Children's home run by Platform Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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Full inspection 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 organisation. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 1264286 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2023 Full Good 07/11/2022 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Good 27/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home and four children have moved out. There were two children present at the time of inspection. Both children shared their views with the inspector. One child who had moved out had a successful return to their family. Another had a successful move to semi-independent living. For those children, the moves were positive and planned. For one child their move followed a short emergency period in the home. The provider was unable to meet their needs on a long-term basis as these needs became more apparent. For another child, the provider worked with the local authority to find an appropriate placement when their needs changed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that they like living at this home. One child said that staff always listen to them. They said that if they had a problem they would go straight to the manager, and they said that they are well cared for. Another child who has recently moved out said they thought the home was ‘doing great’ and that they were a ‘changed person’ as a result of the support they have received.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff get to know children and build trusting relationships with them. These trusting relationships contribute to children making progress in a variety of areas. Children are making progress with their education. Children who were not accessing education prior to moving in are now doing so. When children are not in education full time, staff support educational activity at home and encourage children to take part meaningfully with learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff, and this helps them to make progress with their independence. For example, children enjoy cooking and spending time in the large kitchen/diner. There are recipe books lined up and both children were observed to do lots of baking. This encourages social time, provides opportunities to model healthy lifestyles to children and for children to learn new skills. One child has been helped to successfully move into semi-independent living and another child talked about how staff help them to budget, food shop and cook. Weekly reviews include naming children’s independence achievements. This supports children’s confidence, skills and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like their personalised bedrooms. Staff help children to decorate these to their interests and encourage them to create individual spaces. There are photos of children, and their artwork and spaces set up for relaxing, playing games and doing arts and crafts. This helps to show children they belong and that their various needs are considered.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are examples where staff have built established, positive relationships with children’s families. One parent said that the home was ‘friendly, professional and fantastic’ and said they were ‘forever grateful’ to the home. They commented on how staff got to know their child and helped them learn about their emotions. This child said, Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 4 ‘I’m a changed person to how I was before’ and described being helped to cope with their emotions. Another parent said the staff take ‘good care’ of their child and their child gets on ‘really well with most staff’.

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improvement to be good

Children feel safe in the home. However, there are several areas where the help and protection afforded to children has fallen short of good. Although this has not affected the overall judgement of children’s care in this home, and children have received a good experience overall, unchecked these shortfalls risk undermining those experiences.

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improvement to be good

Most allegations and disclosures are reported by the manager to relevant professionals in a timely way. However, there has been one occasion when a child said they were hurt during a restraint and managers failed to notify Ofsted or the local authority designated officer. This limits the external oversight of the home and fails to ensure that leaders, managers and staff are always acting in the best interests of children. The child was spoken to by the manager the following day and chose not to pursue the allegation or make a complaint.

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improvement to be good

There are processes in place when new staff are recruited to work at the home. Children have a say about the sort of person they would like to work at their home. This helps them to feel empowered and to have their voice included in decision-making. However, the manager has not always followed up information that should have provoked curiosity during the recruitment process.

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improvement to be good

On occasions, staff use consequences in response to inappropriate behaviour. However, on at least one occasion, the use of these consequences was not appropriately recorded. In addition, in response to a situation for one child, their access to the lounge was restricted for a short period of time. This was not an appropriate response to the specific concern.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour and risk plans are reviewed at least monthly and are individualised. These help staff have a good understanding of how to reduce the likelihood of harm. An example is the clear individual guidance for staff about what to do if children are missing from home. These plans are understood and followed by staff. This has helped staff ensure that children return home safely from missing-from-home incidents.

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improvement to be good

The staff generally support children with their behaviour well. For example, they have helped one child to find healthier ways to express their feelings, contributing to significantly less damage to property. For another child, their risk of self-harm has significantly reduced over time, and they have been able to develop ways to express themselves that are substantially more respectful towards others. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a permanent registered manager, who is working towards completing her level 5 qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child focused. They show care and warmth towards the children, and they listen to what they have to say. The manager enjoys spending time with children and builds strong relationships with them. Interactions between staff and children are positive, warm and natural. They offer praise and encouragement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Measures are in place to monitor the progress of children. Leaders and managers ensure that reports for statutory reviews provide helpful summaries of children’s progress, barriers to progress and include the direct voice of children. Their progress is measured on a weekly basis, celebrates their achievements and identifies areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been examples of when practice has fallen below expected standards. When this has occurred, managers have responded appropriately so that concerns can be explored, and there is opportunity for learning. This increases the potential to prevent similar occurrences. Recently, there has been more stability within the staff team, which has supported consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training and development are valued and are a focus for the manager. She is motivated to continue to develop and learn to deliver the best care. There is an individualised staff training programme. Staff are up to date with a range of training and receive a mixture of both face-to-face and online learning relevant to the needs and risks for children. This generally enables them to have the skills and knowledge they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said the manager is supportive and readily available. Supervision of staff is structured and encourages reflection. Leaders have introduced two deputies to support in the last six months, which is contributing towards stability and focusing on staff and development. There has been a focus on team building and using role play within team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 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. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 25 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 25 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child’s placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, Paragraph 11.5)  The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 7 this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. In particular, ensure that there is a consistent approach to applying consequences and that they are properly recorded, include the voice of the child and are reviewed to ensure they are effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 1264286 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Limited

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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

Carrie Twinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1264286 9 regulates 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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