Children's home run by Footsteps a Path to Change Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476008 1 SC476008 Registered provider: Footsteps a Path to Change Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476008 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Good 24/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/06/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC476008 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in all aspects of their care. They are cared for by a staff team that is dedicated to providing nurturing care. Relationships between children and staff are meaningful and built on trust. Children enjoy spending time with staff, as well as having lots of fun with the home’s therapy dog.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home, and one child has moved in. Children’s moves are well planned. One child who has moved out of the home calls each week to speak to the manager and staff. The child said, ‘The staff were brilliant.’ Staff offer children unconditional commitment, which fosters a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff prioritise children’s education. The children living in the home have both struggled to attend school. Managers and staff work closely with educational professionals to ensure that children are supported in line with their needs. When children cannot access formal education, staff provide educational opportunities in the home. The children enjoy learning and developing essential skills for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents speak positively about managers and staff. A parent said, ‘Staff put [name of child] before anything else.’ Staff have strong communication links with parents to ensure that they remain a key part of the children’s care. This enables children to remain connected to the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s voices are at the forefront of their care. Children feel comfortable speaking to staff about personal issues. Staff listen without judgement and ensure that children feel heard. This helps the children to grow in confidence and feel comfortable being themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are attuned to the children’s needs. They understand children’s behaviours and respond in a way that is curious and nurturing. However, there is a lack of clarity for one child about when they can use their technology. This sometimes leads to the child feeling frustrated due to the rules being unclear.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. They assist children in identifying strategies to reduce their risks. Staff discuss risks with children to create their individual plans. However, the plans do not clearly indicate the number of staff required to care for each child. This has not affected children’s safety.

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

When children make allegations, staff follow the guidance, and managers ensure that the facts are thoroughly explored. Where shortfalls in staff practice are identified, managers act swiftly to address them. Children feel confident they will be heard. This has led to a reduction in the number of allegations made by one child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476008 4 Staff are skilled in de-escalation strategies. When children are distressed, staff respond calmly and sensitively. As a result, the number of physical interventions has reduced significantly.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, staff search for them and ensure that they return home safely.

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

Staff understand the importance of promoting positive mental health. When children struggle with their emotional health, managers and staff work closely with health professionals. Staff use their expertise to inform their practice. This provides children with care tailored to their needs and promotes their emotional well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager speaks warmly about the children and has their best interests at heart. Staff say they feel well supported, and there is a strong ethos of trauma-informed care in the team. Children are living in a home where the managers and staff strive for positive outcomes for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are used to enhance children’s care. The provider commissions a psychotherapist to attend these meetings. Together with the registered manager, they provide staff with a space to talk about children’s progress and identify areas for development. This ensures that there is a child-centred culture embedded into the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision sessions to support their professional development. Individual areas of responsibility are assigned to staff, such as online safety, diversity and inclusion. Staff are motivated to learn and improve their skills and knowledge. This creates a positive environment for the children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight of the home is robust. Leaders and managers meet regularly to review safeguarding incidents and identify emerging trends. They also explore alternative strategies to reduce risks for children. As a result, staff practices are continuously developing to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive training specific to the children’s needs. When new vulnerabilities emerge for a child, leaders and managers identify the relevant training. This ensures that staff can develop their strategies to care for children more effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476008 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children participate, when possible, in the development of behaviour management strategies and agreements, that they clearly define expectations, and that staff assist each child in striking a balance between staying safe and making appropriate choices. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.35)  The registered person should ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance on how to keep children safe. This includes specifying staff ratios in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.35)  The registered person should ensure that feedback is gathered from children, families and professionals for inclusion in the quality of care review report to ensure continuous improvement and to sustain good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC476008 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Footsteps a Path to Change Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Landmark House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 7BS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Davies

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Inspectors

Danielle Allen, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476008 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 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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