Children's home run by Sure Steps Support Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 1 Registered provider: Sure Steps Support Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home registered in October 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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The child spent time talking to the inspector. The child identified improvements that could be made to help and support him with his education and behaviour. Since the home registered, one child’s placement ended suddenly due to their behaviours becoming unsafe after staff were assaulted.

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improvement to be good

Education planning for children has not been carefully considered. When education settings are not meeting children’s specific educational needs, there is a lack of challenge by the provider. When children are not engaging in education or are absent from school on a temporary basis, plans in place need to improve. Further work is required to ensure that children are supported to achieve their full educational potential.

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improvement to be good

Not all children’s health needs are fully understood or promoted. One child’s health condition is not documented in his records. Furthermore, when children are supported by external health professionals, this is not evident in their plans. Therefore, children’s goals and progress are unclear.

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improvement to be good

When children spend time with people who are important to them, including friends, risk assessments are not in place. This includes when there are identified concerns. This leaves children vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

The home itself is safe and well maintained. The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. Care has been taken to provide a calm, welcoming home with a family feel. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging in their home.

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improvement to be good

The inspector observed staff being encouraging and supportive towards the child. This creates a relaxed atmosphere and helps children to build positive relationships with the staff caring for them.

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improvement to be good

Children receive good-quality key-work sessions to help them learn about their environment and community. However, these do not cover all known key issues in children’s lives. This is a missed opportunity to support children and educate them further.

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improvement to be good

Individual risk assessments are not kept up to date or reviewed routinely. Risk assessments in place at the time of the inspection do not reflect all current behaviours or risks. However, staff spoken to demonstrate insight into the risks for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 4 When children are struggling with their emotional health or are under the influence of substances, there is not a clear plan in place to monitor them afterwards. Furthermore, incidents are not consistently evaluated by the manager.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice when children are missing from home is effective and appropriate. Clear procedures are followed by staff to ensure that children are safely returned to the home. Relevant authorities are notified without delay and the provider works well with the police.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not use incentives or consequences to support children with their behaviour, despite this being in the home’s behaviour policy. This is not a fair and transparent process. Additionally, when children receive a ‘natural’ consequence, it is not recorded or fully explained to them. This does not ensure that children understand the decision-making process and they are not supported to reflect on and address their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Children are aware of the complaints procedure and say that they know how to make a complaint. One child has made a complaint. They felt supported and was happy with the way it was dealt with.

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improvement to be good

All staff are suitably checked and vetted before starting to work at the home. The recruitment process is robust and detailed. This ensures that the adults caring for children are safely recruited.

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good

The registered manager has been in post since the home registered and is committed to the children. The manager is well respected by staff. She is available to the children, which has helped her build positive relationships. Staff say that they feel well supported and describe the manager as ‘approachable’ and ‘caring’.

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good

At the time of the inspection, the responsible individual was no longer working for the provider. A new responsible individual is in post but has not yet submitted the required paperwork to Ofsted.

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good

Monitoring systems require improvement. The manager has not always ensured that the children’s case records contain up-to-date information. Records are not consistently evaluated by the manager to ensure that incidents have been managed appropriately. Some plans are confusing and unclear about what support children require. The manager has been caring directly for children at times, which has had an impact on her ability to regularly monitor standards in the home.

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good

Despite the provider having a complaints procedure, when a third party made a complaint, leaders and managers did not record their response and the complaint was not fully investigated. This does not demonstrate that complaints are being fully considered or any learning from them is identified. Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 5 Staff receive regular supervision, and good-quality handovers take place. Team meetings are held frequently and provide good opportunities for staff to share information and come together as a team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 6

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child's well- being.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all children have relevant plans and that health and well-being outcomes are recorded. Arrangements for managing a child's health conditions must be clear. Staff also need to understand how to respond if children refuse to take their medication.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(iv)) 5 July 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— that staff—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 5 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 7 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to risk management and risk assessments; these need to be robust and followed. Staff need to understand when and how to take action to reduce the risk of harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

There needs to be a consistent staff team that are appropriately qualified and skilled to meet the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 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

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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

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; 5 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 8 ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child's placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child's relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(f)) 5 July 2033

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 5 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 5 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 9

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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: 2697380 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sure Steps Support Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Steam Mill Business Centre, Steam Mill Street, Chester, Cheshire CH3 5AN

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Inspector

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2697380 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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