Children's home run by Upwards residential care services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 1 Registered provider: Upwards Residential 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 registered with Ofsted in August 2023. It provides care for up to three children who have been affected by adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours. The home is privately owned and forms part of a small social care organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since it registered.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home was registered, two children have moved in, and no children have left the home. These moves were carefully planned and well managed by the manager. Children were provided with information about the home and one child was able to visit and sleep over before moving in. As a result, children feel supported and reassured during important transitions in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is experienced, consistent, and nurturing. This helps children to develop positive relationships with the staff. In addition, staff understand the children’s specific needs and they provide individualised care. Both children said that they ‘feel safe,’ they ‘get on well with staff’ and ‘like living in the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage positively with their education. One child has recently begun to work with a personal tutor having been out of education for a considerable period before living in the home. On arrival at the home, another child had no education placement. However, the manager worked with professionals to secure a place in a local mainstream school. Consequently, children are provided with opportunities to engage with their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support children to keep in touch with their families. They work with parents and children to ensure that family time takes place regularly and safely. For one child, one professional said that the ‘support provided by staff has improved the quality of [the child’s] family time.’ The child’s parent said that ‘the home is brilliant, staff are lovely, communication is brilliant’ and they were ‘really happy’ with their child’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with healthcare services and staff support children to attend appointments as required. Medication administration systems promote good health because all prescribed medication is given as directed by health professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate children’s memories and achievements effectively. For example, they have created individual memory books and photo albums. One child recently celebrated Christmas in the home, and staff captured the child’s memories of this occasion well. As a result, children feel valued and that they belong in the home.

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

Children feel safe in the home. Staff ensure that there are clear boundaries and expectations for children, which help to keep them safe. Staff also know the children well and understand their specific needs. As a result, there have been very few significant incidents with children since the home registered.

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

Since the home registered, there have been no incidents when children have gone missing from the home. However, children’s plans are regularly updated, and Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 3 missing-from-home protocols have been reviewed and shared with the police. This approach helps to support and promote children’s welfare.

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

Staff have a good understanding of their duties in promoting children’s welfare. They understand the procedures to follow in relation to safeguarding concerns and allegations. This reinforces the safety and protection of children living in the home.

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

Overall, staff adopt a positive and restorative approach to supporting children. When staff have had to issue a consequence, they ensure that they discuss these with children and the important people involved in children’s lives. As a result, children respect this approach and respond well. However, there are some shortfalls in the quality of the records and one consequence issued to a child was not recorded.

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

Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and the risks that some behaviours may pose to their welfare and safety. However, the manager does not always implement strategies to reduce risks to children in a timely manner. For example, following an incident, the manager identified that door sensors should be applied to keep children safe at night. However, there have been significant delays to install the sensors. In addition, there are gaps in assessing children’s risks linked to the internet, and self-harm. Failing to implement safeguarding strategies has the potential to leave children vulnerable.

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

Leaders have failed to implement effective systems to ensure that staff are recruited safely. For example, the reasons that one staff member had left previous roles working with children were not checked or verified prior to them working in the home. In addition, leaders did not do enough due diligence to satisfy themselves that DBS checks for one staff member were completed. As a result, leaders cannot be fully assured about the suitability of people they employ.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced in working with children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences. She advocates well for children in the home and children respond well to her. She is well supported by the home’s responsible individual and together, they promote the aims of the statement of purpose and provide good levels of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported and described the management team as approachable. Staff receive regular and reflective supervision sessions. Consequently, the manager has created a positive, supportive culture in the home for staff. This helps to improve the care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff hold the required qualification to work in the home. New staff receive an induction programme, before they are enrolled on the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. In addition, staff carry out training which is relevant to the needs of the children in the home. As a result, staff are suitably equipped with the skills to support the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 4 Management oversight and monitoring processes are effective. Internal and external monitoring systems demonstrate how the manager intends to improve the home. As a result, the manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses and takes action to address most shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A real strength is the manager’s ability to work well with other professionals, families and the local police. This makes sure that multi-agency support is provided for children to promote their welfare. One professional told the inspector that the ‘house was warm, welcoming and friendly, like a home should be.’ In relation to one child, another professional said that the support provided by staff ‘has been above and beyond and has helped to settle [the child] down.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders should assess risks effectively and put in place plans to reduce risks to children. This includes risks relating to internet safety, and self-harm. In addition, leaders should ensure that strategies identified to reduce children’s risks are implemented without delay. 28 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders should ensure that they carry out checks and verify the reasons for leaving previous roles with children and vulnerable adults for all new staff prior to them working in the home. 28 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. This relates to ensuring that when staff issue a negative consequence to children, they make a clear record of the consequence. (‘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: 2700240 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Upwards Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 1, 4th Floor Building, 1 Wilson Business Park, Monsall Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester M40 8WN

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2700240 8 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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