Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 1 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 provides care for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care organisation.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified. She has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 14 December 2022

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Good 21/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 3

p.2

outstanding

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and three children have moved out.

p.3

outstanding

The two children currently living in the home spoke positively about their experiences and about the staff who look after them. Children also recognise and are proud of the progress they have made since coming to live at the home. One child said about the staff, they ‘do so many good things for me. Staff care for me.’

p.3

outstanding

Children enjoy a range of activities and experiences. These include day trips to seaside towns, visits to the zoo and caravan holidays at the beach. Before moving into the home, one child found it hard to engage in activities and socialise with others. This child has made remarkable progress in this area. The child now actively participates in activities and has a newfound enthusiasm for social events. They willingly join outings for meals and participate in the home’s charity events. This progress has increased the child’s self-esteem and confidence, contributing immensely to their overall well-being.

p.3

outstanding

Staff and managers prioritise the physical and emotional health of children. Their high aspirations, coupled with their understanding of children’s health needs, support children in making outstanding progress in their overall health and well- being. For example, one child no longer requires support with their speech and language because they have made exceptional progress. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] has made unbelievable progress in their speech and language due to the support from the home.’ Additionally, staff have shown their dedication to promoting children’s health by using their knowledge and professional curiosity. They have advocated for an assessment of another child’s specific emotional needs so that they can offer a tailored approach to supporting them.

p.3

outstanding

Children are achieving noteworthy educational progress from their starting points. One child was not in education before coming to the home. Managers advocated relentlessly for the child and challenged education professionals to find an appropriate education placement. Consequently, the child was placed in a suitable provision and is engaging positively with the curriculum and making good progress. A member of staff at the child’s education provider said the child is ‘getting on absolutely brilliant, really well’. Another child’s education attainment is excellent and a member of staff at their provider said, ‘[Name of child] is a success story. I am proud of their progress.’

p.3

outstanding

Race and ethnicity are valued and respected in this home. One child identifies as having a particular faith, and staff have supported them to attend religious services. This is important because it supports the child’s beliefs and heritage, fostering a sense of belonging as well as providing continuity with their cultural upbringing. This Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 4 practice supports children to express their own identity and feel confident and proud of who they are.

p.3

outstanding

Managers and staff understand the importance of promoting children’s relationships with people who are important to them. One child’s family member said, ‘[Name of child] is well cared for. I have no issues.’ During the inspection, a friend of one child visited the home and appeared happy and relaxed and was comfortable being with the staff. This supports children to develop a sense of belonging, which leads to positive experiences and progress.

p.4

outstanding

The home environment is warm and welcoming. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and decorated in line with children’s wishes. The manager and staff use a range of monitoring systems to ensure that the home is appropriately maintained. Each child has a pet, which adds to the nurturing atmosphere of the home.

p.4

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

The manager and staff understand children’s risks. There are effective systems in place to keep children safe. One child said, ‘Living here I am safe and out of harm’s way.’

p.4

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

Very few safeguarding incidents have occurred. Safeguarding processes are robust. The manager immediately shares information with external professionals to prevent delays in protecting children from harm. This ensures a joined-up approach to safeguarding children.

p.4

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

There has been one incident of a child going missing. The swift and efficient handling by staff of this incident ensured that the child was quickly located and safely returned to the home.

p.4

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

Staff and managers continuously work to understand the individual needs of the children and prioritise their safety. One child was admitted to the home under a deprivation of liberty order (DLO) to protect them from harm. With additional external expertise and support, staff gained insight into the child’s needs and provided personalised care. The comprehensive support and rigorous safeguarding measures led to the DLO being lifted. This successful approach ensures all children, including the most vulnerable, feel secure and cared for.

p.4

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

Restraint has not been used. This is because staff find alternative ways to help children regulate their emotions. Restorative conversations encourage children to communicate their feelings. Staff have developed their skills and understanding of how to make things better for children when they experience difficult emotions, helping children to understand behaviours that may present a risk to them. This work has supported children to become increasingly safe.

p.4

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

Children are helped to understand their behaviours and recognise their successes. Each child has a positive behaviour marble jar, where they can earn up to five marbles each day. When they have 100 marbles, children are given a financial Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 5 reward which they can use to buy something of their choice, such as clothing or an extra activity. As a result, children’s positive behaviour is reinforced through praise and reward. This positive approach has meant that consequences are rarely used .

p.4

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

The manager and staff promote a safe and positive environment for children. Staff understand and manage the risks associated with each child. Risk assessments are detailed and robust and are used by staff to address the specific needs and any emerging vulnerabilities of children. However, children did not have risk assessments for the devices they use to access the internet. The manager acknowledged this gap and promptly rectified it during the inspection by implementing a device risk assessment.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a manager, a deputy manager and two trainee managers. The managers are experienced and child-centred practitioners who have high aspirations for children and the staff team. The managers create a culture of positivity. They have high expectations of their staff to change and improve the lives of the children they are responsible for. They have created an ethos of continuous learning and development, so that children receive the best quality of care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely positive about the support they receive from the manager. One member of staff said, ‘The manager is a naturally caring person, very approachable.’ Another staff member said, ‘The home is a fantastic place to work.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children are supported by a qualified, motivated and skilled staff team. Staff access a range of training and research that informs their practice and meets children’s diverse individual needs. Staff work collaboratively to implement this training in their practice. The dedication of the staff team and the quality of care provided to children are seen in the exceptional progress children make and the positive outcomes they experience.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are supported through practice-related supervisions. Reflective conversations about the children’s well-being and safeguarding are central to these discussions. The manager understands the importance of staff welfare. This helps to ensure that staff are well prepared and supported to give children the care they need.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager holds highly reflective and innovative team meetings, where she creates additional learning opportunities to develop staff practice. For example, staff take part in workshops on subjects such as health, nutrition and how food is linked to trauma. The manager strives for excellence, so children receive the highest quality of care. A member of staff said the manager ‘builds the team’s knowledge and confidence and develops critical thinking as well as self-reflection’.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is ambitious for each child. She is committed to the continued growth and development of her staff team, which has a positive effect on the children who live here. The home’s therapeutic model of care is embedded in practice. One Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 6 member of staff said, ‘Our team and management work tirelessly to create and maintain a therapeutic environment where the children can thrive.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working with external agencies is excellent. All external professionals commended the manager and staff on their particularly effective communication and the excellent quality of care provided to children. A common thread in the feedback from external professionals is that children are thriving and happy and have made outstanding progress since coming to live in the home. One social worker said, ‘I’m really proud of how far [name of child] has come in the short space of time they have been at the home. I actually get emotional when I think about this. It’s fantastic.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

In the main, the manager’s monitoring systems are very good. However, she has not submitted her review of the quality of care report to the regulator in a timely manner. In addition to this, there are gaps in daily checks on children’s phones and devices. The manager gave assurances that she would immediately put in processes to rectify these shortfalls. These minor shortfalls have no impact on the quality of care provided for children and do not detract from the outstanding management of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that their internal home monitoring systems are effective. This includes submitting the manager’s review of the quality of care report to Ofsted on time, as required by regulation 45, and conducting daily checks of devices children use to access the internet. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2543081 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9