Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Inspection report for children’s home: SC470413 1 SC470413 Registered provider: Unity 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 is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a permanent registered manager, who is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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 outstanding

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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: 29 November 2022

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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: SC470413 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2022 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Good 26/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC470413 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home is registered for two children, but only one child has lived at the home at any one time. Two children have moved into the home, and two children have moved out since the last inspection. One of the children made exceptional progress at the home and had a very well-planned and successful move to a group home in line with his wishes and feelings. The other child had areas of progress; however, the home was unable to meet his needs. His move was in line with his wishes and feelings. The child who has recently moved into the home had a well-planned move that included visits to the home and, as a result, has quickly settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained, warm and welcoming. Books and games are available in the sitting areas, and there are photos of the child on display. The child has chosen to keep his hamster in the living room. Giving children choice and providing them with a nurturing home environment helps them to feel a sense of belonging and feel comfortable in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take a creative approach to ensuring that children’s wishes, feelings and views are gathered. Children’s meetings are highly personalised to children’s individual needs and, as a result, children give regular feedback on their experiences and inform their care. For example, a coin-toss game was incorporated into a questionnaire to support a child to stay engaged and enjoy sharing their opinions. Children receive responses to their feedback. As a result, children feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy activities that enhance their experiences. Staff are proactive at ensuring that children have opportunities to develop physical and social skills, and they encourage and support children to attend clubs in the local area. For example, a child enjoys attending the company’s own football club for training sessions. A child enjoyed attending a national comic conference and dressed up for the event. This was a large event, attended by thousands of people, and staff commented on what an achievement this was for him. All children enjoy a range of activities that are well planned and supported by the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. The manager is proactive in ensuring children receive the assessments they need. As a result of good oversight and action, a child had his medication altered, and this had a positive impact on his experience and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. A child’s family member commented that communication has been good with the staff and that their child is settled in the home. A child said that they speak to their parent ‘all the time’ and see them regularly. Children benefit from strong support systems and their relationships being supported and valued. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470413 4

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

Children’s plans and risk assessments are highly personalised and provide clear and detailed guidance for staff on the steps to follow to keep children safe. Strategies in risk assessments are informed by research and have been developed using information from multiple sources. As a result, staff have an informed understanding of children’s behaviours and how to keep them safe.

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

Staff benefit from specialist training in areas of risk and need for children. This means that they are well equipped to respond to children’s behaviour, and they support and understand children well. Other people recognise and commend the staff’s understanding of children. A child’s parent said that staff are very focused on their child’s needs and accommodate them well. They said that this is important for their child.

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

Staff follow clear medication protocols. Staff complete competency assessments before they take responsibility for medication, and the manager has good oversight of records. As a result, medication is managed safely and effectively.

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

Health and safety is managed effectively in the home. The manager completes regular audits of health and safety records. Staff complete regular fire drills with children. Children have individual fire-evacuation plans, and staff have discussions with children on how to respond to health and safety risks. A robust approach to health and safety ensures that children live in a physically safe environment and know how to keep themselves safe and respond in an emergency.

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

The home’s policy on allegations has not always been followed in full. On two occasions, children made comments which were recorded as allegations in some records. However, the full formal process for recording was not followed. The response to the allegations was otherwise robust and included consultation with relevant safeguarding professionals. The manager has reflected and has a plan to improve recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is passionate about the service, the quality of care and the well-being of the children and the team. They are compassionate and professional and drive progress in the home. The manager is highly aspirational for children and staff and promotes a proactive culture that is child-centred.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has been instrumental in putting into place and maintaining documents across the home that directly improve the quality of care for children. The manager is highly effective at analysing areas of need, and documents clearly reflect progress for children and staff. The manager’s auditing of the home is exceptional. High-quality auditing ensures that plans are kept up to date and contain recent and relevant information. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470413 5 The manager has taken a highly creative approach to evaluating the dynamics of the team and ensuring that the delivery of information meets their individual needs. For example, personality quizzes and learning style testing have enabled the manager to identify that staff benefit from a kinaesthetic approach. From this learning, they have adapted their style to incorporate more practical demonstrations and explorations during staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager drives research-informed practice in the home. For example, they organised the delivery of specialist training to the team on an area of need for a child and ensured that learning from the training informed the child’s plans. Children benefit from the support of staff who have an informed understanding of their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from regular, high-quality supervision and highly personalised development plans. Plans and supervision set clear targets and support staff to achieve and progress in their roles. A staff member said that the manager is a really good manager, the team have a lot of respect for them and they are very knowledgeable and approachable. As a result, children benefit from the support of a consistent team that is highly motivated and provides high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager uses competency assessments effectively to evaluate performance and identify areas of need. The manager ensures that staff receive comprehensive training to improve practice and support understanding. Effective competency assessments and thorough training protect children from harmful practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC470413 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any allegation of harm or abuse is addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17).

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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: SC470413 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC470413 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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