Children's home run by Portsmouth City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 1 SC037762 Registered provider: Portsmouth City Council

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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 home is operated by a local authority and is registered to provide care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties. There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager. Leaders have appointed a manager, who will apply to register with Ofsted.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2023 Full Good 19/05/2022 Full Good 27/04/2021 Full Good 11/03/2020 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children continue to make progress because of the committed, nurturing staff that care for them. Trusting relationships are built on the consistent approach and understanding of staff who are determined to achieve positive outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and personalised. Ongoing maintenance and decorating are further improving the home’s interior presentation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, the planning is child focused and well managed. Children are given the opportunity to visit the home and arrangements are made for them to purchase items to personalise their own space. This gives children a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise and prioritise children’s emotional needs and there are plentiful opportunities for children to share their views, wishes and feelings. Staff encourage children to attend meetings about their care planning and advocate well for children when they do not receive adequate responses from professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work collaboratively with other agencies. Feedback from other professionals is positive, who state that regular communication from staff helps ensure that children receive good-quality care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are receiving education. Staff advocate for children and escalate their concerns when required. This helps to ensure that children’s educational needs can be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are continually met through ongoing reviews and monitoring. Conscientious staff encourage children to make good choices about their own health and well-being. Regular discussions help children to maintain a healthy lifestyle when possible. Staff are compassionate in their approach to these discussions. These discussions are well recorded and written to the child. The language used is kind, caring and nonjudgmental.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a range of age-appropriate activities. Staff actively promote children’s chosen hobbies and support their interests.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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

A recent review of children’s risk assessments and further training has ensured that staff have the necessary skills to identify and act on signs that a child may be at risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 4 All staff are familiar with the home’s safeguarding policy and procedures. Allegations and concerns for welfare are managed effectively and appropriately. Staff encourage open and honest conversations with children and support them to manage and reduce risks both inside and outside of the home.

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

Although physical intervention is rarely used, all staff are familiar with children’s potential triggers and the strategies to manage escalating incidents.

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

Staff manage incidents effectively when children harm themselves. Staff are sensitive and nurturing in their approach, particularly when children are experiencing difficult feelings and their emotional well-being is affected. Children respond positively and confidently approach staff for support.

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

Staff actively and appropriately challenge children when they do not adhere to the home’s policy on behaviour. For example, children have been found to smoke cannabis or cigarettes in the home. Staff ensure that their open and transparent discussions with children are well recorded. Effective information-sharing with other agencies supports children to reduce habits that may impact on their health and well-being.

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

When children leave the home without permission or fail to return at an agreed time, staff actively follow clear action plans to ensure children’s safe return at the earliest opportunity. Staff speak to children and help them understand the risks involved when staff do not know their whereabouts.

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

The leadership team has implemented a revised process for safer recruitment, which offers additional layers of scrutiny and oversight to the employment of new staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager is the registered manager of another of the provider’s children’s homes. They plan to apply for dual registration. Recent positive changes have resulted in greater stability for staff and children. High morale amongst staff has returned because staff feel supported and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and quality assurance systems have significantly improved. Increased oversight has been gained through regular meetings and scrutiny by the senior management team within the local authority. Therefore, leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths and areas of improvement needed as stated in the home’s action plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider’s quality of care report failed to identify strengths, areas for improvement and actions required to address them. The significant delay in Ofsted receiving the report hindered the regulator’s ability to address this. The current manager has arrangements in place to complete a current review of the home’s quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff have received an annual appraisal. These vary in quality. Staff have limited or no direction and support regarding their own continuing professional development. Not all Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 5 staff have received formal regular practice-related supervision, which limits reflection on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The senior leadership team is visible to staff and children. The responsible individual knows the staff and children well. Collaboration with staff and effective oversight provide them with a good understanding of the day-to-day practice in the home and ability to address any issues at the earliest opportunity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person is experienced and offers an additional layer of scrutiny. Reports are timely and offer clarity and direction through the recommendations given. Managers actively share these reports with staff, who have welcomed the responsibility to collectively improve the care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All the requirements issued at the previous inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b) 31 July 2024

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Recommendations

 Regulation 45 sets out the requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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: SC037762 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2EA

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Inspector

Jill Sephton-Wright, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037762 8 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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