Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: 2526893 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

This home is owned by a private company that operates several children’s homes across the country. This home is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. The home offers children of school leaving age support to gain skills in preparation for independent living.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in October 2019 and has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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: 11 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 for children’s home: 2526893 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2526893 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. Since the last inspection, four children have moved into the home and three children have moved out. The registered manager ensures that moves in and out of the home are positive experiences for children. For example, children visit the home and meet staff before they move in. This helps them to prepare for the move and reduces their anxiety. When children move on from the home, staff celebrate children’s achievements by taking them out and giving them cards and gifts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child living in the home has their own designated living area, comprising an open plan living/kitchen area, shower room and bedroom. This enables children to experience managing a bigger space and helps them to develop their independent living skills ready for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have gained jobs and one child is working towards completing a college course that will enable her to progress towards her chosen career.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes are well understood by staff. When there are differences in opinion regarding care planning decisions, the registered manager and staff advocate on behalf of the child and support them to access an independent advocate. This means children are empowered to have their say and are involved in making decisions about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to understand how to register with local health services. Both children are registered and attend routine health appointments and receive advice and guidance on their physical and emotional health and well-being. Staff help children to manage medical conditions. One child now self-administers their medication. This was agreed with the child. However, there is no record of consultation and agreement from the child’s parents or social worker.

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

Children feel able to speak with staff if they have any concerns. This helps them to feel safe. They benefit from positive relationships with staff who care for them. Through direct work and support from staff, one child is now able to recognise a relationship that has the potential to be harmful to their emotional and financial well-being. However, staff have not worked with children to enable them to understand more about risks relating to substance misuse.

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

The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of children’s childhood experiences, behaviours and risks. These are identified in children’s plans. However, these records are not always clear and strategies for managing risks are not always sufficiently detailed. As there is a very experienced staff team, this has not affected the care children receive, and children’s risks have reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526893 4 It is rare that children go missing from home. On two occasions since the last inspection, two children have not been where they were expected to be. Staff shared concerns with relevant people and tried to find the children. On their return, staff spoke with them about the risks associated with going missing from home. An independent person also spoke to the children about their time away from the home. Good support and robust responses to missing-from-home incidents help to

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

keep children safe. Children have not gone missing again following these two incidents.

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

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has appointed one new staff member. Effective recruitment systems are in place to reduce the risk of children been cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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

Children have access to the internet. Appropriate restrictions are in place to reduce the risk of children accessing material that could be harmful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent staff team and this means that children receive care from staff who they know well. The registered manager has a clear vision for the home and understands the home’s strengths. She is motivated to make continual improvements that enable children to maximise their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are qualified, except for one staff member who is completing their induction. The registered manager has effective systems in place to identify staff training needs. All staff are trained in matters that support them to fulfil their role and meet the individual needs of children who live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good monitoring systems in place to review and assess the children’s experiences of living in the home and the quality of care they receive. For example, children’s meetings take place weekly, providing children with the opportunity to reflect on their week and plan their week ahead. The manager ensures that she acts on what children say.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager, who is readily accessible. Supervision takes place at the frequency described in the home’s workforce development plan. Supervision records do not always show meaningful discussions about children. However, these discussions do take place during regular team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is generally maintained to a good standard. However, the registered manager has not ensured that actions identified in the home’s fire risk assessment have been completed. In addition, there has been no review of risks related to an external door to the home that cannot be monitored clearly by staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526893 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff safeguarding skills include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children with strategies to manage and reduce any risks. Staff should support children to understand how to ask for help to stay safe, and that the home is an environment which supports this. In particular, measures to manage risk from fire should be fully understood by managers, staff and children. Actions required by the fire risk assessment should be implemented without delay. In addition, review risks relating to an exit door that cannot be monitored easily by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 43, paragraph 9.10)  The registered person should support children to be aware of and manage their own safety, both inside and outside the home, to the extent that any good parent would. This relates to staff being proactive in helping children to understand the

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Recommendations

risks associated with alcohol and substance misuse. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This relates specifically to keeping clear records on care planning decisions about admissions to the home and multi-agency decisions for children who self-administer medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should consider that it is good practice in keeping a record of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions. Specifically, that supervision records contain enough detail so that they can be referred to and relied on in the future, as needed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: 2526893 6

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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, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspectors

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2526893 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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