Children's home run by Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2542024 1 Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) limited Full inspection 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 two children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post of registered manager is currently vacant. A manager has been appointed and is in the process of applying to register 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 requires improvement to be 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: 2542024 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2022 Full Good 19/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2542024 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in all areas of their lives in comparison to their individual starting points. They are supported to develop positive relationships with staff. Children feel valued and know staff care about them. Staff support children to develop their confidence through regular praise and recognition. Staff record children’s progress in ways that are accessible to children. This helps children to see how much progress they have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and two children have moved in. Children move into and out of this home in a positive, planned way. Staff are sensitive to children’s individual needs. Children are supported to visit the home and meet the staff before moving in. This helps children to feel settled in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Dynamic key-working sessions enable children to talk to staff about issues that are affecting them. Discussions cover a wide range of topics and provide opportunities for children to explore their wishes and feelings with a trusted adult. Other professionals have been included in these sessions to further develop children’s understanding of the issues they are experiencing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn and develop their independence skills in preparation for adulthood. Staff encourage and promote the children’s love of hair and beauty and have ensured they have the space and resources to practice their skills. This means that children can develop their wider talents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly review children’s education plans and ensure that they are kept up to date. The staff team works well with education providers to track children’s progress and communicate any concerns. This supports and encourages children’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of supporting children to safely spend time with people who are important to them. The team communicates well with children’s families and promotes positive relationships. As a result, relationships between children and their families are strengthened, enabling children to benefit from these relationships into adulthood.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. They understand their roles and responsibilities across a range of safeguarding scenarios. Staff recognise children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. They follow plans effectively to keep children safe. As a result, children’s identified risks have significantly been reduced and safeguarding incidents are rare. Inspection report for children's home: 2542024 4 Behaviour management plans provide clear strategies for staff to follow. Children are supported with clear boundaries and routines in the home. This means that children receive a consistent approach from the staff team, and previously concerning behaviours are rarely seen.

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

Safe and effective recruitment processes help to safeguard children. New staff members are well informed. Staff understand the safeguarding procedures, including the whistle-blowing policy. They are clear about which agencies they need to liaise with to ensure that children are kept safe.

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

The home is welcoming and cosy. Some areas have recently been refurbished to a high standard. However, the kitchen and bathroom are not of the same standard and are in need of refurbishment. Hazards identified during the inspection around the use of extension leads in the kitchen and an untested fire extinguisher compromise children’s safety and well-being.

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good

The home is currently without a registered manager. A manager has been appointed and is in the process of submitting her application for registration. The manager was previously the deputy manager. She knows the children and staff well. She is ambitious for children.

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good

Staff feel supported. They describe the manager as being deeply caring about the children and staff. Feedback from staff, professionals and parents attributes the success of the home to the manager’s tenacity and ability to work with the strengths of her team. One parent reported how they felt the manager and one staff member had ‘gone above and beyond’ what they would expect them to do.

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good

The staff team is stable and consistent. Any shortfalls are covered by bank staff who are known to the children. This means that children are only cared for by staff who know them and the home well.

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good

Staff have access to a range of regular training and development opportunities. This provides them with the essential skills and knowledge for their roles. All staff receive regular supervision. However, supervision records lack detail and do not evidence that staff have the opportunity to reflect on their practice.

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good

Management oversight is not robust. Monitoring systems are in place, but opportunities to evaluate information have been missed. This limits the manager’s oversight of practice in the home. Records also lack detail, are not individualised and do not fully capture children’s wishes or feelings. The manager has not reviewed the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises as required by regulation. This limits the manager’s awareness of risks in the local area. Inspection report for children's home: 2542024 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 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 that the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes 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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the bathroom and kitchen are refurbished and that there are sufficient electric sockets in the kitchen to prevent the need for extension leads. In addition, ensure that all fire extinguishers are tested and included in the home’s fire risk assessment. 28 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records are individualised, evaluated and include the voice of the child. 28 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each 28 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2542024 6 calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, implementing a locality risk assessment.

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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: 2542024 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Houldsworth Business Centre, Houldsworth Street, Stockport SK5 6DA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ashley O’Leary-Jones

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Inspectors

Sally Mitchell, Social Care Inspector Mark Broomhead, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: 2542024 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

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

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