Children's Home run by Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 1 Registered provider: Platinum Services For Children (residential Care) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of two homes owned by an independent provider. The home provides care for up to three children with emotional needs, who may have challenges with their behaviour and are likely to have experienced trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 28 January 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 7 September 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/06/2022 Full Inadequate 11/05/2021 Full Good 05/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, no children have left the home and one child has moved in. There are currently two children living in the home. One child has lived in the home for over three years. The other child has lived there for a short period of time but has settled in well.

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improvement to be good

Leadership and management of this home are unstable. This has a negative impact on the overall experiences and progress of children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not regularly update children’s internal placement plans. They do not review children’s achievements with children and set new goals and targets. When children are not progressing, staff do not talk with them and agree what they could do differently. This is a missed opportunity to encourage children to develop aspirations and to invest in their own progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff support for children’s education is mixed. One child attends school regularly and is progressing. The child’s teacher praised staff for their good communication and their partnership working. The other child does not currently attend school. Staff do not prioritise this child’s education or support this child to have a structured routine.

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improvement to be good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their own taste. However, some areas of the home lack personalisation and do not have a homely feel. Paint is peeling from the wall in a communal sitting room and communal areas do not have homely items, such as photos or soft furnishings. The home clearly stands out from other homes on the street because the front garden is overgrown with weeds. A patio area is not paved, and paving slabs and bricks have been stacked in an unsafe manner. This is a risk to children’s safety and was addressed during the inspection. This lack of care impacts on children’s self-esteem and sense of well-being.

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improvement to be good

More positively, warm interactions between the children and staff were seen. Children say that they like the staff and that they have favourite staff they can talk to. The open and honest communication means that the children can discuss worries and concerns and continue to develop positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children’s interests and hobbies. Staff regularly take a child to Premier League football matches. The child has a collection of game-worn shirts signed by his favourite players proudly on display in his bedroom. Another child attends the local gym with staff, which, he says, helps him to stay calm and fit. Enjoying activities with staff enables children to form strong relationships based on shared interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 4 Staff advocate with social workers for children to spend time with people who are important to them. This maintains children’s relationships and sense of identity and supports their emotional development.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well. They recognise what may cause children’s complex behaviours, and they use strategies, and their strong relationships, to de-escalate these quickly. Consequently, there have been no incidents of physical restraint since the last inspection. However, when incidents occur, staff do not always update children’s risk assessments. This means staff do not have the most up-to-date information about children’s known and emerging behaviours, which places children at risk.

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improvement to be good

On the rare occasion that children go missing or leave the home without permission, staff follow detailed risk assessments and individualised missing protocols. As an added safeguard, information about children’s risks is shared with the local police. This means that children are quickly located and safely returned.

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improvement to be good

Staff are vigilant with children who are at risk of self-harm and act quickly to keep them safe. Staff use their knowledge of children to calm them and to help them to relax. Staff talk with children and give them strategies to help them to manage their emotions. This empowers children and promotes resilience.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between children are good. Children receive praise for being kind and tolerant, and there are no incidents of bullying or of unkind behaviour in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have many unplanned conversations with children. However, they do not use resources and educate children about how to stay safe. For instance, they do not talk with a child with a known risk of child exploitation about gang culture and the risks of being in a gang. Staff are not proactive in helping children to recognise risks online. Staff are therefore missing an opportunity to educate children to keep themselves increasingly safe.

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improvement to be good

Fire safety arrangements in the home fail to keep children safe. The manager has not taken effective action to address one shortfall identified by the fire safety officer. Additionally, the inspector found that staff were not checking fire doors as required. These shortfalls were rectified during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Managers do not have systems in place to ensure that staff are safely recruited. They do not explore gaps in staff’s employment history or query discrepancies in information. Additionally, managers do not have systems to verify the identity of referees. This means that managers are not assuring themselves that only the most suitable people work with vulnerable children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management arrangements are inconsistent and chaotic. Two acting managers have been in post but have failed to register with Ofsted. The current manager had been post for nine days at the time of the inspection. Arrangements to cover the planned extended leave of the responsible individual have been delayed. An interim responsible individual has now been appointed, but managers have failed to inform the regulator. Managers accept that a lack of consistent, stable management has impacted on their ability to meet the requirements from the last inspection and therefore on the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from social workers is mixed. Social workers say that staff communicate well. They describe staff as welcoming and say that staff are good at involving children in activities. However, one child’s social worker said that a lack of routines means that their child’s education is not being promoted and is affecting their availability to enjoy family time. The same social worker expressed concern that managers had not taken into account a child’s particular risks when advocating for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers fail to implement effective monitoring systems to improve the quality of care. For example, important aspects to address the shortfalls from the last inspection have not been actioned. Additionally, managers do not use existing monitoring systems effectively. Managers are unclear what training staff have received because they do not have an up-to-date staff training matrix. Managers do not keep accurate rotas. They fail to record the names of agency staff and do not account for the times that managers have been present in the home. This means that managers do not have the necessary oversight of the home to ensure that children are safe and their needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers’ monitoring of incidents is weak. Managers do not routinely monitor, review and critically evaluate significant incidents. They fail to identify shortfalls in staff recording of incidents. This means that managers cannot evaluate staff practice effectively and implement improvements to children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers are not vigilant about risks in the home, and they do not act quickly to rectify known risks to children and staff’s health and safety in the home. For example, shortfalls relating to actions from the fire risk assessment and the unsafe storage of paving stones were both identified in the independent person’s monthly report. Despite this, they had not been rectified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has a small number of core staff who have been a consistent presence in the lives of children. Shortfalls in staffing are covered by existing staff and by staff from the provider’s other home. Additionally, on occasions, agency staff are used. However, current staffing arrangements fail to provide children with consistent care, due to a high turnover of staff. Managers do not always consider the relationships that children have when moving staff between the home and the provider’s other home. This compromises children’s ability to develop positive and healthy relationships with familiar adults who know them well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 6 Managers fail to provide care in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Clinical services are not in place to support staff with therapeutic training and guidance to meet the individual needs of children. Additionally, a clinician does not attend the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

home every week to support staff and children. Staff are therefore not suitably trained to meet the therapeutic needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A report by an independent person is submitted every month. This does not sufficiently set out the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are safeguarded effectively and whether the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. This shortfall has the potential to impact on the care that children receive in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 7

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they consider whether the staff on shift enable children to participate in activities in line with their plans. Also, that staff review internal placement plans with children. Additionally, that the home is a personalised and homely environment and that outside areas are well maintained and fully accessible to children. 25 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 25 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the education of children who do not attend school is prioritised and routines put in place in consultation with children.

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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 the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff update children’s risk assessments when incidents occur and that staff educate children about their risks using relevant resources. 25 June 2023

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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 the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)) 25 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 9 The specifically relates to managers ensuring that they take prompt action when risks are identified by the independent visitor and other professionals and that systems are in place to regularly monitor safety in the home.

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the home has sufficient staff to provide stable, consistent care to children; that staff are therapeutically trained and supported by clinicians as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; that managers develop resources to support staff to talk with children about keeping safe; and that managers implement effective monitoring in the home. 25 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 10 The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to register appointed managers within the service who are running the home. 25 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

An organisation may only carry on a home if—

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Requirement Due date

the organisation has notified HMCI of the name, address and position in the organisation of the responsible individual.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they inform the regulator when a new responsible individual is appointed and that this person has the capacity to undertake their role and responsibilities. 25 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)) 25 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 11 This specifically relates to managers ensuring that children receive support from in-house psychological services.

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that all shortfalls on the fire risk assessment are promptly addressed and that fire safety in the home is regularly monitored. 25 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff have the necessary qualifications and experience relevant to their role, that they account for gaps in staff employment history, and question any discrepancies in information in staff references with referees and with staff and also that they verify the identity of referees. 25 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and 25 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 12 the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the independent person sets out whether children are being safeguarded and their well-being promoted.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they keep an accurate record of all staff working in the home. 25 June 2023

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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: 2503915 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platinum Services For Children (residential Care) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Union House, 111 New Union Street, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 2NT

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2503915 14 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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