Children's Home run by Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children's home: SC394478 1 SC394478 Registered provider: Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home is managed and run by a private company. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since June 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2023

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC394478 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Outstanding 28/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/04/2018 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC394478 3

p.2

improvement to be good

A number of staff have left since the last inspection and new staff have been recruited. In addition, the has not been a registered manager. Agency staff are still being used on a regular basis to cover staff shortages. This impacts on children’s opportunities to make and sustain positive attachments with the same people on a long-term basis. A child said, ‘At first it went really well for me, but then some good staff left, but it’s getting better.’

p.3

improvement to be good

Despite staffing difficulties, children make good progress and are stable and settled. For example, one child has lived at the home for nearly five years and is due to leave in the new year.

p.3

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home to live independently. Then one child moved into the home who has settled in quickly and has good relationships with staff. The social worker said, ‘They have an excellent working relationship with [Name of child] and this shows in his behaviour.’

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff prioritise family time to ensure that children sustain their close relationships with the people that are most important to them. They provide children with positive activities and promote their interests and hobbies. A social worker said, ‘They encourage him to attend education and are positive about family time with his birth family.’

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support children’s career aspirations, training and educational goals. Children’s education and learning are promoted effectively by staff. Staff have supported one child to make an application to join the armed forces.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met effectively. This includes supporting them to attend their health and medical appointments and access to therapy to promote physical and emotional well-being.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are trained in child protection to ensure that they have a sound knowledge of how to raise and report safeguarding concerns. However, leaders have not informed Ofsted about a small number of allegations. Additionally, complaint records do not include the action taken in response to the complaint and outcome of the investigation.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children benefit from a physically safe, nicely furnished and homely living environment. However, a recent water leak in a bathroom has caused minor damage to a wall in the games room. Inspection report children's home: SC394478 4 Robust risk management plans help staff to manage the known vulnerabilities, risks and behaviours of children effectively. On the occasions that children have gone missing from home, effective procedures are followed by staff to secure children’s safety and safe return. Staff actively look for children if they are missing and maintain effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety of children.

p.3

improvement to be good

The use of restraint has decreased significantly. When restraint is used, it is always a last resort to protect children from harm. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and use consequences fairly, to address negative behaviour. They provide children with good levels of support to promote their positive behaviour.

p.4

improvement to be good

Strict recruitment and vetting procedures are in place. This ensures that children are protected from harm. Health and safety matters are managed effectively to ensure that a safe environment is maintained for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager since June 2022. This has had an impact on the quality of care provided and management oversight. A number of requirements set at the last inspection have not been met and so, have been repeated.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new deputy manager is now in post and is overseeing the day-to-day operations. They are developing an emerging awareness of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and are keen to secure improvement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality-of-care review conducted by leaders and managers does not take account of the views of children, parents and professionals. This restricts opportunities to learn from feedback and make changes to improve the quality of care provided to children. Moreover, it is a missed opportunity to validate and improve staff’s practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is visited every month by an independent person. This provides managers and staff with an unbiased understanding about the strengths and weaknesses of the care provided. As a result, they take action to address identified shortcomings to ensure continuing improvement. Inspection report children's home: SC394478 5

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.5

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

p.5

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 (1) (2))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is reinstated. 8 January 2024

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.5

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or

p.5

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 08 January 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC394478 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is reinstated.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.6

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 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

p.6

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is reinstated. 8 January 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

the registered provider— 4 March 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC394478 7 is an organisation or a partnership;

p.6

Requirement Due date

or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, a manager must be appointed and apply to register with Ofsted. The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the damage caused by a recent water leak is repaired and redecorated as necessary. (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

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) Inspection report children's home: SC394478 8 Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report children's home: SC394478 9

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider: Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited

p.9

Children's home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Centenary House, Centenary Way, Manchester M50 1RF

p.9

Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC394478 10 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.

p.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10