Children's Home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 1 SC479230 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to three children who may have experienced trauma which has resulted in social and emotional difficulties. Three children were living at the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2021. She is suitably experienced and qualified.

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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: 16 January 2024

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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: SC479230 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2024 Full Good 16/01/2023 Full Good 08/02/2022 Full Good 04/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Children benefit from living in a stable home and are making good progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive warm, consistent and nurturing care from staff who acknowledge their strengths and understand their needs. All children were spoken with as part of the inspection. They are happy. One child said, ‘Staff are amazing.’ This creates an environment where children can talk to staff about their feelings or any worries they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school daily. Strong partnership working between staff and teachers helps children to engage well in school and they are making progress with their learning. One child’s teacher said, ‘The carers have demonstrated a strong commitment to the child’s education and well-being, working collaboratively with school staff to promote their progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide opportunities for children to pursue their interests and take part in activities of their choice. For example, one child attends Cadets and another child is taking part in horse riding. Children receive help to develop their independence skills; they are encouraged to cook and are given opportunities to learn about budgeting. This helps them to prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with people who are important to them, with support from staff when needed. Staff arrange for children’s friends to visit the home and for children to meet their friends in the community. This helps children to maintain good peer relationships and develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend routine medical appointments. Children also have access to specialist support, such as child and adolescent mental health services. Good support and access to services ensure that children’s health and well-being are promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been improvements to the home environment since the last inspection. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and there are books, games and toys for children to play with. However, there is not appropriate accommodation for all staff to sleep in the home when supporting children at night. This means that one staff member is sleeping in a communal room downstairs in the home.

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

The manager and staff understand the importance of keeping children safe. They are confident in raising and escalating concerns about children’s welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 4 Staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. They talk to children about these and take steps to educate them on how to keep safe. For example, staff have spoken to one child about the dangers of exploitation and substance misuse. This good support enables children to learn about risks and helps them to make safer choices.

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

For one child, the frequency of them going missing from home has reduced since they have been living at the home. Staff follow the child’s agreed plans. They actively look for the child and support them to return home. Staff talk to children about why they went missing and try to reduce the chance of this happening again.

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

The use of physical intervention is rare. When this is required, it is used as a last resort and to ensure children’s safety. The manager has oversight of all incidents; opportunities are provided to staff and children to reflect on and learn from them.

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

When children have raised concerns about staff, these have been taken seriously. Managers share information and work closely with social workers, schools and the local authority designated officer. They ensure that concerns are thoroughly investigated. This promotes children’s safety and welfare.

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

When children make complaints, these are listened to. The manager keeps detailed records of complaints, responds to them and seeks feedback from children. This practice ensures that children feel heard and gives them the assurance that their complaint has been taken seriously.

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

The manager has effective recruitment systems in place. This reduces the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager consistently models a caring and nurturing approach towards both staff and children. This approach has created a caring and motivated staff team that provides consistent and effective care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Families and professionals speak positively about the care and support children receive. One social worker said, ‘They are brilliant, especially the manager. She is great at communicating with me, keeping me in the loop, working together to make things as positive as possible for children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children receive appropriate care and support from skilled staff who are well trained. Supervision and team meetings take place regularly. This provides staff with an opportunity to reflect on and discuss each child’s current needs, and to seek advice. This supports children’s progress and the staff’s ability to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has some effective monitoring systems in place. However, medication recording errors have not been identified by the manager. This has not impacted on Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 5 children. However, it highlights that there are not yet effective monitoring systems in place in this area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One member of staff has not completed the required qualification in children’s residential care within the required timescale. While there is some mitigation, there is no system in place to monitor the progress the staff is making towards achieving this qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, on occasion, has not notified Ofsted of serious incidents in the home. Although this has not impacted on children, it does impact on the regulator’s ability to oversee the quality of care in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there,

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 13 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c)) 13 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). If this is not progressing appropriately, timely action should be taken to support completion of the qualification. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)  The registered person should ensure that the design of the home provides staff who sleep in the home overnight with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26) Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 7

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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: SC479230 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Platform Childcare, Suite 2 Millennium Court, First Avenue, Burton-on-Trent DE14 2WH

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Inspector

Kirsty Truesdale, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC479230 9 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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