to have their views, wishes and feelings considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently had some renovations to the kitchen and has been decorated. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. However, a fire door was not in working order as it did not shut. During the inspection, the responsible individual acted by fixing the door.

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

Children say that they like living in the home and feel safe. Children are held in high regard and staff build genuine relationships with them. This helps children to develop trust in staff, which makes them feel safe.

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

Staff are skilled in promoting multi-agency work to ensure that children are supported to access specialist services that meet children’s individual health needs. In conjunction with a specialist nurse, a robust risk assessment and a health and safety plan are in place to help manage one child’s health concerns. These plans Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 4 support the child in feeling more confident about the management of his complex health needs.

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

The positive behaviour of children is continually promoted and rewarded. Physical intervention is not used. Children receive support to manage their behaviour safely. Staff respond with clear boundaries and routines. This provides children with consistent and predictable care.

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

Safer recruitment means that only suitable staff work with children and the home is a safe place to live. Staff receive safeguarding training and say that this has provided them with the skills and knowledge to care for children safely. For example, staff are able to discuss the safeguarding process and procedure to follow if a child makes an allegation.

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

Medication is stored safely. However, on one occasion, children have not been administered medication in line with medication guidance. There are shortfalls in the home’s systems for monitoring medication. Records show that some staff do not check and record medication appropriately.

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good

The manager of the home also has another role in the company. The plan is for her to step down as registered manager once a new manager is appointed. There is an interim manager in post, who intends to apply to register with Ofsted. The interim manager is supported by a confident deputy manager.

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good

The home is now fully staffed. Staff report high team morale. There is a good induction programme in place. One staff member said, ‘It is one of the best inductions I have ever received.’ Effective supervision sessions and regular team meetings take place, which aids staff’s ongoing development and learning of their roles.

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good

All staff are up to date with mandatory training, and they access training to respond to children’s identified needs. For example, staff receive specialist training from a health professional to administer medication and help manage epilepsy.

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good

There are shortfalls in the manager’s monitoring and review systems. The manager does not have a complete record of how a complaint has been managed. It has not been managed in line with the company’s own policy. This affects the quality of care provided to children.

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good

Managers do not make effective use of internal monitoring systems, which means that areas for improvement are not always identified or addressed. A health document was not on file for a child with complex health needs and there were shortfalls in a review of some paperwork. Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 5 The home’s statement of purpose does not include staff’s experience and qualifications. Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, review and improve paperwork for complaints and manage complaints in line with the company’s own complaints policy. The manager should also ensure that children’s annual health assessments are on file. 22 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 22 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— 22 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 7 take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that fire doors are fit for purpose and able to shut.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that, in accordance with Schedule 1, paragraphs 19 and 20, the following elements of the workforce plan are included in the statement of purpose: the staffing structure; the experience and qualifications of staff; and the arrangements for the supervision of staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)

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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: 2541449 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Safe Places for Children UK

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, Triad House, Mountbatten Court, Worrall Street, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 1DT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Lorraine Aston-Donley

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2541449 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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