Children's home run by Priority Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2778324 1 Registered provider: Priority Care Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may require support with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home and 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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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2778324 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and enjoy living at the home. Staff know the children well, and there is an ethos of mutual respect and trust. Staff invest time in caring for the children and listen to them. Children feel safe in the home, and they have developed good relationships with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made very good progress since living at the home. Staff have supported one child to significantly reduce their substance misuse. This has been achieved through effective working with external partner agencies. Another child is now attending full-time education following not being in education for a period. A family member for one child stated, ‘They are a changed boy since being at the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move into the home are supported by staff through good and thorough transition planning. For example, staff supported a child to visit the home before moving in. This allowed the child to become familiar with their surroundings and with those who would be caring for them. This helped make this difficult move a positive one.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide is child-friendly and provides appropriate details of the home. However, it would benefit from having information about staff who work at the home. This would support children to see who will be caring for them. Staff consult children already in the home about new children moving in and carefully consider their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to engage in activities they enjoy. When children do not want to participate, they are proactive in their approach to try and engage in alternatives. This supports their emotional and mental well-being. Moments are captured and celebrated. Staff have created a memory book for a child who has left the home. This allows the child to keep special memories of their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with people who are most important to them. Staff promote positive relationships with children’s families. This provides children with a continued sense of identity and helps them maintain important relationships.

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

Staff have clear knowledge of the children’s risks and vulnerabilities. One child’s missing- from-home episodes have significantly been reduced since living at the home. There are well-coordinated responses when there are episodes of missing from home. Staff update risk assessments following these incidents. However, these assessments are not yet specific about known areas the child may go to if missing from home.

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

Staff use effective behaviour management. Staff have not had to physically hold children and have not used consequences. When there have been incidents, staff speak to the children with love and care. Children respond well to staff. This has been achieved Inspection report for children's home: 2778324 3 through the development of good relationships between children and staff. This helps children have open discussions and share their worries and views.

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

The staff support the children through individual work to understand their risks and vulnerabilities, and they provide children with strategies that help them become safer. This helps children to remain safe.

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

The manager understands the importance of safer recruitment and vetting of potential new staff coming to work at the home. This ensures that staff working with children are suitable. The staff team is suitable, committed and shares the same values for the best outcomes for children. Staff undertake appropriate training in safeguarding. This helps them to understand children’s risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is very well led by a permanent manager. She is committed to providing an environment in which children flourish. The responsible individual suitably supports the registered manager. The manager is aspirational for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the strengths and areas for development. The manager has thorough oversight of the home and the day-to-day care of the children. This is achieved through regular audits such as risk assessments and children’s plans. The manager shares areas for learning with the team to aid their development. This results in consistent care for the children and a high level of practice from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by the leadership team. They receive good and regular supervision. Additionally, the leadership team is always available. Staff feel valued and listened to. Team morale is high. One staff member stated that this was one of the best places they have worked. Staff are able to share their views in regular team meetings, including sessions with a psychotherapist. Meetings are reflective and consider all aspects of care for the children, including how to improve the care practice of staff to better support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work closely with external partner agencies. Staff have built positive relationships with professionals to ensure the best outcomes for children. Professionals report consistent and effective communication from the staff and manager. One professional said that they have ‘nothing but praise’ for the manager and staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2778324 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, such as being missing from home, all relevant details are in the risk assessments, such as known addresses where the child may attend during missing- from-home episodes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide is made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed and that it includes relevant information about the home, such as the staff who work there. This will provide children with information on who will be caring for them when they move into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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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: 2778324 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priority Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 297 Radford Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 5QJ

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2778324 6 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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