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

Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 1 SC005045 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

A large private provider operates this home. The home offers care for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2014 and holds a level 4 qualification in leadership and management.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2023 Full Good 23/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection, who was present and spoken to. Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home and no children have moved in. The progress and experiences of the two children who have left were also reviewed during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good and sustained progress in the key areas of their lives. This is because they share positive and trusting relationships with staff. One child said that they like the home, they feel safe and that ‘things are sound’. They said that they rate their experiences of living in the home as ‘nine out of 10’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s aspirations and have high expectations for them. They work effectively with education staff to support children to overcome any barriers to their learning. Staff have arranged for an external tutor to provide additional extra-curricular support to one child. As a result, children make good progress with their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the importance of equality and diversity very well. An experienced staff team carries out good-quality individual sessions with children. Staff are creative in their approach and work closely with other professionals to ensure children are educated on equality and diversity. One child has made considerable progress in relation to their understanding of discrimination and racism. This work results in children learning about other people’s cultures and identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children become more independent and grow in confidence before they move on from the home. Staff encourage children to make friends and spend time safely in the community. One child attends a local Scout group and has recently started to meet up with their friends. In addition, staff ensure that children’s moves out of the home are supported effectively and that children’s views and wishes are acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager ensures that the home’s physical environment is well maintained and furnished. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their interests and needs. There are photos of children on display throughout the home. This homely atmosphere helps children to feel comfortable, valued and relaxed in the home.

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

Children feel safe living in the home because they are cared for by staff who understand their individual needs well. Safeguarding is a high priority for staff. They are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and there are risk assessments in place for children. The number of significant incidents since the last inspection is low.

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

Systems in place to safeguard children at risk of radicalisation are good. Staff and the registered manager attend regular multi-agency meetings and share all information with Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 4 the relevant professionals. They ensure that all recommended actions and safeguarding strategies are used to reduce children’s risks.

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

Internet safety systems are good. Children are not prevented from using the internet, but staff manage their use safely while educating them about the risks. Leaders provide staff with guidance on what to do when conducting safeguarding checks of children’s devices. Children know why staff may take these measures. These systems reassure children and ensure they can use the internet safely.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one incident requiring the use of physical restraint with a child. The intervention used by staff was necessary and proportionate to keep the child and staff safe. Records of the incident are clear, and the management team has ensured that the child and staff were spoken to. As a result, staff and the child were able to share their views and reflect on their experiences.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. During two recent incidents with one child, staff followed the child’s plans and worked effectively with the relevant professionals to return the child to the home. Return home interviews were completed immediately by an independent person. However, the registered manager did not carry out a review of these incidents or speak to staff. Consequently, staff were not provided with opportunities to develop their practice and no learning was taken.

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

Leaders do not always notify Ofsted of significant safeguarding incidents involving children. In addition, one notification relating to radicalisation concerns for a child was submitted one month late. As a result, Ofsted does not have good oversight of the provider’s response to safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified and experienced manager leads the home. The home’s deputy manager supports her well. They are an effective management team who strive to ensure that children are supported to make progress in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team provides effective leadership and demonstrates a strong commitment to driving forward improvements in the home. Internal and external monitoring systems provide the registered manager with a good overview of the home. This effective oversight means that children receive good care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have good access to training opportunities to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills they need for their work with children. Most staff are qualified, and one staff member is working towards the level 3 diploma in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very positive about the support they receive from the management team. Supervision sessions are regular and of good quality. The manager uses team meetings to improve staff practice. This helps to improve the quality of care received by children. Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 5 The management team builds collaborative working relationships with partner agencies. This helps to ensure that children receive a strong, focused multi-agency response to meet their specific needs. Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive about the staff and leaders. One professional said that the home was ‘amazing. I love them [staff] and it is easily the best home I have worked with. They are like parents and completely on it.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; and

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they notify Ofsted of serious incidents that involve police being called. 4 September 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they complete an evaluation of incidents of children going missing to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)

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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: SC005045 7

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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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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC005045 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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