Children's Home run by Excel Residential Care Limited in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 1 Registered provider: Excel Residential Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post, who started position in May 2022. Ofsted is currently processing her application for registration.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 6 September 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

There were three children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Children were observed to have positive relationships with staff.

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The care of children

Children’s progress with education is mixed. Some children attend school and have made good progress. However, other children do not attend education. When children are out of education, staff do not maintain good routines to prepare children for when they return to education. Children can spend extended lengths of time in their bedroom with little interaction with staff. This approach does not support children’s progress.

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The care of children

Children attend activities outside of the home. One child is going to Girl Guides after attending Brownies. Staff encourage another child to attend classes at a local gym. This child has also obtained weekend employment. This gives children opportunities to develop new skills, make friends and have fun.

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The care of children

Staff meet children’s health needs and advocate well for them to ensure that they receive relevant specialist assessment when required.

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The care of children

Repairs to the home are not always carried out in a timely way. For example, there are punch marks to walls in the home that are filled in but not painted. This does not create a homely environment for children to live in.

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The safety of children

Staff understand children’s known risks and vulnerabilities. There have been no restraints since the last inspection and very few incidents. While staff understand the action they must take to keep children safe, risk assessments do not always contain clear guidance for staff to follow to manage children’s behaviour or respond to risk-taking behaviour.

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The safety of children

When children go missing from home, staff follow missing-from-home procedures and report children missing from home in line with their plans. This ensures that children are located and returned to the home quickly.

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The safety of children

Staff carry out regular fire checks and identify concerns. However, smoke alarms in the hall and kitchen were not working on the day of the inspection. Managers have taken immediate steps to rectify this and have adjusted the level of sound on door alarms so that staff can monitor children at night. These measures are necessary due to one child’s risk of fire-setting and accessing the kitchen at night. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 3 Staff carry out key-work sessions with children to help them understand how to keep themselves safe and how their behaviour can impact on themselves and others.

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The safety of children

Staff who are recruited by the company to work at the home are now subject to thorough recruitment checks. Managers display professional curiosity and take appropriate action when discrepancies are identified in staff recruitment documents. When required, they will report concerns to the local authority designated officer. This partnership working ensures that children are kept safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have worked hard to improve the quality of care. As a result, most of the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has introduced monitoring systems which allow her to review the quality of care children receive. She has also completed a development plan, which supports the continual development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager now regularly carries out medication audits. This ensures that any shortfalls in practice can be quickly identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has reviewed records that hold details of the training that staff receive. These records are now clear and identify all training completed by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is stable staff team in place. Agency staff are not used. This means that children are looked after by staff who know them well and ensures continuity of care for children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the managers ensuring that the environment is maintained to a suitable standard and any repairs required are carried out in a timely way. 2 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. 2 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 6 (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are provided with routine and structure in their day when they are not in education.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments include actions for staff to follow to manage children’s known risks. The manager must have a system in place to ensure that door alarms and fire alarms are working appropriately. 2 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Excel Residential Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Rockside, Mow Cop, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 4PG

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Inspectors

Sarah Billett, Social Care Inspector Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2631698 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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