Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 1 Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned and operated home that may provide care for up to two children who can be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 7 th January 2022, when the home was registered. This is the first inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a compassionate and empathetic staff team. Staff members use their own experiences, as well as evidence-based research, to better understand children. This nurturing environment helps children to trust the adults caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carry out useful key-work sessions with children. Staff use helpful resources to make these discussions interesting and informative for children. This helps children to learn by reflecting on their behaviours and actions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious and want the best for children. When children are out of education, staff make sure that they have a clear daily structure. Staff use a range of creative approaches to make sure children have opportunities for learning. Staff also robustly challenge partner agencies to avoid delays in children getting back into education. Children are supported to make progress in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in lots of different activities. This helps children to build positive relationships with staff as well as promote their physical and emotional well-being. Children are encouraged to develop their interests, social skills and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care and support. Staff tailor support plans to meet the specific needs of each child. One family member said, ‘Communication is really good. We get a regular call for an update and a written report. We couldn’t ask for more, really.’ This bespoke care allows children to make good progress in many aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy regular time with people who are important to them, including family. One family member said, ‘Nothing is too much trouble for them [staff]. They are willing to accommodate anything.’ This support helps children to experience consistency in their relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take pride in children’s achievements. Photos and mementos are kept in each child’s file to document their particular achievements. A system of rewards is used to celebrate any notable events, however big or small. This environment helps children to develop good self-esteem and to have the confidence to reach and exceed their potential.

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

Children are kept safe by the care that they receive. Staff understand their role in a range of safeguarding scenarios and are confident in how to keep children safe. Staff understand the needs and vulnerabilities of the children that they care for and can protect them from harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 4 Leaders and managers regularly review children’s risk management plans. This enables staff to identify and manage risks. Staff also share information at child- focused team meetings and in thorough daily handovers. This promotes good communication in the team and consistent care for children.

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

Staff use effective de-escalation techniques to help children to manage their behaviour. This ensures that physical interventions are never used. Staff view physical intervention as a last resort and understand the impact that this could have on children. This helps to avoid crises and to make sure children enjoy positive relationships with staff.

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

Children have clear missing-from-home risk management plans. Staff understand the best ways to prevent children from going missing and know the steps to take should a child go missing. This helps to reduce the likelihood of children going missing. As a result, there have been no missing-from-home episodes since the home opened.

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

The registered manager completes a regular review of the risks and benefits related to the location of the home. However, the manager does not always clearly define and explain the risks. In addition, the local authority’s local offer, which sets out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is not considered. This limits the accuracy of the information available to staff to manage local risks to children.

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

Staff support children to stay safe online. Staff use planned key-work sessions and informal discussions to raise children’s awareness of online risks. Children are also supported to learn about safe and healthy relationships. This helps children learn the skills that they need to stay safe in the modern world.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager uses his knowledge and experience to find creative and effective solutions for children. He is ambitious for the children in his care and understands the potential of each child. His leadership is cultivating a motivated team of staff, who all want the best for the children they are looking after.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by a stable staff team. Low staff turnover allows children to get to know the adults caring for them well and form trusting bonds with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by leaders and managers. Staff receive regular supervision and attend monthly team meetings. This helps the team to work well together in a child- focused way. Currently, the home’s workforce development plan does not reflect the intervals at which supervision is taking place, and there are differences in the timescales for some staff supervisions. Although no issues have yet arisen, this could lead to inconsistency in the oversight of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of children’s case records and reviews them regularly. However, staff do not always sign important documents. Therefore, the Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 5 manager has not properly confirmed that all staff have the information that they need to safely care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed a range of useful training. In addition to core safeguarding courses, staff complete training specific to the needs of the children they are caring for. This helps staff to have a good understanding of the experiences of children and ensures that staff are equipped with the skills to meet the children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce development plan. The plan should accurately detail the timescales for supervision of practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraphs 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff sign essential documentation, specifically risk assessments and consequences record sheets. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing them. Specifically, the identified risks should be clearly described and explained. The local offer should also be incorporated into this document, and staff should be made aware of it. (‘Guide to the Children’s

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Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: 2672559 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 85 2nd Floor Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2672559 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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