Children's Home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 1 Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) 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 privately run children’s home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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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

Date of last inspection: 6 September 2023

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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: 2625182 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2023 Full Good 07/09/2022 Full Good 26/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. Since the last inspection, one child moved out of this home, returning home to the care of his parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good levels of support from a committed and experienced staff team. Staff have a positive view of the children and work hard to engage with them. This helps children to feel confident about their relationships with staff and supports their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with primary healthcare services, and appropriate arrangements are in place for the safe management of medicines to promote children’s safety and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work hard to ensure that children access education that meets their needs. One child has a tutor who completes online work with him. In addition to this work, staff offer incentives to support him with educational activities in the home. This supports his academic ability to reach his full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from making a positive contribution to their home through regular key-work sessions and consultation. These sessions give children the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour and discuss any worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s time with their families. This ensures that children remain close to the people who are important to them and benefit from being involved in a wider support network outside of the home.

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

Staff complete detailed individual risk assessments that support them in their understanding of how to keep children safe. Risks are clearly identified, and assessments are updated to reflect new information or changes in children’s circumstances.

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

Physical restraint has been used on one occasion since the last inspection. However, the debrief with the child was not reflective and focused mainly on the child’s behaviours. Furthermore, the staff involved in the restraint were also present for this discussion, which does not support the child to talk openly about their feelings and experiences during the incident.

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

Staff contact relevant partner agencies when children go missing from home. However, the manager has not escalated concerns to managers from children’s placing authorities when they fail to take necessary steps to ensure a child’s safety Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 4 and welfare. For example, on a number of occasions, children have not been provided with an opportunity to have an independent return home interview. This means that children do not have the opportunity to discuss with someone independent of the home potential concerns they may have about why they went missing from the home and what happened while they were away.

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

Staff ensure that the relevant health and safety checks are in place. All equipment is regularly maintained and serviced or replaced when necessary. Staff are trained in fire safety, and records indicate that fire drills take place.

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

Children are protected by the organisation’s recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a committed and enthusiastic manager. The staff are well supported and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The reviewing and monitoring systems used by the manager are not effective. For example, not all care planning information is included in children’s individual plans. Furthermore, the manager did not pursue the minutes from a strategy meeting so that his actions arising from this meeting could be addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular training to make sure that they have the skills and competencies necessary to meet the diverse needs of the children they look after. There are systems in place to make sure that training is regularly updated or refreshed. New staff undergo a thorough induction programme, and most staff are either qualified or still within the period allowed by regulation to obtain their qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff rota does not include the full names of the staff on duty or the manager’s working hours, as required by regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision and appraisals. As a result, staff can discuss their performance and learning needs. In addition, they review and develop their practice to better support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are positive partnerships with other agencies, such as the local authority, education providers and the police. These ensure that children benefit from tailored support to allow them to stay safe and make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 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; 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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that care planning information from team meetings is included in children’s individual plans. They must escalate concerns when they arise and ensure that all children’s documentation from relevant meetings is obtained and any actions are carried out. 2 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent.

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Requirement Due date

Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; 2 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 6 have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34 (a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are provided with an opportunity to have an independent return home interview after a missing-from-home episode.

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children receive an effective debrief after a physical intervention. 2 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that the full names of all staff and their actual hours worked are recorded on the rota, including the manager. 2 July 2024

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 7 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: 2625182 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care Today Children’s Services, 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport SK2 6LR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Liam Fitzpatrick

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Lee Coyle, Jake Hardicre

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Inspectors

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2625182 9 regulates and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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