Children's Home run by Positive Steps Specialist Care Services Limited in Peterborough

Inspection report for children’s home: 2632330 1 Registered provider: Positive Steps Specialist Care 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 operated by a private company. It provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2022

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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: 2632330 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2022 Full Good 14/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2632330 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, five children were living at the home. The children are settled with some children living at the home for several years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the children well, and there are positive interactions between staff and children. The staff understand each child’s preferred method of communication and use this to support them. For children who do not use verbal communication, the staff know when they are happy or not. This understanding is based on the positive relationships that staff have with the children. This means that staff can advocate for children when they are not able to themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are in education. Staff support children to attend school and there are positive relationships between staff and school staff. Children are making progress in line with their abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health. Medical advice is sought for children when they appear to be in pain and are unable to voice this to staff. Staff advocate for children’s health to ensure that they are getting the correct support. Managers are arranging therapeutic support for one child who would benefit from this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving to the home are supported with a thorough transition plan. Staff spend time with children in their homes and schools as part of the transition. This allows children to build relationships with staff and the other children before they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has undergone some refurbishment and a new kitchen is on order. The children are involved in choices for decorating their bedrooms. This creates an environment that is homely for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with their families. The staff work to build relationships with families to support children in maintaining important family connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not always supported with dignity and respect. On one occasion, staff filmed an unsettled child. This is not appropriate for a child who was not asked.

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

There is a reward system in place. Each child has a personalised reward chart to provide an incentive. This system works well, and the children enjoy receiving rewards. Staff review the targets to ensure that they are relevant to the children.

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

Safer recruitment is followed for new members of staff coming to work at the home. There is an induction process for new staff, which helps them to learn their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2632330 4 There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home or bullying. Staff ensure that the children are well supervised to ensure that they are safe. Staffing ratios for children are in line with their plans and agreed with their placing authorities. Ratios are increased when there is a need, including when allegations are made. This protects the child and the staff.

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

Restraints are used proportionately and to keep children and staff safe. The use of restraints is minimal. The staff attempt de-escalation techniques before using restraints.

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

Allegations made against staff are not frequent but are investigated appropriately when they occur. Children are offered support following allegations being made. The manager ensures that referrals are made to the local authority designated officer as required. However, notifications to Ofsted are not always made, which limits Ofsted’s oversight of the home.

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

Some children do not have up-to-date risk assessments. Risk assessments do not provide staff with strategies to use to support children. Some information in care plans is not up to date regarding staffing levels for children. This could lead to inconsistency in the care provided to children.

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good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. However, overall management oversight is neither effective nor of good quality. Managers do not have clear oversight of children’s care plans or risk assessments and do not ensure that these are reviewed regularly. Managers’ evaluations following incidents and restraints are brief and do not identify actions or areas for development.

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good

The manager is not aware of the staff’s training needs. There is no workforce plan to review staff’s training needs. One staff member was required to undertake additional training, but the manager did not monitor this. This means that staff without the appropriate training may be working with children.

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good

The internal quality of care review does not include feedback from children. The children’s views are important and should be considered when developing the service. There are no actions to improve the home identified in the review. These shortfalls limit the effectiveness of the report in identifying and driving improvement.

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good

The shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been fully met. One requirement has been restated. This fails to demonstrate a drive to improve children’s experiences.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager. Professionals talk positively about the communication with the manager. Supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly to support the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2632330 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 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

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;

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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)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that restraints are evaluated to identify learning, and ensure that all children have risk assessments that include up-to-date and accurate information. 15 September

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6(1)(a) (2)(b)(iii)) 31 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2632330 6 In particular, ensure that staff do not film children when they are unsettled.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 27 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 31 August 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there is a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce-related requirement of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: 2632330 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Steps Specialist Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Trust Court, Vision Park, Chivers Way, Histon, Cambridgeshire CB24 9PW

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2632330 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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