Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 1 SC403895

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Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates this home. The home 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 registered in May 2020 and is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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 inspector 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: SC403895 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

Two children, who are approaching adulthood, have had planned moves out of the home in recent weeks. The children made progress at the home and were well prepared for moving on to live more independently.

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The care of children

Two new children have now moved into the home. These moves happened swiftly. Consequently, the home became less settled while the children adapted to living in the home. These children are developing relationships with staff. Staff respond to children in a calm and reassuring way. As a result, children are beginning to confide in staff and seek their support.

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The care of children

Both children have school placements but are currently on reduced timetables. The manager is advocating that schools increase children’s timetables to ensure that they can reach their academic potential. Staff provide practical support to promote school attendance. As a result, children usually adhere to the routine of school attendance and accept that this is the expectation at the home.

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The care of children

One child has complex health needs. Staff have received bespoke training to help them to understand her needs. Staff are encouraging the child to develop independence in managing her health needs.

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The care of children

Children value their bedrooms as their own spaces, and staff encourage children to respect each other’s privacy. One child has enjoyed painting her bedroom in a colour of her choice, which has given her an increasing sense of belonging at the home.

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The care of children

Children have not had the opportunity to view or contribute to their own records. Core documents and information are missing from children’s records, including health assessments and education plans. Children’s information is not being fully used to inform the care they receive at the home. As a result, staff may not entirely understand and plan for children’s needs.

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The safety of children

Staff know and understand risks to children. Plans set out actions staff must take to manage children’s risks. Staff review and revise plans to ensure that actions are keeping children safe. Staff seek out information to assess risks to children when they make new friendships and relationships outside the home. Information is shared with other agencies. This contributes to managing risks to children around exploitation in the local area. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 3 Staff talk to children so that they understand the measures that are in place to safeguard them. For example, a structured plan for free time is in place. The children understand this and know what is expected of them.

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The safety of children

Despite staff being proactive in trying to reduce the risk of children going missing, children have sometimes gone missing. Staff take prompt action to try to locate children and maintain contact with them. The manager has worked in partnership with other agencies around the management of children’s risk-taking behaviours. Risk assessments and plans are formed and agreed on a multi-agency basis.

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The safety of children

Staff engage children in discussions and use these direct work opportunities to reinforce boundaries and rules. Staff are confident in broaching a wide range of topics and challenging children’s unwanted behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager benefits from being part of a wider management team across the organisation. Management at the home is enhanced by a deputy manager. These arrangements ensure that there is always a consistent management presence to support and lead the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is a stable staff group at the home with no changes in staffing since the last inspection. The manager ensures that there are sufficient staff to safely provide care to the children. The manager has met the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection and made progress in all areas raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager ensures that staff receive a range of training. This includes bespoke training for children’s specific needs. The manager has excellent oversight of the training needs of the staff. This ensures that staff are skilled and knowledgeable to meet the needs of the children who currently live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The quality of children’s meetings at the home is inadequate. The monthly meetings are not always carried out, and they are poorly documented. They seldom result in specific actions, and managers do not provide feedback to children following these meetings. This is a missed opportunity for children to express their views and be heard. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/05/2021 Full Good 09/07/2019 Full Good 18/09/2018 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 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 relates to ensuring that children’s records contain all their relevant plans and that these are used to inform their care planning. 31 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ and are supported to view and contribute to the records in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 6 views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: City of Stoke-on-Trent, Swann House, Boothen Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 4SY

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Inspector

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC403895 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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Inspector

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