Children's Home run by The Place Young People’s Company in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 1 Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company 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

The home is run by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. One child has moved in since the last inspection. Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new acting manager in post who has applied to be registered 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 requires improvement to be 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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/08/2022 Full Good 21/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised, bespoke care. Staff know children well and understand their needs. Children enjoy spending time with staff, and undertaking activities such as baking, playing football and going to the gym together. Children feel loved, valued and understood. As a result, children settle quickly and make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff help children to live healthy lifestyles. Children are creatively encouraged to try new foods and learn about personal hygiene. Children’s mental and emotional health is equally well supported. Children receive specialist support from professionals such as play therapists and psychotherapists. This ensures that children’s overall health improves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do well in education. The manager and staff have high aspirations for children and support them to achieve. One child who found school difficult has been supported to return to full-time education and is now enjoying going to school. Another child is excelling at college and aspires to attend university. This is commendable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop resilience and skills that prepare them to live independently. One child who is approaching 18 is incredibly confident and competent in managing everyday tasks independently, such as budgeting, accessing health appointments and shopping and cooking. As a result, children feel well equipped and positive about their future.

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

Staff help children to understand the risks they are exposed to. Children are supported to make safe and informed choices. One child has stopped using drugs and alcohol and no longer goes missing from the home. The child said: ‘It’s because of the work staff have done with me.’ For another child, behaviours that are difficult to manage have greatly reduced.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, staff respond well. Missing protocols are followed, and appropriate agencies are informed. Staff go looking for children and make every effort to find them. Children are well supported when they return home. Effective preventative measures are put in place to reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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

Staff know the risks children can be exposed to and are competent in safeguarding practices. Risks are regularly assessed and updated. However, safety plans do not always contain enough information for staff to know how to respond. This is an area for development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 4 Staff use physical restraint as a last resort to keep children and others safe. The least restrictive measure and force are used. Children and staff receive appropriate support following each incident of restraint. However, staff do not always provide sufficient details in their recordings.

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

The acting manager is committed and dedicated. She is warm and friendly, providing a nurturing environment for children and staff. She sets high expectations for staff and sensitively challenges poor practice. Staff enjoy working at the home and value her leadership.

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

Due to several changes in staff and managers, there have been disruptions to the running of the home. Staff shortages have impacted on the new manager being able to fulfil all aspects of her role competently. While there are management oversight and quality assurance systems in place, these are not robustly followed. The manager is significantly behind on tasks that oversee the care provided to children. There is a plan in place to address these shortfalls, but time is needed for changes to be effective.

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

Staff receive supervision sessions from the manager. These provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and cover important topics such as safeguarding. However, the frequency of supervision for some staff has been insufficient. As a result, newer staff have not received enough support.

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

Children know how to complain. Children’s wishes and views are regularly sought and taken seriously. However, there have been two occasions when children have voiced concerns about staff, and allegation processes have not been duly followed. Although internal investigations took place, the manager has failed to notify the relevant agencies of safeguarding concerns. This was rectified during the inspection and is an area for development.

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

Staff are well trained. Staff are up to date with mandatory training such as safeguarding and first aid. Staff receive training in relation to children’s individual needs. For example, staff have received training in self-harm and suicide, and nurture and attachment. As a result, staff feel confident and competent in their role. Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 5

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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.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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) (2)(a)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all records are reviewed and monitored by the manager and clear actions are identified and acted on.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 6 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 30 June 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are accurately recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs

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Recommendations

of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 1250039 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company 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

Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1250039 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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