Children's home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is currently vacant. An acting manager has been overseeing the management of the home. They have not submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2023 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Good 17/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The child says that they like living in the home. However, inconsistent care and shortfalls in oversight by leaders and managers mean that the child’s progress is limited, and their experiences are not always positive.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child’s care is planned in partnership with the placing authority and safeguarding agencies. When restrictions in accordance with an initial deprivation of liberty order were in place, the child was supported to adhere to them. However, since some restrictions have been lifted, the team has struggled to implement a consistent plan for the child and their daily plans and routines frequently change. Staff are not always aware of the changes or how to implement them and records are confusing. As a result, planning is inconsistent, and progress made by the child is not monitored effectively.

p.3

improvement to be good

Information provided to the child in the home’s children’s guide contradicts the limitations of the court restricted order and the child said this is confusing for them. The guide does not provide details of how a child can raise an in-house complaint without informing staff of their intention to do so. This does not ensure that the child has a clear understanding about what to expect in the home or of the different ways to raise their concerns.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child is beginning to make good progress in education. A personal education plan is in place and details the level of support provided to the child. A teacher said: ‘The child has excelled in maths and is on track to undertake GCSE examinations.’ Staff consistently liaise with the education provider and ensure that the child is organised and prepared for each school day.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child’s healthcare needs are suitably addressed. The child is provided with support and encouragement to attend healthcare appointments and address health concerns. The acting manager has been successful in securing weekly emotional health support for the child. Visits take place within the home and provide the child with opportunities to reflect on their lived experiences and take positive steps to move forward.

p.3

improvement to be good

Monthly consultation sessions are offered to the child. Sessions provide an opportunity for the child to express their views and opinions about their care and anything they feel could be done differently. The activities, including weekend trips away with staff and trips to places of interest, are regularly arranged. Staff encourage the child to engage and there are occasions when this has been successful. The child has formed friendships at school and in the community. This has supported them to become settled in the home and feel part of the local area.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are supporting the child to develop positive, trusting relationships. As a result, the child is now beginning to accept the support offered by staff. The child said: ‘I like it Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 4 here. It has been my longest placement and I want to stay. I like the staff; they are there for me. I used to be missing all the time but now I am not. I am learning to be different.’ Staff also support the child to spend time with their family.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is a clean, modern and homely environment. There is ample space for the child to have time alone or spend time with staff. Likewise, there are a range of age- appropriate books and board games available for the child. Photos of the child are displayed around the home. This helps the child settle and to develop a sense of belonging in the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

There has been a reduction in safeguarding incidents for the child. However, despite the commitment of staff to provide a safe and stable home for this child, procedures that are in place are inconsistent and lack evaluation. This means that opportunities to develop plans and strategies to keep the child safe have been missed.

p.4

improvement to be good

Risk management plans take account of previous and current risks. However, strategies to reduce risks are vague and lack guidance for staff to follow to keep the child safe. Oversight by managers is limited, strategies are not reviewed for effectiveness and there is no assessment of what is working well and what isn’t working well.

p.4

improvement to be good

Missing-from-home episodes for the child escalated throughout the summer period. The acting manager and staff consistently followed the home’s agreed protocol to secure the child’s safe return home. However, strategies to minimise the risk of a child going missing are not effective and are not routinely evaluated. Consequently, opportunities to reduce missing-from-home episodes have been missed.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff are trained in the use of physical intervention. When difficulties arise, staff are empathetic to the needs of the child and take effective action to ensure that matters are resolved quickly. However, strategies to manage the child’s reactions to difficulties are limited and at times have resulted in the child going missing from the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

There are occasions when the child’s room has been searched by staff. However, the child has not always been informed about this and records do not include where items that have been removed have been stored. This does not ensure that the child is included in searches of their room or kept informed about their belongings.

p.4

improvement to be good

Behaviour management strategies used in the home are not effective. Consequences for negative behaviours do not provide the child with helpful learning opportunities. The repeated use of the same consequence is not evaluated and therefore does not serve to help the child address their behaviours. A lack of management oversight means that patterns and trends in behaviours are not identified or addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 5

p.4

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

The home has operated without a registered manager since June 2024. The acting manager has not made an application to register with Ofsted and has now resigned from their post. A new manager has been appointed but has not yet started working in the home.

p.5

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

The acting manager and staff know the child well. They liaise with the child’s placing authority and external safeguarding professionals to ensure that the professionals around the child are kept informed about what is going on for the child. The child’s social worker is positive about the care and communication from the team and how the child has been supported to settle.

p.5

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

Not all staff have received suitable training specifically in relation to trauma-informed parenting and caring for a child who is on a deprivation of liberty order. This means that staff are not provided with the necessary skills and knowledge to work consistently and effectively with the child.

p.5

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

The acting manager regularly reviews records to ensure that documents are updated. However, the manager’s oversight is limited. This means that the content and quality of reports are not consistently scrutinised to identify patterns and trends. Therefore, opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of current plans and strategies are missed.

p.5

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

Staff receive regular supervision and are provided with opportunities to discuss recent incidents that have occurred in the home. Likewise, team meetings take place regularly and provide a forum to share experiences and offer additional staff support.

p.5

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

Since the last full inspection in May 2023, there have been inconsistencies in the independent visitor reports being received by Ofsted. This limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk management plans include clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe and that plans are kept under review. 6 December 2024

p.6

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— 6 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.7

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document; 6 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 8 ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

p.7

Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with.

p.8

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(d)(i)(ii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. Regulation 27 (2)(a)(b)) 6 December 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

p.8

Requirement Due date

Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)) 6 December 2024

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that evaluations of incidents, including going missing from home, consequences and room searches, are undertaken 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)  The registered person should ensure that when staff need to search a child’s bedroom, the child is informed of the reason this was necessary and a record made of where any removed items have been stored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 17, paragraph 3.20) Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 9

p.8

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: 2597738 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

p.10

Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2597738 11 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.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

p.11

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11