Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 1 SC426318 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the organisation in April 2024. A new manager has been recruited. They have not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. The child was present during the inspection and spoke to the inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/10/2023 Full Good 11/01/2023 Full Good 12/01/2022 Full Good 08/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and two children have moved out.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not fully take into account the needs of children when they move into the home. An abrupt transition, combined with poor planning, led to a child going missing on their first day. Staff were unable to provide effective support to meet the child’s needs, resulting in the child making limited progress during their time at the home. The child moved on from the home after a short time, leaving in an unplanned manner.

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in the home vary. Not all children have positive experiences, for example, one child received inconsistent care that did not align with the home’s statement of purpose. This left them frustrated and ultimately led to the child moving out of the home. In contrast, another child made significant progress and left the home in a positive and planned manner. This child has chosen to stay in contact with staff, frequently visiting their key workers and seeing them as part of their family, reflecting the strong relationships they built while living in the home.

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improvement to be good

One child continues to live in the home and is making some progress. The child talked about the trusting relationships they have with some of the staff. Positive and caring relationships were observed between the child and staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff have supported one child’s engagement in education, which has helped the child to make some progress. A member of school staff said, ‘The staff are very supportive of [name of child] and really care for [name of child].’

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improvement to be good

Some of the children’s health needs are met. Staff support children to attend all their health appointments. However, following one child’s health assessments, staff have not completed the necessary follow-up actions, which means some of the child’s health needs remain unmet. This could negatively impact the child’s overall well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to spend time with those people who are important to them, such as their family, and ensure that safe and meaningful family time takes place when appropriate. This approach helps the child to maintain relationships with people who are significant to them.

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improvement to be good

The home is decorated to a high standard and is a welcoming and warm environment. The child’s bedroom is personalised and reflects their individuality and interests. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 4

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently safeguard children when they go missing from home. Guidance outlined in children’s missing-from-home plans is not consistently followed, resulting in delays in reporting these incidents to the police and external professionals. When children return home, staff do not immediately notify professionals to inform them that children have returned home safely. Although the children have not suffered any significant harm when they have gone missing from the home, this poor practice does not promote the safety and well-being of children.

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improvement to be good

Managers generally take prompt action when complaints and allegations are made. They ensure that information is shared with the appropriate professionals to avoid delays and protect children from harm. However, when investigations are completed, senior leaders do not consistently share their outcomes with managers in a timely manner. This lack of communication prevents children being updated on resolutions, undermining their sense of trust and transparency in the leaders. This does not encourage children to raise allegations or help them to feel safe.

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improvement to be good

Two children experienced periods of crisis while living in the home and staff were not able to support their specific needs. On one occasion, staff called the police to ensure the child’s safety. Following these incidents, staff have not consistently spoken to the children. This prevents children from processing what happened and limits their opportunities for learning from these experiences. This failure to follow up does not provide children with the right guidance and support. This does not help children to feel they are supported in their home.

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improvement to be good

Staff know how to use physical intervention when necessary and use it only as a last resort, to keep children and others safe from harm. Following all incidents, children and staff review and reflect on what has happened.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment procedures are secure, which means children are cared for by suitable adults.

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

The registered manager post has been vacant since 8 April 2024. One interim manager recently stepped down from their position in the home. A second interim manager has been in post since 9 September 2024. They have not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted. The provider has recently employed a new responsible individual who started in their role a week before this inspection. This is the third responsible individual for the home since the last inspection. The responsible individual has yet to apply with Ofsted.

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

M anagement changes have caused uncertainty and insecurity among staff and external professionals. Staff say that changes in the management team have unsettled the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 5 One external professional said that, with all the staff and management changes, ‘communication has been poor’ and this has had a negative impact on the child.

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

Leaders and managers’ monitoring and review systems are ineffective. For instance, several gaps were found in recording practices. Children’s incident forms and reports of key-work sessions are not consistently updated, and discussions with staff following incidents are not always recorded. Managers lack professional curiosity when reviewing and evaluating incidents. As a result, managers have failed to identify shortfalls in staff practice or to take appropriate action to ensure that children are safe and well cared for. This has led to failings in the quality of care and the protection of children.

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

In addition, the home’s independent visitor has not consistently spoken to the children during their visits. This had not been identified and addressed by the manager. The absence of this feedback hinders opportunities for enhancing the home’s care and services and prevents children from having the opportunity to share their views about their care with an independent person.

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

Leaders have failed to consistently provide welfare support to the staff, which goes against the home’s statement of purpose. For example, the ongoing staff and management changes have led to low staff morale. Leaders have not provided staff with adequate welfare support to help them cope with the frequent management changes. This leaves staff feeling uncertain and unsupported. This does not promote a healthy staff culture.

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

Staff receive regular supervision to reflect on their practice. However, managers do not always support their learning. When concerns were raised about the ineffective management of incidents of children going missing, the manager was not able to provide robust guidance on how they support the staff to implement any learning from these serious incidents. This undermines the overall effectiveness of the home in providing good- quality and safe care for children.

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

Staff have annual appraisals which support them to identify future opportunities for their development. This helps staff to feel valued and motivated.

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

Staff have the required training to meet the current needs of the child living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 6

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 2 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 2 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 7 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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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)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring staff follow children’s missing-from-home protocols.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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;

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 2 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 8 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all leaders, including the responsible individual, offer welfare support to all the staff, in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Following investigations into allegations, leaders must share all information accurately with managers to ensure the safety and well-being of the children, as well as to maintain a safe and nurturing environment.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders must ensure staff work collaboratively as a team, fostering a healthy and supportive workplace culture within the home.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders must ensure that all staff have the required experience to support and help children when children go missing from home.

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Requirement Due date

Monitoring systems must be effective in quickly identifying any shortcomings.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and 2 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 9 well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that children’s health assessments are properly carried out and all necessary actions are completed, providing the support needed for children to lead emotionally and physically healthy lives.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that a record is maintained of all visitors to the home, including when the home’s responsible individual visits. All visitors’ full names and the purpose of their visit must be clearly documented.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the registered person ensuring that, following every incident, children are spoken to. All conversations children have with staff or professionals should be recorded, dated and included in the children’s records. 2 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the independent visitor speaks with all the children during their visits. 2 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 10

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Recommendation

 The registered person should challenge children’s placing authorities if the manager is dissatisfied with the decisions made by local authorities regarding new children’s moves into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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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: SC426318 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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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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Inspectors

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC426318 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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