Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 1 SC426318 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2020. She has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2023 Full Good 12/01/2022 Full Good 08/01/2020 Full Outstanding 22/01/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, no children have moved into or out of the home. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress because of the care they receive in this home. Staff know the children well and have built trusting and meaningful relationships with them. Staff understand children’s starting points and celebrate their progress and achievements. As a result, children feel valued and respected.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time inside and outside of the home, enjoying activities with staff. For example, children like playing football with staff in their garden. Both children are involved in community activities. One child is part of a local scout group and the sea cadets, and another child enjoys jiu-jitsu. This helps children to build new skills as well as develop their self-esteem and confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and college and make good progress. One school teacher said, ‘Staff support [name of child] and help with one-to-one sessions in phonics and reading.’ Recently, one child has successfully completed and passed their GCSEs. The manager and staff regularly communicate with education providers to ensure that children receive the support they require. This helps children to achieve their education outcomes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children are referred to specialist health care professionals to address their health needs, such as sleep issues. This support has resulted in children developing strategies to have improved sleep, enjoy a healthy lifestyle, and have a better understanding of their own health.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support family time and visits to help children build relationships with people who are significant in their lives. One parent said, ‘Contact is positive.’ This demonstrates to children that their families are accepted and valued by staff.

p.3

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

Staff know the children well and understand their risks and vulnerabilities. Children say they feel safe in their home. One child said, ‘Staff are amazing, and I know I could go to them if I had any worries.’

p.3

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

There have been no episodes of children going missing from the home since the last inspection. There are missing-from-home protocols in place. Staff are prepared and understand what action they would need to take if a child went missing from the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 4 There has been a significant decrease in serious incidents. This is because staff use the home’s therapeutic model, finding nurturing strategies that work for each child’s individual needs. As a result, incidents of restraint have significantly reduced. When restraints have taken place, they have been the last resort, and they are managed well.

p.3

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

The manager takes prompt action when allegations are made. She ensures that information is shared swiftly with external professionals to avoid delay. Children are updated on the outcome of allegations and supported to discuss their feelings and worries. This ensures that children are confident to raise their concerns and also helps them to feel safe and secure in their home.

p.4

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

Internal systems for managing children’s use of the internet are good. The home’s system allows parental controls to be implemented to ensure that children only access age-appropriate material. Children are educated to understand online risks. They are educated on the risks of sharing their personal information and photos online. These actions help the children to use the internet safely and be aware of the dangers in identity sharing.

p.4

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

The manager has not consistently ensured that recruitment practices are safe and robust. Managers did not fully explore gaps in one member of staff’s employment history. This has the potential to place children at risk from unsuitable staff being recruited.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitable, registered manager leads the home. The manager keeps children at the heart of all she does and shows high ambition for the quality of care that children receive. She has a good knowledge of the children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good daily oversight of the running of the home, as well as what care is being delivered and the progress made by the children. She has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development and is able to take effective action when needed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a variety of skills, experience, and qualifications. They receive relevant training to meet the individual and diverse needs of the children. The manager ensures that staff are not only up to date with their training but also have regular refresher training. This keeps staff skilled with current knowledge and practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervision sessions take place monthly. These sessions provide staff with time to reflect on their practice and the quality of care that children receive. The manager also ensures staff’s performance is appraised annually; this helps staff to be supported in their roles and development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 5 The manager and staff team have developed strong relationships with children’s families and relevant professionals, such as social workers. A child’s parent said, ‘Really delighted with the home and what they offer [name of child] and the way staff communicate with us.’ This good communication promotes children’s welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 6

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(3)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff working in the home have a full employment history, and recordings show clear explanations for any gaps in their employment history. 30 November

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that children’s care plans are regularly updated. 30 November

p.6

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 h 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: SC426318 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke- on-Trent ST4 6NW

p.7

Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 8 regulates and inspects 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8