Children's home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC434520 1 SC434520 Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education 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

This home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024 and holds a leadership and management qualification at level 5.

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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: 28 February 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: SC434520 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2024 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 10/03/2022 Full Good 20/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC434520 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and three have moved in. There are currently four children living in the home. Two of the children have lived in the home for over two years. All four children are settled and making progress in areas that are specific to their individual needs. This is largely due to the positive relationships that are enjoyed by staff and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive excellent care, which is underpinned by a good knowledge of research- informed practice. This includes the home’s therapeutic model, which is at the heart of staff’s child-focused approach. The children’s care plans are personalised and effective, resulting in good progress for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and managers ensure that the home is extremely well presented. It is welcoming and well furnished and includes personalised touches. Photos of the children and staff enjoying activities are displayed throughout, creating a homely and inclusive environment. While most children have bedroom arrangements that support their individual needs, one older child currently does not have an en-suite bathroom and would benefit from having one. There is scope for this to be provided without disrupting other children’s arrangements and managers are considering how to move this forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All four children have excellent attendance at their education provisions. Daily communication with the school staff ensures that the children’s daily experiences are well known. One education provider said: ‘The settled routines [child’s name] has in the home and consistency from care staff and home manager have been a contributing factor towards the child’s progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from most families is very positive, with one parent stating: ‘I haven’t had a single worry. I would give them 10 out of 10.’ One parent expressed a wish for more consistent and detailed updates, noting that the level of communication varied depending on which staff member they spoke with. Improving the consistency and quality of communication has been identified as a recommendation for development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build positive relationships with the adults caring for them. Children living in this home have experienced trauma and have complex needs. Staff get to know their individual needs and support them in an empathetic way.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities and how to minimise potential risks. They are guided by detailed risk assessments that are individual to each child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434520 4 Staff know the children well and are attentive and vigilant when caring for them. They quickly recognise signs that children are becoming unsettled and seek to understand how they are feeling. When incidents occur, staff use various de-escalation techniques to help the children communicate their needs.

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

Physical intervention is used only as a last resort, ensuring the safety of children and others. Staff reflect on any incidents to identify potential triggers for children, which helps inform practice and improves the management and prevention of similar situations in the future.

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

The staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Although there have been no instances of children going missing from the home since the last inspection, the staff know what to do should a child go missing either from the home or in the community. In addition, the staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe from unsuitable adults and implementing reporting mechanisms such as the whistle-blowing policy.

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

Staff are guided by health professionals and parents in meeting the children’s complex health needs. They appropriately promote healthy eating and children being active. Children’s support plans are updated in line with their changing needs. This ensures that the care children receive contributes to their optimal health.

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

The manager has completed an assessment of the risks in the local area. This is a comprehensive document which provides important information about the location of the home and the known risks. Agencies such as the police contribute to this document. This helps the staff to keep the children safe while out in the community.

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

When a child moved into the home, some specific health needs were not immediately identified which could have impacted on the health and well-being of the child. Once this was recognised, prompt and appropriate action was taken to address the concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that children receive good-quality care. He leads the home well and ensures that children have consistently good experiences and make good progress. Leaders and managers know the children well and speak about them with warmth and empathy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is good, and staff feel supported in their roles. Leaders make sure that staff have the training they need to best support the children they care for and that training offers good professional development. There are also regular team meetings where children are discussed so that any risks to children are highlighted and staff can be alert to these. One staff member said: ‘Working at [name of home] is more than just a job to me, it’s a privilege.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC434520 5 Leaders and the manager ensure that staff receive a comprehensive induction to support them in their roles. Staff benefit from regular supervision and an annual appraisal, which supports them to meet the children’s needs effectively. Staff are also aware of safeguarding protocols. For example, while there have not been any allegations made since the last inspection, staff are informed about what to do if this were to happen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings and good-quality handovers ensure that staff are individually supported and work well together as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff and the manager have developed effective relationships with partner agencies. Staff work closely with social workers, schools, local police and parents. They use this shared knowledge to ensure that children’s plans are in line with their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434520 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are fully prepared and have received training to meet children’s complex needs before they come to live at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.7, page 15)  The registered person should as far as is possible develop and maintain cordial working relationships with family members and support children to have positive family time. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 8.6, page 38)  The registered person should ensure that children have the arrangements for personal care that best meet their individual needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, paragraph 3.17, page 16)

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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: SC434520 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 90 King Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 1JB

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Mathew Morris-Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC434520 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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