Children's Home run by Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 1 Registered provider: Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions Ltd

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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 up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in September 2023. A new manager was appointed and then was suspended, and another manager has been appointed. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out in March 2024 because of significant concerns from safeguarding notifications and information sent to Ofsted. The monitoring visit identified failures in relation to the leadership and management of the home. As a result, one compliance notice was raised. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 2 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2023 Full Good 13/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 4

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improvement to be good

The manager, who was new at the time of the monitoring visit, has since effected change and the compliance notice has now been met. Although progress has been made, shortfalls in the protection of children and in leadership and management have impacted on children’s experiences. The management team has completed comprehensive audits and has a clear plan for how they will improve the quality of care that children receive.

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improvement to be good

There were three children living at the home at the time of this inspection. They have all lived here since before the last inspection and are settled and making good progress. One child who was at risk of exploitation was unable to be kept safe at the home and has moved on. Due to the urgent nature of the move for this child, there was little opportunity for staff to support the child to have a positive move to their new home. Leaders and managers have reflected on the child’s experience and taken learning from it.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they are happy at the home and that they have people they can speak to when they have any worries. One child who has experienced a great deal of instability in their life, including moving home multiple times, has begun to invest in their life in the home. They have picked out colours for their room, unpacked their possessions and put photos of their family on the walls. This is significant progress for this child.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. Photos of children are on display around the home and high-quality soft furnishings contribute to a nurturing environment. Children’s views about their care are sought through regular children’s meetings. After meetings, the manager writes detailed responses to children and takes clear action in response to children’s requests. As a result, children feel listened to and valued in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children well to spend time with people who are important to them. The manager maintains good communication with children’s families and recognises the importance of children’s relationships. The manager took appropriate action when a parent highlighted an issue with communication. As a result, communication has improved, and the parent said that they feel their child is doing well at the home and has everything they need.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have advocated well for children’s educational needs. As a result, a child who does not have an education placement has now had applications submitted to schools and is looking forward to starting. Two children attend education that meets their needs. An education professional commented on the high quality of communication with the home. They said that the home and school work together well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 5 Staff support children well with their cultural identity and religious needs. A cultural calendar provides structure for the celebrations in the home and children have enjoyed celebrations of different cultures, including trying different foods and putting up decorations in the home. A child who was exploring their religious beliefs was put in touch with an organisation through which they met people with the same faith. Staff purchased items to support the child to practise their faith in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff focus on their positive relationships with children to support them when they are experiencing difficulties. They use physical intervention only as a last resort to keep children safe, and incidents are rare. Consequences are also used rarely, and children say that they are fair. However, when physical intervention has taken place, records of discussions with staff are not always clear. The manager has not always evaluated the effectiveness of the strategies used in physical interventions and consequences. As a result, opportunities to improve practice have been missed.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well and carry out high-quality planned work with them on their areas of need. Staff use creative approaches to support sessions and promote children’s engagement. For example, staff and children watched an informative documentary together to raise understanding of a potential risk. Staff initiated reflective discussions with children and records of those discussions are clear.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans and risk assessments are individualised and set out actions for staff to take to keep children safe. However, plans are lengthy and have not always been updated with current information. As a result, staff are not all clear on strategies to use with children. The potential for inconsistent practice by staff puts children at risk of harm. The manager has a plan to review and update all records.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s response to children who go missing from home has been inconsistent. When one child went missing from the home, staff took swift and effective action which directly resulted in the child being located and safeguarded from harm. However, on another occasion, staff failed to search for a child who went missing from school. The child was considered to be at high risk of exploitation and this had the potential to result in significant harm. The manager has a plan to update children’s individual missing protocols to ensure that they include the actions staff need to take.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that children attend routine health appointments and they respond well to children’s emerging health needs. Children and staff benefit from the support of a dedicated therapeutic lead who carries out direct work with children as needed. One child has recently started to engage with therapy and attends weekly appointments; this is a huge progression for this child. However, not all children have had the required health assessments since arriving at the home. For one child, this has been a significant length of time Local authority care plans are also not in place for all children. The manager has challenged this and intends to further escalate the issue if plans and assessments are not received. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been three managers since the last inspection. One manager was suspended and a new manager was appointed. They have applied for registration. The manager is passionate about improving the home. Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager and children say their experiences are improving. A child said it is ‘great’ at the home. Staff and children say the manager is creating positive change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager benefits from the support of an aspirational senior leadership team who have implemented regular audits to raise standards and aid development of all staff. As a result of these audits, shortfalls in leadership and management were identified and extensive action plans were put in place to address the issues. Shortfalls included the frequency of supervisions and staff training. Staff supervisions are now regular and include reflection on practice and clear target-setting. Staff benefit from an extensive programme of training, however, this has not always been prioritised. As a result, some staff have not had training on risks which are relevant to children. The manager has assigned the outstanding training and has a plan to follow up with staff to ensure that it is completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff recruitment processes are robust. When managers identify gaps in applicants’ job histories, they ensure these are suitably explored. Overseas checks ensure that information is not missed when staff have worked abroad. As a result, children are protected from being cared for by potentially unsafe adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers in this home are highly invested in the children they care for. They hold children at the centre of their decision-making and advocate for them well. Managers respond well when children make complaints about their care. Children receive responses to their complaints and the manager takes action in response to children’s concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager fosters positive relationships with other professionals and recognises the importance of collaborative working to promote positive outcomes for children. The manager challenged a local authority when they did not agree with a decision in relation to a child. However, the manager did not escalate their concern. As a result, a child who was at risk went missing from staff care. The manager has reflected on this experience and has a plan to challenge more formally, and escalate, when they do not agree with other services’ decisions and feel these decisions may put children at risk. Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 7

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff complete all necessary training.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that they maintain effective oversight of records in the home, ensuring that records, including those relating to consequences and physical interventions, are clear. 25 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; 25 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 8 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s plans include clear guidance on the steps for staff to take to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff always take action to locate children, including searching for them, when children’s whereabouts are not known.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have up-to-date plans in place and that they receive the assessments that they need.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that they appropriately escalate their concerns when they feel that a decision by another service puts a child at significant risk of harm. 25 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 25 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 9 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the effectiveness of measures of control, including consequences and physical interventions, are reviewed.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and that information about a child, including in daily records and records of key-work discussions, is recorded in a way that is helpful to the child. (‘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: 2678053 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Rockside, Mow Cop, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 4PG

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2678053 11 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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