Children's Home run by Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 1 Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on 11 September 2023. The registered manager resigned in January 2024. There have been two interim managers. The current manager began working at the home on 18 March 2024 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There are two children currently living at the home. They were both spoken to during the inspection.

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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

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: 2654347 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 3

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improvement to be good

The children living at the home are settled and have made good progress. Children say they are happy at the home and feel safe. Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home. Staff were unable to meet the needs of the child and, as a result, the child made limited progress. Although this was an unplanned ending, the manager ensured that the child was able to meet people from their new home before they moved, which helped to reassure the child and support them at a difficult time. Since the last inspection, the new manager has brought about positive change. However, development of the home remains ongoing and shortfalls in how well children’s risks are responded to and in the leadership and management of the home have impacted on children’s experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a home that is warm and welcoming. High-quality soft furnishings, toys and games contribute to a nurturing environment. The home has been designed with children’s needs in mind, for example, there is a games room where children can enjoy activities such as gaming and playing electronic drums. Staff decorate the home for special occasions and have put up photos of children enjoying activities. As a result, children feel valued and are settled in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s cultural needs are well considered and staff take action to ensure that they are met. For example, a child has been bought specific products for their hair and skin. Staff have supported a child to have their hair done in a culturally specific way by a family member who they collect and drive to the home. Staff recognise the importance of children’s relationships and support them well to stay in touch with people who are important to them. Staff ensure that children explore and experience other cultures, through regular themed nights which include food and putting up decorations.

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improvement to be good

Staff prioritise education and are highly aspirational for children. Both children access a reduced timetable for their education that appropriately meets their needs. When a child had no education in place, the manager took direct action to ensure that this was addressed. As a result, the child is now engaging in education and has a clear plan. The child’s social worker commented on the positive impact living at the home has had for their child. They said they were ‘amazed’ by how settled the child is and that their child ‘loved it’ at the home straight away.

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improvement to be good

Staff meet regularly with children to consult with them on their views about living at the home. Children use this opportunity to comment on the care they receive. In a meeting, a child said staff were inconsistent when applying a rule in the home. The manager failed to identify this and so the child did not receive a response and the inconsistent practice was not addressed. The manager has a plan to review rules and boundaries with the staff team at a team meeting. Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 4 A clinical lead for the organisation provides staff with regular training and consultation about children’s individual needs. The clinical lead is experienced and qualified and creates tailor-made plans to support children. They also complete regular assessments that clearly reflect areas for focus and children’s ongoing progress and development. As a result, children are making progress and developing understanding of themselves and

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improvement to be good

how to respond effectively to experiences.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is safe and children have good access to appropriate areas of their home. However, children do not have access to laundry powder and snacks are kept in the office, which is locked. The organisation is currently undertaking a review of restrictive practice and some changes have been made, for example, window restrictors have been removed as they are not needed. The manager has a plan to review the remaining restrictions.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans and risk assessments do not always capture information that is needed to keep them safe. The manager has not ensured that information relating to risk is appropriately followed up and action taken to reduce it. For example, when a child disclosed that they had been the victim of a serious crime while in the community, the manager did not ensure that this was captured in the child’s plans. The risks relating to this were not discussed with other professionals. The child went out into the community again after this event and their safety plan had not changed. The risks to the child had not been considered. The manager did report the crime to the police and ensured that some follow-up work took place with the child. There is now a plan to hold a risk management meeting with relevant professionals to fully explore the risks relating to this child and how to keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

When a child moved on from the home, the leadership team reflected on the reasons why they were unable to meet the child’s needs. Although this work is ongoing, some of the learning has already been put into practice. Leaders considered how the experience and skills of the team were tested and have strengthened the team through recruitment of more experienced and qualified staff. Leaders have allowed the team time to build trusting relationships with the children at the home. When a child moved into the home, their needs were well matched to the skills of the team and they settled quickly.

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improvement to be good

Staff receive training on how to de-escalate situations using a therapeutic approach. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children safe. Records that relate to incidents of physical intervention are clear and comprehensive. Children and staff are spoken to about incidents and have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences. On one occasion, there was a delay in speaking to the staff involved. The manager reflected on the reason for the delay and has a clear plan to ensure that these discussions take place soon after incidents to ensure they are effective. Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 5 Staff draw up agreements with children about the use of the internet, social media and their devices. Risks relating to electronic devices are considered in children’s plans. However, staff do not always take all action necessary to safeguard children effectively when they access the internet. Checks are not always carried out on the phones of

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improvement to be good

children who are at high risk of grooming and online abuse.

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

The manager has not always ensured that information from meetings is suitably actioned and updated in children’s plans. For example, when a child disclosed in a meeting that they had participated in an activity that may have involved fraud, the manager did not transfer this information into the child’s plans or take effective action to address it. There is a plan for this information to be properly considered with other professionals and for plans to be updated.

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

The manager joined the home and the organisation in March 2024 and has worked hard to address shortfalls and build positive and trusting relationships with staff and children in the home. Staff say that they feel well supported and feel happy to be a part of a caring team. Some staff are still building their relationships with the manager and the team members are not yet all working together consistently, which is impacting on children’s experiences at the home. The leadership team has a plan to ensure consistency in the home and further improve cohesion through regular team meetings and training and using the support and guidance of the clinical lead.

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

Despite the shortfalls, external professionals comment positively about the impact the new manager has had on the home and the quality of care that children receive. A social worker said that the manager is very impressive. They said that he is ‘on the ball’ with recording and communication and that things are ‘much sharper’ now.

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

Staff benefit from a comprehensive range of training that is well organised. The manager ensures that staff complete specialist training in line with children’s needs. For example, staff have benefited from training on therapeutic parenting and understanding trauma. Staff say that they enjoy training and that it helps to inform their practice.

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

Staff benefit from regular supervisions that are suitably evaluative and give them the opportunity to reflect on practice. Supervisions link with wider development goals and contain clear actions. The deputy manager carries out supervisions with some staff, and these records are overseen by the manager. However, when a practice concern was reflected on with a staff member, the record of this discussion was not detailed. This impacted on the manager’s ability to monitor the record and evaluate it. A child raised a concern that was linked to this information. This came to light during the inspection and the manager spoke to both members of staff involved and has a plan to speak to the child about their concern and take action to resolve it. Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 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 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—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s plans and risk assessments consider relevant risks for children, are kept up to date and set out the steps staff need to take to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that they consider each child’s specific vulnerabilities when giving access to the internet and that they take steps to assure themselves that children are safe online. 22 August 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

promotes their welfare. 22 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 7 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)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that information from meetings, and in staff supervision records, is monitored and that effective action is taken in response to this information when needed.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, this will, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. This includes providing access to items which it is safe for children to have, including snacks and laundry powder, or managing this in a way that does not detract from the homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept and that these enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. As part of this review, the registered person should ensure

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Recommendations

that they speak to staff who have used the measure and that this discussion takes place within the time frame specified in the relevant regulation to ensure it is most Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 8 effective (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: 2654347 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Queen Street, Wellington, Telford TF1 1EH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ann-Cheri Callow

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Inspector

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2654347 10 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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