Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 1 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 provides care for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in 2020 and is appropriately qualified and experienced.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 20/09/2021 Full Outstanding 11/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are three children living in the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and another has moved out. Children benefit from well- planned moves, which include visits from staff to meet the child. A child who left the home has stayed in touch and continues to visit. Staff focus on getting to know children, and they form lasting positive relationships with them. As a result, children settle quickly and feel valued at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is well maintained, warm and welcoming. Staff put up photos of children around the home and make memory books for children that capture their experiences. Books and games are available, and soft furnishings are homely and of high quality. Staff consult regularly with children and act on their requests. Children’s rooms are personalised to their interests, and children say that they feel listened to. As a result, children feel a sense of belonging and are comfortable in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend routine appointments, and children are in good health. However, delays in obtaining documents after a meeting contributed to a lack of action in response to recommendations, and there was a lack of clarity around a referral that had been made for a child. On another occasion, there was a delay in a child attending an appointment following a health assessment. The manager identified this, and an appointment has now taken place. The manager followed up on the referral for the child and has a plan to act on the recommendations from the report.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager prioritise education for children and support them to succeed. Two children attend school full time and are making good progress. A child who is waiting for a school placement is following a bespoke timetable of educational tasks and activities in the home. Children read with staff every night, and staff communicate regularly with the children’s schools. A child’s teacher said, ‘[Name of child] has come on amazingly, and that’s down to the staff at the home.’ Education professionals were unanimous in commenting on the good-quality communication they receive and the positive impact the home has for children’s educational outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy high-quality celebrations and activities that enhance their experiences. For example, a child enjoyed a trip abroad to a theme park for her birthday. Two children enjoyed a holiday to Turkey. Staff go above and beyond to ensure that special occasions are marked and celebrated for children. Staff support children to explore and learn about other cultures through regular planned activities in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 4

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

Children’s plans are personalised and provide clear and detailed guidance for staff. Staff understand children well and know the steps that they need to take to keep them safe. As a result, incidents are rare and responded to well. There have been no physical interventions. Children say that they feel safe at this home.

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

Staff are creative in how they support children to develop their understanding of risk. Staff complete regular and well-planned discussions with children that have been tailored to the children’s individual learning styles. Discussions incorporate activities, including quizzes, and children engage well. As a result, children’s risks are reducing.

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

Staff receive comprehensive training that is relevant and individualised to the needs of the children. They spoke confidently about how they implement learning from training into their practice. Regular workshops in team meetings provide focused work on areas of need. Children benefit from the support of staff who are well trained and effective in their roles.

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

Children’s initial risks are well considered. The manager ensured that staff took part in specialised training about children who go missing from care before a child who is at risk joined the home. There has only been one incident where a child went missing from the home, and staff took appropriate and effective action in response. Records of the incident were clear and showed that learning had been taken from consultation with the child. Staff update children’s plans after incidents; this ensures that strategies to reduce risks and support children remain effective.

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

Staff focus on the use of rewards to promote positive behaviour, and the use of consequences is rare. Children said that they think consequences are used fairly. However, when consequences have been used, they have not always been in line with the policy for the home. Consequence records have not always been recorded in a way that is helpful for children or compliant with the regulations. The manager picked up on consequences that were being used outside of the home’s policy, and this was addressed with the staff team. The manager has a plan to improve how they record consequences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate about the service and highly aspirational for children and staff. She leads a child-centred culture and drives progress in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been instrumental in creating and maintaining documents across the home that directly improve the quality of care. Auditing is of high quality and clearly identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The manager implements effective action plans to target areas of need. As a result, there is ongoing improvement, and progress is clear. Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 5 Staff have individual development plans, which the manager creates alongside them. Development plans consider thorough competency assessments and set out clear targets. As a result, staff make progress in their roles, and children benefit from the support of staff who are competent and continually develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions, which are reflective and provide opportunities to discuss practice. Staff say that the manager is ‘very supportive’ and that she makes them feel listened to and valued. The manager is reflective of her own practice and takes on board feedback from staff. As a result, staff turnover is low, and children benefit from the support of a consistent team of staff who know them well and are happy in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager fosters positive relationships with other professionals and ensures that communication is effective. A child’s social worker praised the manager’s proactive approach and complimented how well she advocates for their child. A social worker said that they feel like they have ‘won the lottery’ and have never known a home like it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints and allegations are responded to well. Appropriate action is taken when concerns are raised, and there is good oversight from senior management, which provides an additional safeguard for children and staff. The responsible individual knows the home well and provides consistent support for the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that action is taken, within appropriate timescales, in response to actions and recommendations in children’s health assessments and plans. 25 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 7 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that all consequences given to children are in line with the home’s policy and recorded in full. Inspection report for children’s home: 2508456 8

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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: 2508456 9

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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: 2508456 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 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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