Children's Home run by Core Children Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 1 Registered provider: Core Children 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 three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2022 and holds a leadership and management qualification at level 5.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the home since it registered in October 2022. Children living in the home benefit from positive relationships with staff who know them well. As a result, children are able to talk about what is important to them and what is worrying them. Staff provide opportunities for children to talk, and they use items such as worry bears to encourage children to communicate with them. Staff encourage children to personalise their bedrooms and the home feels welcoming and relaxed. One child said, ‘I feel at home and not like I’m in care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to achieve academically. The registered manager actively engages with the headteacher of the virtual school to ensure that children receive the right education for them. Both children are making progress from their starting points and are now receiving education on a part-time basis. One child is about to take their examinations and is benefiting from staff’s support and encouragement to achieve their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Staff support children to attend health appointments so that their physical, emotional and mental health needs are met effectively. As a result, both children’s health is improving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered opportunities to develop skills such as swimming, riding a bicycle and playing the guitar. This is successfully helping children to develop their coordination and self-confidence. Children are supported in understanding their individual identities. Staff are highly skilled in supporting children to explore their gender identities in a non-judgemental way. This ensures that children feel safe and comfortable in exploring their gender.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views inform their care. These are obtained through regular meetings and through daily chats which take place. As a result, children respond positively to boundaries and enjoy activities which they have chosen, such as visiting the fire station and being able to lead fire drills in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff have developed strong relationships with social workers and family members, which ensures that there is crucial information-sharing about children. Staff support children to see their family and friends where it is safe and in their best interests. Staff are thoughtful about how children may feel seeing their family members and ensure that they respond sensitively when children are ready to leave.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making timely progress from their starting points in all areas of their lives because their complex needs are well understood and responded to by staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 4

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

The registered manager and staff are skilled in recognising the risks to the children in their care. Risks are appropriately identified and responded to proportionately. Plans to mitigate risk are shared with children appropriately to their age and understanding. This supports children to understand staff’s responses to their behaviour and is leading to reductions in incidents. No children have been missing since the home opened. This represents good progress for one child, who had frequently been missing from their last home.

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

Staff are curious about children’s presentation and can respond swiftly to changes in children’s behaviour to keep them safe. Staff use physical intervention as a last resort to ensure that children are safe. They understand any patterns and trends in children’s behaviour and work hard to provide consistency. The registered manager ensures that staff are appropriately trained and supported to carry out this emotionally and physically challenging role. Children understand that staff care about them and that they are held to keep them safe. As a result, there is a reduction in incidents where children need to be restrained.

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

Children say they feel safe living in the home. They want to return when they have a problem as they know that staff will support them. One child said, ‘If I feel upset, I want to come back and be safe in bed and talk to staff - not like my last children’s home.’ Children know who to talk to when they have a problem and are confident that they will receive a non-judgemental and supportive response. Children know how to make a complaint. Complaints are responded to swiftly so that children know their concerns are taken seriously.

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

Staff know how to manage allegations and inform placing authority social workers and the local authority designated officer (LADO). The registered manager monitors any patterns and agrees effective allegation management strategies with social workers and the LADO where required.

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

The registered manager uses safer recruitment practices when employing staff. This prevents unsuitable people from working with children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strength of the home is the leadership and management. The registered manager has high expectations for children’s experiences. This is evident through the quality of the home environment and children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s understanding of children is clear. Both children moved into the home from unregulated placements where their needs were not being met. The registered manager took time to get to know the children before they moved in. This has led to good matching of children who live in the home and the development of a happy and relaxed atmosphere. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 5 The registered manager is enthusiastic in developing her own and her staff’s knowledge and skills. Staff benefit from a comprehensive induction. Staff value the training opportunities available to them and feel well prepared for the challenges of caring for children who have experienced trauma. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. They value this time to reflect on their practice and the development opportunities available to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has enough staff to ensure that children can receive consistent and individualised care. Staff work effectively as a team and know they can rely on each other’s support. This contributes to the home being a positive environment for children to flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed positive relationships with professional partners and ensures that she has all the information she needs to be able to meet children’s needs. This includes each child’s local authority care plan, their up-to-date education, health and care plan and their child and adolescent mental health services reports. This ensures that children benefit from well-coordinated care that enables them to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that all statutory requirements are met in terms of notifications to Ofsted, sharing safeguarding information with placing authorities, the police and LADO, and that the independent visitor comes to the home each month. The registered manager makes effective use of the information she obtains through her monitoring of the home. Her recent review of care report demonstrates her excellent understanding of the children and the impact of the quality of care being provided to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 6

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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: 2695308 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Core Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trent House, 234 Victoria Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 2LW

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Inspector

Rebecca Quested, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2695308 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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Inspector

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