Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 1 SC467268

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Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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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 privately operated home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties. There is also a school on site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in September 2013. The registered manager post is vacant. The responsible individual post is also vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 December 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: SC467268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2023 Full Good 12/07/2022 Full Good 25/01/2022 Full Good 10/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 3

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improvement to be good

Two children currently live in this home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and three children have moved out. Two children moved out of the home as part of a planned transition and in line with their plans. However, one child moved from the home with immediate effect due to a significant safeguarding concern. Managers and staff completed some reflection and learning following this incident.

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improvement to be good

The children living in the home are settled and making good progress in all aspects of their development. The children experienced a consistent staff team until recently, when several staff members left at the same time. The interim manager has worked hard to lessen the impact of this change on the children. New staff have spent time getting to know the children and have developed positive relationships with them.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise that routine and boundaries provide stability and security for children. This has been vital in helping children to manage their emotional well-being in a calmer way.

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improvement to be good

The home provides a nurturing space for children to live; however, some issues were identified during the inspection. Some external areas of the home require additional maintenance to ensure that they provide a safe space for children. Additionally, an internal door between the lounge and conservatory was locked unnecessarily, which meant children did not have access to all areas of the home. The home has undergone some extensive renovations to add additional bedrooms. This work took place while the children continued to live in the home. This did create some disruption for the children due to different tradespeople entering and leaving the home for a period of time.

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improvement to be good

Staff enable children to influence their day-to-day care experiences. Staff spend time listening to children and provide opportunities for children to talk about their care, recreational activities and food choices. Children are encouraged to engage in chores in the home and to clean their own bedrooms, which helps to develop their independence skills. Children like that they can gain additional monetary rewards for engaging in the running of the home.

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improvement to be good

Children attend the on-site school, returning to the home at lunch and breaktimes. Both children did not attend school regularly before moving into the home and have made excellent progress in their attendance and behaviour in school. Staff ensure that children’s school and home life remain separate; however, they share positive relationships with school staff and ensure consistency of approaches to managing children’s behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 4 Staff encourage children to take part in various activities outside of the home, and they enjoy visiting the local skatepark and going ice skating. However, due to only having access to one vehicle, children have not been able to access activities on a daily basis if the other child requires the vehicle for visiting family or to attend appointments. Due to the rural location of the home, this has impacted on children’s ability to engage in activities, especially at the weekends. The children made a formal

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improvement to be good

complaint about this issue; however, effective action has not been taken to resolve the issue.

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improvement to be good

The staff help children to have positive experiences and improved outcomes. Children are encouraged to see the important people in their lives and are building safe and positive relationships with them. One child’s parent said, ‘It is a really good home, and I could not wish for a better home for him to live in.’

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and any concerns about their safety. Staff work well with a wide range of professionals, who are all complimentary about the staff team and its commitment to keeping children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff continually assess the risks for each child and take every necessary step to make sure that children are protected. Written assessments and plans provide clear information and guidance for staff. However, some new staff working in the home are not clear on the agreed supervision levels for children when using online games, as detailed in their plans. The interim manager took action to address this during the inspection and spoke to staff about this shortfall.

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improvement to be good

The interim manager and staff take decisive action when they have concerns about children’s welfare, such as them going missing from home. They actively look for children and welcome them back to the home, ensuring that they do not require any medical intervention. Staff work effectively with local authorities and the police to follow safety plans to manage and reduce risks to children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s understanding of some key risks, such as how to stay safe online and the risks of going missing from the home. However, children are not being adequately supported to develop their skills to manage the risks they will face when moving out of the home. For example, children do not have access to mobile phones or independence time in the community. Therefore, they do not have an opportunity to develop their resilience and ability to safely manage key risks in preparation for moving out of the home, when they will be given more freedom. This contributed to one child’s poor transition out of the home as they were not prepared for the significant changes.

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improvement to be good

Staff make sure that each child has clear and appropriate boundaries and expectations for their standards of behaviour. Staff deal with negative behaviours constructively and reinforce each child’s positive behaviour through praise and Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 5 rewards. However, the home uses several different ways to manage children’s negative behaviour, including with consequences. Records are not clear on exactly what consequence has been put in place. Records also do not include management oversight to confirm whether the measures used are effective or whether more restorative consequences are more appropriate.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to manage their own behaviour. When there have been incidents of children being held for their own or others’ safety, there is a clear record in place. Managers oversee the records and provide evaluation. Staff are supported to reflect on the incident and consider any learning. Children are provided with an opportunity to speak to someone following a hold; however, there have been occasions where this has been the same member of staff that was involved in the hold. This does not consistently provide the child with the opportunity to raise any concerns with someone who is independent of the incident.

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improvement to be good

The children say that they feel happy and safe living in the home. One child said, ‘This is the best home I have lived in.’ The children have staff who will listen to them and help them to manage their anxieties and worries. Staff’s professional practice and the safeguarding arrangements protect children from harm. Children also have access to an independent advocate, who commented, ‘They’ve [staff have] always encouraged the children to speak with me if there have been any issues. Both children are very happy with the care they receive.’

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good

The home has not had a registered manager since June 2024, when both managers left the home. An interim manager has provided management cover since this time. A permanent manager has recently been appointed. Due to the changes in management and staffing, there has been some instability for the children living in the home, and this has led to an increase in incidents during this time.

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good

The interim manager has had a positive impact as she knows the children well and shares a strong relationship with them. The requirements raised at the previous inspection have been met, and the operations manager ensures that any actions from the independent visits are completed.

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good

Children are suitably matched before coming to live in the home. Risks to children are considered and inform decisions around the suitability of new admissions. This ensures that the needs of the children are met safely.

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good

Staff receive child-focused supervision, and the staff team meets regularly to discuss any issues and reflect on any incidents for children living in the home. Staff receive training that is appropriate to the children’s needs. New staff to the home complete an in-depth induction and training programme. However, some staff started working in the home before this training was fully completed. During an incident in the home, a new staff member needed to physically intervene with a child to safeguard Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 6 themselves, despite not completing the relevant training. Staff’s lack of experience and training compromises the quality of care provided to children.

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good

Staff are happy working in the home, and the managers have plans in place to ensure that the staff team becomes more stable through active recruitment processes. The provider does not use agency staff. Staff from another home that is due to open shortly and other bank staff who are known to the children have covered shifts due to current vacancies. Safer recruitment practice is robust to ensure that only suitable people work with children.

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good

Leaders and managers have monitoring and review tools in place. However, these have failed to identify some of the shortfalls identified at this inspection. The record of training for staff is also incomplete as it only includes required training and not additional training completed by staff to support children’s individual needs. Additionally, although the statement of purpose has been updated and revised, it has not been sent to Ofsted when revisions have been made.

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good

The review of the quality of care does include children and stakeholders’ feedback and has identified some key areas of how the quality of care can be improved in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 7

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that staff working in the home have the necessary skills and experience to meet the needs of the children and have completed relevant training. Additionally, training records should accurately reflect the training completed by staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should have effective monitoring and review systems in place to ensure that shortfalls in the quality of care are identified and addressed. Additionally, monitoring systems should be in place to identify maintenance issues in and around the home and ensure that they are rectified in a timely manner. 27 January

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 27 January Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that consequences are clearly recorded, including a review of the effectiveness of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should ensure that children are spoken to by someone independent of the measure when it has been necessary to physically hold a child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 9 The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that means of transport are available on a daily basis to allow children to engage in their interests, activities and hobbies. 27 January

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 27 January Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 10 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that staff support children’s understanding of key risks they may face in the community and online and provide opportunities for children to develop resilience and skills to keep themselves safe in preparation for moving out of the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 27 January

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that consequences to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC467268 11

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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

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC467268 12 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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