Children's home run by A-Triangle Care Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 1 Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager has been in post since November 2022.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, one child was 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the inadequate judgement made at the full inspection on 1 August 2023, two compliance notices were issued under Section 22a of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. At the monitoring visit that took place on 19 September 2023, the registered provider had made sufficient progress to meet the steps of the compliance notices. Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a spacious and homely environment in which the child is making good progress. It has a calm and relaxed atmosphere, which helps the child to feel safe and secure. The child calls it their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well and speak warmly and knowledgably about them. They build good and meaningful relationships with the child. This enables the staff to respond appropriately to the child and promote their welfare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to maintain good physical health. The child is encouraged to eat healthy foods and attend all health appointments. A parent said the child ‘looks healthier and does not look tired’. Staff prioritise the child’s emotional health and well-being. The child said that they feel listened to and cared for by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have been proactive in supporting the child to attend school. This is a significant achievement, as the child has not been in education for many years. The head teacher said that the staff were supportive and collaborative during the child’s transition back into school. The child is now fully integrated into school life and has friends. The child talks about the future and wants to learn new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is involved in decisions about their day-to-day care, and their views are acted on when appropriate. Individual work is completed with the child on important issues, such as school, relationships and sexual health. This work is focused on and specific to the child’s needs and daily experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see their family. The staff maintain regular communication with parents and keep them updated. This helps the child to maintain their identity and continue to see the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is assisted to engage in activities such as fishing and going to the gym. Staff are supporting the child to develop their independence skills when out in the community, for example, ordering meals in a restaurant and going shopping. This helps the child to develop their social skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a memory book of their time in the home. This enables them to reflect on their experiences and progress. However, the book is not always kept up to date.

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

The child said that they can talk to staff about any worries they have. The staff team supports the child to make safer choices and to keep themselves safe.

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

Behaviour support plans help staff to understand the child’s behaviour and work towards positive change. Staff provide the child with clear routines and boundaries Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 4 and promote positive behaviour. The child is praised and receives incentives for doing well.

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

Individual assessments of risk are in place and updated regularly. The staff understand the child’s vulnerabilities and risks, and the strategies used to mitigate the risks are effective. However, the assessments are lengthy in parts and include information that is not up to date.

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

Staff use effective de-escalation techniques, and physical intervention is not used. This helps to create a positive environment where the child can flourish.

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

There have been no instances of the child going missing from the home. Staff have a good understanding of the procedures to follow should this happen.

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

Safer recruitment is followed, and new staff working in the home receive an appropriate induction. This helps create a safe and positive environment where the child is safe from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified manager. The manager knows the child well and is a positive role model for staff and the child. Since the last inspection, new roles have been created, including a deputy manager for the home and a service manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed with a stable and consistent staff team. When additional staff are required, specific bank workers are used from within the company. This helps to promote continuity of care for the child so they can develop ongoing relationships with trusted adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. Managers complete monthly audits to ensure that they have regular oversight of what is working well for the child. There is a staff roster of persons working at the home and a record of the actual rosters worked. However, on occasion, the logbook does not reflect the same information as the staff roster.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the managers are supportive and that they enjoy working in the home. Staff receive regular supervision, and records demonstrate that supervision is of good quality. However, sessions could be used more effectively by focusing on reflective practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place each month, which allow for feedback and discussion. The staff’s views are listened to, and their ideas are considered when reviewing any changes to care practices. Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 5 The managers within the company meet regularly to share information, make decisions and solve problems. This helps to coordinate the leadership of the home so that the child receives high-quality care from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes a strong learning culture in the home. Staff receive training to enhance their necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the child’s individual needs. Staff have received training in topics such as online safety, protecting children from exploitation and knife crime. Most staff have received training in the PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) model of care. This provides staff with a good knowledge and skill set to safeguard and support the child. Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have an opportunity to reflect on their practice during individual supervision sessions. This should be recorded, as appropriate, on the staff supervision records. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff support children to keep appropriate and up-to-date memorabilia of their time living at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff records in the logbook and the rosters are consistent with one another. ('Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.15)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s individual risk assessments are streamlined so that they are easier to follow and reflect the

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Recommendations

child’s current situation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 9.5, paragraph 42)

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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: 2712048 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 5 Crescent East, Hardhorn road, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 3LJ

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2712048 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 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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