Children's Home run by The Place Young People’s Company in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 1 Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company 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 provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is experienced and registered 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2022 Full Good 04/02/2020 Full Good 24/10/2018 Full Good 06/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. Overall, the experiences of children are very good. Children enjoy a home that is clean, warm and comfortable. The child’s views about the home decor are taken into consideration and their bedroom is decorated in line with their wishes. Staff take appropriate and prompt action when any maintenance is needed. This ensures that disruption to the child is minimal and the home remains safe and comfortable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Arrangements are in place to support the child to spend time with their family. This includes consideration of the child’s relationship with their family members and the support given to how they develop these relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is settled, has good relationships with staff and is making steady progress. An external professional said, ‘[Name of child] seems a lot calmer because they feel more supported, listened to and cared for.’ Staff support the child with their emotions and provide reassurance when this is required. This allows the child to feel safe and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carry out planned and unplanned individual sessions with the child. This means that the child can share their wishes and feelings and develop their relationships with staff. However, some individual sessions with the child have not taken place and opportunities for unplanned sessions have been missed. This impacts on the child being able to share their views and staff responding to these views, if required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to attend education. However, the child is not yet accessing a full education timetable. The child’s education, health and care plan (EHC plan) has not been updated for some time. Additionally, the manager and staff have not robustly challenged education professionals. Staff are not fully aware of targets set within this plan. This will help the child to succeed with their education.

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

The child has an individual behaviour support plan that guides staff on managing behaviour. It also helps the staff to understand how to keep the child safe. The child has a risk assessment about mobile phone and internet use, but this has not been updated. This means that not all risks for the child are understood by the staff.

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

The manager acts promptly when concerns are raised about the conduct of staff, particularly when there is an impact on the child receiving the correct support. The child is provided with reassurance when needed. Leaders and managers ensure that the right procedures are followed to always ensure the child’s safety.

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

The staff rarely resort to physical intervention to manage behaviour. When it is used, leaders and managers support the child and staff to help understand what Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 4 happened. This support is reflective and supportive, which helps staff to update risk assessments and ensure that the child is kept safe.

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

More-specialist support identified as part of a child’s care plan has not been progressed in a timely manner. A plan of work has been developed but not adhered to. There is a delay in therapeutic services being provided to the child, which are necessary to promote positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff understand the individual needs of the child. An external professional said, ‘The manager has built a good relationship with the child, and, as a result, the child really trusts her.’ Another external professional described the communication with staff as being ‘excellent’ and ‘effective’. This supports partnership working to help keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings have a good structure and are effective in developing how members of staff work together. Team meetings are better because they have a clear agenda, including a review of actions set at the previous meeting. The agenda includes discussion on safeguarding matters and staff training. This supports staff development and morale. One member of staff said that the meetings work well and that it is good for the members of the team to see each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s oversight and review of the care provided to the child are good. The manager provides feedback to staff about their recording of individual sessions with the child and of physical intervention records. This helps the manager to identify how to support staff development and therefore improve the care provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision between the manager and staff is not consistently taking place. The manager is aware of this being an area for improvement and has already started to make the changes required. These changes are not yet embedded. As a result, staff do not always have the opportunity to reflect on their practice with a manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the therapeutic services team progressing planned work in a timely manner, including regular and robust reviews and specific and measurable targets, to ensure that the child is supported effectively. 3 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5)) 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 6 This specifically refers to supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy of monthly supervision and every two weeks during induction.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are aware of whether a child has an EHC plan and the information in it. An EHC plan details the education, health and social care support that is to be provided to a child or young person who has special educational needs and/or disabilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted with regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 1241261 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Edison Education Limited, Lyme Vale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 6NW

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Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1241261 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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