Children's home run by The Partnership of Care Today Children‟s Services

Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 1 SC021677 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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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 home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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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: 13 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: SC021677 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2023 Full Good 01/03/2023 Full Good 27/07/2021 Full Good 22/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are positive relationships between children and staff. Children say that they get along well with staff and with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with education professionals to ensure that arrangements in place support children to progress with their education. One child who has been out of formal education for a long time has been supported to re-engage with an appropriate placement. Another child has recently begun a course at a local college.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good physical health. Children are registered with relevant health professionals and are supported to attend all necessary appointments. Staff have worked with one child to educate them on the effects of substance misuse, including seeking support from specialist services.

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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 work pro-actively with children and professionals to ensure that these arrangements are safe and appropriate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are appropriately and gradually supported to become more independent. One child regularly prepares and cooks their own meals and goes shopping with staff. This helps the child to prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a homely environment and are able to choose items they like for their bedrooms. However, some parts of the home look tired and dated. Furthermore, some of the internal doors have locks on them. Although these are not routinely locked, this does not reflect the homely environment the registered manager wants for children living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular opportunities to share their views about the home and the care that they receive. Since the last inspection, one child has made a complaint about the home. However, the response to concerns raised by the child is not clearly recorded. This does not ensure that children feel their views are appropriately heard and responded to.

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

Risk management plans are in place for each child that outline the actions staff should take to keep children safe. Plans are updated with new information to ensure that they remain current.

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

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures, which means that they know what to do when concerns arise. When incidents occur, staff respond appropriately to keep children safe. Follow-up work is undertaken with children and information is shared with relevant professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 4 Safe recruitment procedures are in place for new staff. This means that children are protected from unsuitable adults being employed to work in the home.

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

When children living in this home go missing, staff actively search for them and encourage them to return home. Information is shared with relevant agencies and children have access to independent return home interviews.

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

Consequences are used sparingly in this home. The registered manager and staff focus on talking to children to help them to reflect on their behaviour and how it affects others.

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

Staff use physical intervention at times when it is necessary to keep everyone safe. However, the recording of this is inconsistent and not all records include all the details required by regulation. Furthermore, in one instance, the designated officer was not informed of an allegation when it would have been appropriate to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. She is supported by a dedicated and consistent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoken with describe a supportive environment and are positive about the home and the support that they receive from the registered manager. Staff receive regular supervision. However, the registered manager is aware that supervision records would benefit from more detail.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a wide range of training to support them in their role. This includes specific training in the key risks for children living in the home. Team meetings take pace regularly and are well attended by the staff team. Staff use this time to reflect on their day-to-day practice and discuss how they can best support children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff work well with external professionals. External professionals speak positively about the home and say that there is good communication about the child’s progress and any relevant information. One professional said, ‘They go above and beyond.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff rotas do not include the actual hours worked by the registered manager and staff. This means that accurate records are not in place should any safeguarding concerns arise. This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards.’ The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to including the full names of staff and the actual hours worked on the rota, including the manager.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 7 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 7 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 6 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the use of physical interventions.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ environment. Specifically, this relates to the registered person ensuring that the use of notice boards and door plates within the dining area of the home are reviewed and internal door locks are removed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, 3.9).  The registered manager should ensure that records of complaints made by children clearly detail the response to the child and any action taken. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, 4.13). Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 7

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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: SC021677 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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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

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC021677 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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