Children's Home run by New Focus Child Care LTD in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2724906 1 Registered provider: New Focus Childcare Ltd

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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 is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities. There is a permanent registered manager at the home, who is suitably experienced and qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. They were present and spent some time with the inspector.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2724906 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/10/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2724906 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child had a short but planned introduction to the home. The manager has an organised approach to care planning and has ensured that all necessary information is in place and forms part of the child’s records. Staff have been effective in adapting their skills to provide care for the child to meet their specific needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to make progress. The child’s care plan clearly sets out short- and long-term targets, and staff are knowledgeable about them. The child has made measurable initial progress since moving to the home. A key area of progress is increasing their community access, for example going out to the park and safely spending time alongside others. They have also enjoyed trips out for milkshakes, long car drives and local walks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have embedded clear routines, and the child really enjoys attending school as part of this. Managers and staff have established good and effective communication with the school. This includes sharing information and strategies to increase the consistency of their care across both settings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to be healthy in terms of a balanced diet, promoting good sleep patterns and increasing independence in personal care and hygiene tasks. Staff have been proactive in helping the child to access routine and emergency healthcare when required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is helped to share their views and make choices about their daily life. Staff use creative approaches. This includes the use of symbols and mood boards to support their communication needs. Staff show curiosity and ask the child for their ideas. For example, the child has made clear choices about how to celebrate their upcoming birthday. Staff have listened and actioned the child’s wishes.

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

Staff talk to the child about relevant and important topics to help them learn about being safe, such as fire evacuation and road safety.

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

They produce social stories to aid the child’s understanding. They provide clear guidance and boundaries to the child. As a result, they are learning what is expected of them, for example having kind hands and making good choices.

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

Since the child moved to the home, there have been a number of times when staff have been required to physically intervene in their behaviour. Incidents are well managed by staff, and they actively use de-escalation strategies. The manager has good oversight and is very reflective and analytical in her approach to reviewing incidents. Staff talk to the child following incidents, with a focus on learning and promoting positive behaviour. Inspection report for children's home: 2724906 4 This action also swiftly restores the child’s relationship with staff. However, managers do not consistently speak with the child following incidents. This is often done by the staff involved in the intervention. This reduces the opportunity for the child to share their views and raise any concerns.

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

The staff team is trained in physical intervention strategies. However, due to the nature and frequency of incidents, the manager has been proactive and arranged specialist training bespoke to the child’s individual needs and behavioural patterns.

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

The manager discusses specific risks with relevant professionals to seek their input and, where needed, their consent. For example, they discuss safeguarding measures for safety when travelling in the car. Furthermore, staff are reflective and share ideas and strategies for helping the child keep safe and make progress. The manager has developed a culture where staff are keen and confident to share ideas, and their ideas are respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aspirational for the progress the child can make living at the home. She is reflective about the children who have moved on and shows concern and hope for their long-term outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are sufficient staff currently working at the home. As the provider is going through a period of growth, there are surplus staff recruited for homes that are not yet operational. Therefore, two staff are working at the home on a secondment basis. The child does experience consistency and has been able to build up trusted relationships with familiar staff. Recruitment is ongoing, and managers are vigilant in ensuring that staff are safe to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A broad range of training is provided to staff that covers relevant topics in line with the home’s registration. In response to the child’s specific needs, enhanced and bespoke training has been provided in autism. This has further upskilled the staff. There has recently been an increase in the number of staff who have completed their qualification. As a result, most of the staff team is now qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, including managers, receive regular supervision, and detailed records are made. Managers undertake staff appraisals and really promote their development through this process. Managers hold and record important discussions with staff to address any practice and conduct concerns in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider commissions therapeutic services for assessment and therapy for children and in relation to staff development. However, this is not currently delivered in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Managers have recently liaised with the service to secure a more flexible and bespoke support package.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is organised in her approach and, as such, has good oversight at the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2724906 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. This includes any therapeutic services commissioned for children and staff development, being reflective of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)  The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access advocacy support to help them with this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

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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: 2724906 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Focus Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit A4, Dewsbury Road, Fenton Industrial Estate, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 2TE

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Inspector

Alison Snell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2724906 7 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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