Children's home run by Stepping Stones Care (Midlands) Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2652546 1 Registered provider: Stepping Stones Care (Midlands) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and registered 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 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: 2652546 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2652546 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has successfully moved out of the home, having returned to live near to their home town. Two children have been welcomed to the home and received well-planned introductions. Four children were living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The four children are making progress with their health, education, and emotional, social and psychological well-being. The progress one child has made means that they no longer need to take their previously prescribed medication. This decision has further supported the child’s positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children identified as having additional therapeutic needs are supported by the organisation’s clinical team. After 12 weeks of living in the home, the children are assessed, and a therapeutic-based plan is created. The children can engage in clinical and well-being sessions as part of their care. While not all children wish to do so, those that do find this beneficial.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have valuable time with their families. In addition, some children have been supported to make new connections with family members. This ensures that children are able to develop and maintain important family networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote education. One child who missed a lot of education before moving to the home is now engaging with a home tutor and has successfully secured a place at a local school. Another child who is still struggling with their school attendance is supported by the staff to overcome the barriers to their engagement. Staff work closely with the school to make education manageable for the child. As a result, while there are still further improvements needed, the child has increased their attendance in recent weeks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide the children with a safe, warm and welcoming home. There are personal touches throughout the home, such as photos of the children. The children have access to several communal spaces, such as a new loft room and annex in the garden, where they can play or find areas for relaxation. The children have good- sized bedrooms that have been personalised to individual tastes. Through regular house meetings and consultation, the children are encouraged to make decisions about changes in the home.

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

The staff know the children and their associated risks well. The children have individualised care plans that highlight any risk. These are reviewed and updated regularly. Staff ensure that they follow agreed plans when children take risks. For example, when one child went missing, staff’s actions meant that the child was supported to return to the home quickly. Inspection report for children's home: 2652546 4 Children are helped to use mobile phones and electronic devices safely. The staff are forward-thinking in their approach and ensure that they keep up to date with current trends. There is careful monitoring in place and the staff educate children about online safety. When needed, access is reduced or stopped until further work is done to improve the children’s understanding of risk.

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

Staff adapt well to challenging behaviours. The staff have been responding to a particularly challenging time with one child and have demonstrated their ability to respond and manage incidents in the home effectively. At times, the staff have used physical interventions appropriately to reduce the risk of harm. The staff take a consistent approach to keeping the child safe. Encouragingly, it appears that this child is starting to settle and has maintained positive relationships with the staff and their peers throughout this unsettled period.

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

Staff help children to understand their emotions. The children receive support from the staff, who use a therapeutic model of parenting. Using mood boards and direct sessions, the children are encouraged to look past their behaviours and identify triggers and root causes. This means that the children have a better understanding of their thoughts and feelings.

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

Despite an unsettled period, the children reported to the inspector that they feel safe in the home and the staff do a good job of ensuring this. Children say that they are happy. The children spoke positively about their home and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly experienced, skilled and knowledgeable. She leads by example and role models child-focused care. Her high expectations are mirrored by the staff team. This means that children receive good care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the children well. She has good oversight of their lived experiences and how this affects them. In supporting the children and staff, she draws on her knowledge, learning and research. This enables her to support staff with their development and compassion for the children. This has been particularly effective with new staff who have not previously been exposed to challenging behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager invests in the staff. This can be seen through regular good- quality supervision that is reflective and supports their development. The registered manager ensures that there are regular team meetings and time is used productively to improve practice and care for the children. The staff speak highly of their manager and feel inspired by her approach and ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been changes to the staff team and all new staff have been safely recruited and inducted. The registered manager carefully considers the skills and attributes of each member of staff to ensure that she has a balanced and dynamic team. This means that she knows her staff well and children receive good-quality care from a passionate and resilient staff team. Inspection report for children's home: 2652546 5 The registered manager has good monitoring systems in place. Her oversight of the home is captured well in documentation. The registered manager collates feedback from others and uses suggestions from her independent visitor effectively. This means that she maintains positive working relationships, and where needed, feels confident to challenge and advocate on behalf of children. Inspection report for children's home: 2652546 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: 2652546 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stepping Stones Care (Midlands) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Camomile House, 6 Embassy Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 1TP

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Inspector

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2652546 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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