Children's home run by Social Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 10274898 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. 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 manager registered with Ofsted on 21 May 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. Both children spoke to the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2023

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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: 10274898 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 10274898 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they are happy. They are cared for by a consistent team of staff who know them well. Children spend quality time with the staff team. They are helped to develop positive relationships with the staff and each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate strongly for children to ensure that their views are heard. Children are encouraged to attend meetings about their lives. When they are unable to attend, staff spend time with the children beforehand so that they can share their wishes and feelings. This helps children to feel included and ensures that their views contribute to the care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff also seek independent support for children as required. This helps children to raise any concerns they may have about their care plans or the support they receive. One child was helped to make a complaint to their placing authority, which was then remedied and has had a positive outcome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive tailored support for their emotional health and well-being. This support is important in helping children to process previous experiences which might otherwise continue to impact negatively on their emotional health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is promoted well and aligned to children’s placing authority plans. Family members are welcomed into the home in line with children’s plans. Staff also supervise family time away from the home. This helps children to keep in touch with people who are important to them and to develop positive relationships that they can continue to benefit from into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to ensuring that children have access to education that meets their needs. One social worker said that their child is making ‘amazing’ progress in school. However, staff are unclear on the routines for one child who is accessing part-time online tuition. This is not helpful in supporting the child with a return to full-time education and limits their opportunities to achieve their future aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before children come to live in the home, they are visited by staff and provided with age-appropriate information. Children also benefit from having visits to the home. This careful planning means that children can develop an understanding of the home and get to know the staff before they move in. This helps children to have positive experiences of moving in and helps them to settle in the home.

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

Children say they feel safe living in the home. Staff understand children’s individual needs. They take the time to get to know the children well. Consequently, children trust the staff and can talk to them about issues that are affecting them. Inspection report for children’s home: 10274898 4 Staff understand and are alert to the risks for children through well-developed and up-to-date plans. Staff work well with external agencies to understand and manage these risks effectively. Regular multi-agency meetings take place, which means that professionals review risks and work together to keep children safe.

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

One child is subject to several restrictions of their liberty in the home, community and their school setting. The child is supported with well-structured direct work sessions, which has resulted in them being able to express their feelings and concerns. This collaborative approach empowers the child to actively participate in decisions concerning their care and well-being and they are clear about working towards the restrictions being removed.

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

The staff benefit from specialist training that helps them to further understand children’s risks. This helps staff to be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective support and intervention for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She is supported by a deputy manager. They are dedicated to improving outcomes for children. Their commitment to driving standards in the home ensures that children receive a good standard of care from staff who care about them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes to the staff team; however, the core staff team has remained the same. Children continue to be cared for by staff who know and understand them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective systems in place for monitoring and maintaining oversight of the home. She is supported by a responsible individual who regularly carries out audits to further improve practice. Any shortfalls are identified and remedied quickly, and any learning is shared with the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supportive and reflective supervision. Sessions focus on how the staff are helping the children to progress and identify any plans for them. The sessions also detail training and staff development. Annual appraisals of practice are detailed and help staff to progress in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and parents say that they are happy with the service being provided by the manager and staff. They feel that they have developed good and honest relationships and receive frequent communication from the team. One parent said that their child has been the most settled they have been for a long time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Written documents are detailed but some records are written in ways that are not helpful to children and may stigmatise them later in life. There are some records that are not child specific. The inspector identified some recording errors. The manager has taken swift action to address these. Inspection report for children’s home: 10274898 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there are clear plans in place to support children to access suitable structured activities when they are not in full-time education. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information in a non- stigmatising way that is helpful to the child. Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 10274898 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Group, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 10274898 7 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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