Children's home run by The Place Young People’s Company

Inspection report children’s home: 2484055 1 Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company

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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 run by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties. There is a registered manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and two children have moved out. At the point of inspection, there were four children living at the home. The inspector observed all four children and spoke with three of them. The inspector also spoke with a young adult who left 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: 14 November 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 children’s home: 2484055 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Good 07/12/2022 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Good 17/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2484055 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive bespoke and individualised care. Staff know children well and provide genuine emotional warmth and care. Children enjoy positive and meaningful relationships with staff. Children and staff spend quality time together, including sharing family meals. Staff support children to develop sibling like relationships with each other, creating a family environment. This provides children with a sense of belonging and they like living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet children’s health needs well. Assessments made by specialist practitioners inform bespoke therapeutic care packages provided to each child to help them heal from past traumas. For example, two children access play therapy, and one child has received sensory integration therapy. As a result, children’s overall health improves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children achieve in education. When children are unable to attend school, staff are creative in their approach to home learning. Staff encourage and support children to engage in schoolwork. One child now attends full-time education after being out of school for two years. Other children are making excellent academic progress considering their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prepare and equip children to live independently. When children are ready to move out, staff help them to settle in their new home. Staff remain in contact with children where appropriate. This enables young people to have the best possible start to adult life. One young adult said, ‘I’ve definitely enjoyed having [the home] to talk to…they’ve made it feel a lot less lonely for me.’

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

Staff know the risks children can be exposed to. Safety plans guide staff on how to respond. Staff have regular discussions with children to help them understand their feelings and learn how to keep themselves safe. This is an effective approach to safeguarding. One child no longer requires a deprivation of liberty order as the frequency of self-harm and missing from home incidents have significantly reduced.

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

Staff hold children only as a last resort to keep children and others safe. When needed, the least restrictive measure and force are used. Staff and children receive appropriate support after each incident. The manager reviews each incident and uses any learning identified to improve practice.

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

Staff respond well to behaviours that are difficult to manage, such as physical aggression. Staff implement firm boundaries with empathy and understanding. Children engage in good routines within the home, helping them to feel safe and secure. Inspection report children’s home: 2484055 4 Children know how to complain. Children receive a prompt written reply from the manager, helping them feel heard and valued. Allegations of harm are safely managed. Appropriate agencies are informed, such as Ofsted and the local authority designated officer. Necessary safeguards are implemented while investigations take place, to protect children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides supportive and nurturing leadership. She holds high expectations for staff and supports them to improve and develop their practice. Staff enjoy working at the home and value her leadership. They work well as a team, promoting a harmonious family environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring and quality assurance systems in place. She has good oversight of the daily care provided to children. Regular internal and external audits are undertaken. Areas of shortfall are promptly identified and appropriately addressed. This helps to maintain good standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has positive working relationships with parents and professionals. She collaborates well with others and is effective in her communication. Feedback from external stakeholders is unanimously positive. This approach ensures children receive the right support and coordinated care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained in caring for children’s specific needs, such as autism spectrum disorder. They also have monthly consultation with a clinical psychologist. This helps to inform and guide staff in how best to respond to each child’s individual needs. As a result, staff feel effective and competent in their role. However, not all staff achieve the necessary qualification for their role in the time required. This is an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision from the manager. These one-to-one discussions provide opportunities for reflection and personal development. They also include important topics such as safeguarding concerns. However, the regularity of supervision is not consistent. A requirement was set at the last inspection and remains unmet. Inspection report children’s home: 2484055 5

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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, 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 ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supervision of staff taking place regularly.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 31 January 2025 Inspection report children’s home: 2484055 6 This particularly refers to ensuring that all staff are registered on the diploma and completing this to timescale.

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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 children’s home: 2484055 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke-on- Trent ST4 6NW

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Inspector

Emma Dacres, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2484055 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 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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