Children's home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 1 SC411074 Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services 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 operated by a private company and provides care for one child who experiences social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 4 March 2024. She is registered with Ofsted and has a relevant management qualification.

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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: 17 January 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/10/2021 Full Good 16/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 3

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improvement to be good

The same child has lived in the home since the last inspection. They have made good progress from their starting point. However, shortfalls in the manager’s monitoring, health and safety in the home and the manager’s and staff’s failure to follow policy and procedures relating to safeguarding children impact on the child’s care.

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improvement to be good

Communal areas of the home are well decorated and are comfortable places where the child can relax and spend time with staff. However, outside areas look tired and unkempt. For example, the roof of the garden shed needs repair and the shed needs painting. The garden area is mainly paved. An unpaved area where the child gardens, supported by staff, is covered in bricks and rubble. Garden furniture is not well maintained. This poor environment impacts on the child’s self-esteem and sense of self- worth.

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improvement to be good

Internal placement plans are not well structured or recorded. Plans do not have the most up-to-date information, such as the name of the child’s current social worker or details of current court orders. Key targets, such as supporting the child with healthy eating and regular exercise, are not included in the plan. This leaves staff without clear guidance about how to manage the child’s care in line with local authority plans.

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improvement to be good

More positively, staff talk to the child in regular meetings about their progress and how well they are doing. They advocate for the child’s views well and, as a result, the child’s views are considered when planning their future care.

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improvement to be good

Staff invest in building trusting relationships with the child, who enjoys living in the home and speaks fondly of the staff who care for them. This creates a comfortable environment, where the child feels able to discuss things that are worrying them. The child’s social worker is positive about the progress the child has made and about the staff.

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improvement to be good

The child regularly helps with chores around the home to help them to develop skills that they will need as they reach adulthood. Together with the manager, the child recently painted their bedroom. Staff support the child to tidy and deep clean their bedroom and to wash dishes following a shared meal. Encouraging the child to take part in decision- making about day-to-day life in the home creates a sense of belonging and of ownership for the child.

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improvement to be good

The child is in good health. They are registered with local health services and, with support from staff, access these when required. The child is referred to specialist services when required. Staff understand the importance of positive emotional health and well-being. They regularly talk with the child about their feelings and emotions and Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 4 support them to explore these, using their strong relationships and resources from the internet.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain contact with people who are important to them. A parent said they feel lucky to have the support of staff to maintain their relationship with their child. They said open-door communication with staff works well and they could not think of anything staff could do better. The parent described their child as ‘coming on leaps and bounds’ since living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Managers do not ensure that staff have clear guidance to manage a child’s risks. For example, risk assessments are not clear about where the child should sit when travelling in the car. Staff have not recorded known strategies to reduce risk and they have not updated the risk assessment with learning from recent incidents. This means that staff do not always have the most up-to-date information to manage the child’s complex behaviours and to keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

Restraint is used by trained staff as a last resort to protect the child and others from harm. There is management oversight of restraint records, which are used to evaluate staff’s practice and to keep the child safe. However, managers do not challenge staff practice when needed. For example, on one occasion, managers were not professionally curious when the child was restrained on the floor without a clearly recorded reason. This leaves the child vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the child’s past and current behaviours and risks. Managers’ monitoring shows a reduction in behaviours of concern and risks displayed. Staff talk knowledgeably about the child’s behaviours and how to de-escalate those behaviours. They have strong relationships with the child, which have supported the child to regulate their emotions. As a result, incidents have reduced.

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improvement to be good

When a child makes an allegation, staff do not follow policy and procedures by immediately seeking advice from a manager. This means that staff do not have necessary guidance to protect the child and staff. Managers take advice and guidance from the child’s social worker; however, they do not inform the regulator. This means that the regulator does not have the necessary information to monitor safeguarding practice in the home effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff keep the child safe online. They talk knowledgeably about how they support the child to use online devices safely. Additionally, managers have ensured that there are the necessary age-related restrictions. However, staff do not educate the child about online risks, despite this being an action in the child’s risk assessment. This is a missed opportunity to support the child to develop the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe online in the future. Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 5 Managers ensure that staff carry out regular health and safety checks and fire checks. However, when the child does not follow safe evacuation procedures, staff do not talk to them about the dangers from fire. A fire risk assessment carried out by a competent person has recently been updated. However, managers had not ensured that a priority action was completed within timescales. This was completed by the end of the

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improvement to be good

Staff understand and implement the child’s individualised routines well. This ensures that the child understands what is expected and contributes to them feeling safe and well cared for. The child responds well to reward systems that are used by staff to motivate them to develop socially acceptable behaviours. On the rare occasion staff use consequences, they are monitored and reviewed by the registered manager.

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

The manager has previous experience of managing children’s homes and holds a specialist qualification in supporting children’s complex behaviours. Since starting work at the home, she has spent time getting to know the child and the staff. She understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and acknowledges areas for improvement.

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

The manager’s monitoring and reviewing of the service require improvement. Managers have not previously identified some of the shortfalls found during this inspection. This does not help to improve practice and the quality of care provided to the child. The manager plans to introduce new monitoring and auditing tools soon.

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

Managers do not consistently maintain accurate and good-quality records. For example, when the child disclosed past incidents of abuse and neglect, managers did not maintain records to give an audit trail to evidence that safeguarding procedures have been followed. This does not fully promote safe practice or professional accountability.

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

Managers ensure that staff complete mandatory training, including face-to-face training in first aid and in behaviour management. However, managers have failed to monitor staff training to ensure that staff have completed allocated training to meet the child’s needs. More positively, strategic managers have invested in face-to-face training in a therapeutic approach, which all staff are asked to attend.

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

The home is fully staffed. Three staff have a qualification relating to the residential care of children and three are enrolled on the relevant course. Managers and staff are committed to ensuring that the child receives consistent care. Any shortfalls in staffing are covered by existing staff or by staff from other homes in the company, who are known to the child. This means that the child experiences consistent care from staff they know well. Managers are planning changes to the staff team. The manager has spoken to the child about these changes.

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

Partner agencies and staff speak positively about the manager’s practice and communication. The impact of the new manager on staff morale has been positive. Staff feel supported by the manager and say that they can raise any issues and concerns. Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 6 Staff praise the manager and say she has built a good relationship with the child by spending time with the child. One member of staff said, ‘I couldn’t have a better manager. We’ve never had a manager who is always there.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that risk assessments are updated following incidents, that managers keep clear and accurate records when there are safeguarding concerns about a child, that managers and staff follow policy and procedures when a child makes an allegation and that managers ensure the home is a safe place for children to live. 2 June 2024

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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

promotes their welfare. 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 8 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

This relates to managers ensuring that staff complete relevant training to meet the child’s needs, monitor records effectively when a child is restrained and that they oversee the updating of care planning and risk management documents.

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers ensuring that when the child makes an allegation, they notify the regulator. 2 June 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children feel safe and are safe. Staff should support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive and well-maintained environment that meets the needs of its children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 9

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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: SC411074 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Searchlight Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Marcus House, Parkhall Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 5XA

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC411074 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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