Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2526875 1 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large national provider of children’s services operates this home, which is situated in a rural location. The home provides care for up to five children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. There is a registered school attached to the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has two registered managers who registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2526875 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2022 Full Good 21/02/2020 Interim Not judged Inspection report children's home: 2526875 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, the home has appointed two new managers and a new staff team. The new managers have made improvements to the home. As a result, children receive high-quality care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at the home are making progress because of the care they receive from the staff. The children have built up positive relationships with the staff and managers. During the inspection, the inspector observed warm and natural interactions between the children and the staff. All the children rated living at the home as 10 out of 10 and described staff as being ‘great’ and ‘fun’. This provides children with a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in completing their own plans. The plans are detailed and the children set and review their own targets, with support from the staff. This supports children to understand the progress they have made and provides the staff with up- to-date information about the children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend the on-site school and have excellent attendance. They are making progress in all aspects of their education. The staff team communicates well with the school and shares relevant information to ensure positive partnership working.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are central to the home. Regular key-work sessions and children’s meetings take place. As a result, children feel listened to and are able to talk to the staff about important things in their life. One child told the inspector that they always have their questions answered. This supports the children to develop trust in the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Children have access to local health and specialist services when they need them. This means that all aspects of children’s health are considered, including physical and emotional health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support a range of activities that reflect the children’s interests and hobbies. Children enjoy activities such as football, horse riding and swimming. The managers are motivated to provide children with activities that are not only enjoyable but also provide a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of family and will go above and beyond to support family time. For example, the manager has worked alongside a child’s older sibling to ensure they have family time together. A parent informed the inspector that the staff have been ‘fantastic’ in supporting family time. Inspection report children's home: 2526875 4 Overall, the home is well maintained and has a homely feel. The children are supported to personalise their own bedrooms. This helps the children to feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging in their home. However, the use of door alarms on the children’s bedrooms detracts from the homely feel. In addition, there is no clear rational as to why the alarms are in place. However, steps to address this were taken during the inspection.

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

Children told the inspector that they felt safe. They have positive relationships with the staff and can identify a member of staff they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. The manager and staff fully understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities and implement these effectively. This further supports them to keep children safe.

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

Children contribute to their own behaviour management plans and risk assessments. Staff support children to identify how they would like staff to respond to them. As a result, children are more accepting of the actions staff take to keep them safe.

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

Children engage in key-work sessions with staff. The staff are creative in their approach and use a range of different techniques to support children to understand risk in the home and in the community. For example, during one session, the manager used a social media platform to highlight stranger awareness. This helps children to make safe choices in keeping themselves safe.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in allegations made by children. When allegations have occurred, these are managed well and safeguarding procedures are followed.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, the registered managers and staff respond promptly. Staff follow the missing-from-care protocols and keep detailed records. When children return, they are offered the opportunity to talk to someone independent. Staff work closely with partnership agencies to understand why children go missing from home and put in place additional measures when required.

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

The use of physical interventions has significantly reduced as a result of the positive relationships staff have developed with the children. In addition, the registered managers have worked alongside the staff team to support them to use a restorative approach, to help the children to manage their behaviours. When physical interventions do occur, all records are reviewed by the manager. The staff have a debrief with a manager or senior staff member, and the children’s views are sought. This helps the manager to understand the incident and prevent future occurrences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children's home: 2526875 5 The registered managers are appropriately qualified and experienced. They are both passionate about the children and strive to ensure that the children receive high- quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers have effective monitoring and review systems in place. They understand what is working well and the areas for improvement. This means that the managers and staff can identify and act on shortfalls to ensure children receive positive experiences and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers have worked hard to create a stable staff team. The staff feel supported by the managers and enjoy working at the home. One member of staff informed the inspector that they can go to both managers for support. Another commented that the two managers have created a positive and settled home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and professionals speak highly about the home. One social worker told the inspector that the home is very nurturing and the staff have a good understanding of their child’s needs. Another commented that communication with the home is effective and she is always kept informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered managers ensure that staff have regular supervisions. These are beneficial and support the staff in developing their skills further. Monthly team meetings enable staff to reflect on their practice. They share examples of good practice to enhance their knowledge and skills. For example, training workshops are incorporated in team meetings, which support staff to further develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a varied training programme which is tailored to help them to meet the individual needs of the children. Most staff hold a level three qualification, and those who do not are working towards it. This equips staff with the level of knowledge and skills needed for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been delays in receiving two children’s written plans from their placing authorities. The registered manager has requested these but has not escalated her concerns when they were not sent. Inspection report children's home: 2526875 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when the placing authority does not provide the input and services needed, they challenge them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, in most cases be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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 children's home: 2526875 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Hannah Stanway and Lauren Grocott

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Inspector

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2526875 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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