Children's Home run by Strive to Care Limited in Tameside

Inspection report children's home: 2749584 1 Registered provider: Strive to Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection since its registration in October 2023. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2023 and holds a leadership and management qualification at level 5.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2749584 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Two children have left the home. One child moved back to the care of their parents, whilst the other child moved to a new home that is better suited to meet his needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff focus strongly on providing individualised care. They see the children as unique individuals, and they focus on each child’s strengths and potential. This approach values and respects the children and creates a positive culture that is leading to improved outcomes. Relationships between the staff and children are warm and nurturing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school placements that are appropriate to their abilities. Staff provide transport to support children with travelling to and from respective school placements and they seek feedback from their teachers on their progress. This sharing of information helps staff to stay up to date with children’s academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear health plans and are registered with the relevant primary healthcare services. Children understand the importance of good health and are supported by staff to attend physical and psychological health appointments. Medication is stored safely, and arrangements for the administration and recording of medication ensure that children receive their prescribed medication safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see family members and those who are important to them. The staff facilitate arrangements flexibly and provide transport for children who are placed a long distance from their home locality. This time spent with families, enables children to retain positive links with their home community and those people that are most important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled and are making positive changes to their lives. Children’s social workers speak positively about the quality of care. Children are equally positive. They feel able to talk to staff when they are worried or feel unsafe. One child told the inspector, ‘I like it here so much, because of the environment, the atmosphere is good, and the staff support you with everything’.

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

Children feel safe living at the home. The quality of relationships between children and the staff is a strength of the home. This enables children to address previous concerning behaviours and to work towards more positive outcomes. Open and honest communication is promoted so that children feel able to discuss any worries or concerns. Inspection report children's home: 2749584 3 Staff complete risk assessments on each child and they keep these risk assessments up to date through regular reviews. This ensures that, as a child’s circumstances change, staff can remain alert to any risks.

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

Incidents in the home are managed well. Physical intervention is only used when necessary to prevent the children from harming themselves or others. Oversight of incidents by the manager is good. He monitors the action taken to help identify patterns and trends. Staff also share information quickly with the children’s social workers and reflect on these incidents during team meetings.

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

The manager ensures that staff comply with locally agreed protocols for children who go missing. When children do go missing, staff liaise with the police and complete detailed records of actions taken and appropriate individuals contacted. Children have access to an independent person to speak to on their return home. This provides information that may help in protecting them from going missing again.

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

When appointing staff, the manager follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that only those deemed suitable are allowed to work with children.

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

Regular health and safety checks, along with routine servicing of equipment, ensure that the home is kept safe for children, staff and visitors. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures, and they ensure that children take part in fire evacuation drills, so that they understand how to leave the home safely in the event of an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a clear commitment to improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have good access to training opportunities to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills they need to meet the diverse needs of the children they look after. All staff are qualified or are working towards gaining the level 3 diploma in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly team meetings and regular, reflective supervision mean that staff are well supported in their roles. Staff feel valued and are motivated towards delivering care that makes significantly positive improvements to children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor has carried out external monitoring of the home every month. While these are completed within timeframes, they lack information on children and analysis of specific areas, including the education status of the children. This does not ensure that Ofsted has a good overview of the home between inspections or help improve the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective working relationships exist with other professionals such as the police, teachers and social workers. Effective communication ensures that information is shared quickly, which helps to keep children safe. One social worker told the inspector, ‘Communication with the home is good, I receive weekly updates and regular telephone communication’. Inspection report children's home: 2749584 4

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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, 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 registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that regulation 44 reports include information on children and analysis of specific areas. 27 May 2024

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children's home: 2749584 5 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 children's home: 2749584 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Strive to Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Cunningham Court, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 2QX

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2749584 7 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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