Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 1 SC049189 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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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. It provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has two registered managers, who registered with Ofsted in April 2020 and April 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 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: SC049189 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good 25/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have left the home. One child moved on in a planned way and one child moved into another home operated by the same organisation. Two children are currently living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have made good progress with their education from their individual starting points. One child's attendance has significantly increased since they moved into this home. Both children have places at college after the summer break. One education professional said, ‘[Name of child] now talks about their aspirations for the future.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s individual health needs are well met. They are encouraged to attend all necessary appointments, such as dental or optician appointments. Staff working in this home understand the importance of promoting a healthy diet and regular exercise. As a result, children are making more healthy lifestyle choices and their physical health has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff understand these often complex family dynamics. The parent of one child said their relationship with their child has progressed, saying, ‘The team is integral to how that has happened.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are appropriately and gradually supported to become more independent. This includes developing skills around independent travel, budgeting and cooking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have the opportunity to participate in activities that they enjoy, such as go- karting and playing pool. Children also enjoy activities that are good for their physical health, such as going to the gym, and there are plans to climb Scafell Pike.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home looks tired and is in need of redecoration and refurbishment. There has been some damage to furniture in children’s bedrooms. Managers have not ensured that damage is quickly repaired or items replaced. Furthermore, daily routines to check that children’s bedrooms are clean have not always been effective. This leaves children’s bedrooms in a less than suitable condition and does not reflect the homely environment the staff and managers want to create.

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

The staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe and know children’s individual risks and needs. Risk management plans are in place and are regularly updated. Currently, the written information is time consuming to maintain and does not support new staff who are trying to familiarise themselves with children’s individual risks. Managers recognise that these documents would benefit from being streamlined for ease of reference and understanding. Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 4 Following a recent safeguarding incident between two children living in this home, managers and staff worked effectively with appropriate agencies. As a result, one child moved to another home operated by the same organisation. Appropriate support was offered to children and staff have been supported to reflect on this incident, reviewing their practice and undertaking additional training.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from home. However, when children have been missing, staff take action to locate them and promote their safe return by keeping in touch with them and liaising closely with the police and other agencies.

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

Professionals involved with children who have lived or are living in this home are complimentary about the standard of care provided to children. Staff work closely with colleagues in the local authority and other external professionals. They have challenged appropriately when they have had concerns around the decisions made by others in relation to the care of children.

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

Staff have the skills to manage and de-escalate challenging situations when needed. Since the last inspection, there has been one occasion when staff have needed to use physical intervention. Staff and the child were supported to reflect on the incident and to explore their feelings around the use of restraint.

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

Positive behaviour is suitably encouraged and praised. Staff prefer the use of natural consequences, although there are occasions when it has been necessary to impose a consequence. When this is done, consequences are reasonable and proportionate. However, there are some minor recording issues. While this has not had any negative effect on children, it had not been identified by managers.

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

There are shortfalls in the recording of room searches. There are occasions when staff have not followed the organisation’s own protocols regarding room searches. Furthermore, while the rationale for a search is clear, it is not always clear from the records if the child was aware that the search was taking place, or the action staff have taken after removing any property. Records do not have oversight from the home’s managers, who have not identified these shortfalls or ensured that any required follow- up work has been undertaken.

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

The home is managed by two experienced and suitably qualified managers. One manager has submitted an application to register for a new home operated by the same organisation and intends to step down from their role at this home.

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

Managers do not currently have monitoring systems in place that allow them to have effective oversight of the home. For example, there is no oversight of the training undertaken by staff, no managers’ oversight of room searches or consultation forms with children and some minor recording issues have not been identified. Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 5 Staff have access to a range of training to support them in their roles. Additional training has been given to staff following significant incidents in the home. However, managers must ensure that they maintain up-to-date records of the training that is undertaken by staff.

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

Staff are positive about the support they receive from managers. They have regular supervision and team meetings where they are able to discuss children’s progress and their own development.

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

The registered manager has submitted a review of the quality of care. However, the report lacks evaluation and reflection on any learning. It does not include actions required in order to improve the quality of care and drive forward improvement in the home. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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

Managers have not ensured that there is an accurate roster in place that includes the actual hours worked by managers and staff. As a result, these documents cannot be relied on to identify when staff have been at work. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them 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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the routines of staff checking children’s bedrooms and the home environment being maintained to a suitable standard. 8 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

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. 8 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 7 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that there is effective oversight of consequences, that staff training records are maintained and that the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home is reviewed annually.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality-of-care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to improving the evaluative content of the report and including clear actions for improvement.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 8 August 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 needs to record the full names of all staff, including the manager, and actual hours worked on the rota. 8 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that risk management plans are reviewed and recorded concisely so that any risks and strategies in place are easily understood by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that processes for searching children’s bedrooms are clear and understood by children and staff and are subject to oversight from managers. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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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: SC049189 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individuals: Sean Fitzpatrick and Ellen Fitzpatrick

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Danielle Leacock and Stephen Abraham

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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