Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services 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 privately owned children’s home offers care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post who started work at the home in May 2025. She has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. The children spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in 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

Date of last inspection: 5 November 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: 2561970 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2024 Full Good 04/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/03/2023 Full Good 08/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have continued to live in the home since the last inspection. They are all making progress, which has been assisted by their ability to build trusting relationships with the staff and manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff provide a supportive environment and are enthusiastic about children’s progress. This approach has led to a significant reduction in incidents in the home, specifically allegations and behaviour management episodes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in their education. For example, one child attends school every day and is enjoying his learning experiences. Two children now attend school regularly and have completed GCSE exams. This is considerable progress for these children after previously having lengthy periods out of education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have detailed health plans and are registered with the relevant primary healthcare services. They attend routine health appointments with good support and encouragement from staff. Children have access to the services they need to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their families and those who matter most to them. Staff sensitively help children to increase the time they are able to spend with their families. This enables children to make long-lasting, positive memories and helps to develop their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to express their wishes and feelings. They have regular house meetings with staff and individual key-work sessions to discuss their care. Because of this, children feel valued and their views contribute to the quality of care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that the home’s physical environment is well maintained and furnished. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and specific to their interests and needs. Furthermore, there are photos of children on display throughout the home. This homely atmosphere helps children to feel comfortable and valued in the home.

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

Children have thorough individual risk assessments. These are regularly reviewed and updated. They provide staff with clear information about the risks to children and how they should respond. Recording processes are good and evidence the action taken and the follow up work completed to help children learn to keep themselves safe.

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

Children are only held when it is necessary to keep them and others safe. The manager has oversight of all incidents, and debriefs take place with children and the staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 4 involved. This helps the manager to understand incidents and review the actions taken by staff. Restraint is only ever used as a last resort to protect children from harm, accident or injury, and is proportionate to their behaviour.

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

There have been no missing-from-home incidents since the last inspection. However, staff know the procedures to follow when a child is missing from home and ensure that they work together in a well-coordinated way, adhering to statutory guidance.

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

The management response to children making allegations against staff is generally good. Leaders act quickly to involve the relevant agencies, and they follow their child protection procedures effectively. However, managers have failed to notify Ofsted of allegations made against staff. This lack of due diligence does not promote children’s safety and welfare.

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

Children understand how to stay safe online. Staff use their training effectively to help children understand the risks when accessing the internet. The home’s internet system ensures that children only access age-appropriate content. The staff and manager regularly review this to ensure that children are having a safe online experience.

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

The inspector identified that some of the children were having a detrimental effect on each other. The manager has not ensured that staff consistently positively engage with children. There has been no long-term planning to mitigate potential problems. As a result, some children frequently become unsettled and behaviours escalate.

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

The manager ensures that staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all necessary checks. This helps to ensure that staff who work in the home are safe to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has changed since the last inspection. The manager is beginning to develop a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She is supported by a team of staff who are committed to helping children and improving their life chances and opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a range of training courses to help to develop their knowledge, skills and professional practice. New staff receive an induction programme and are enrolled on the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. As a result, staff are trained to meet the needs of the children in their care and gain the required qualification within timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive regular supervision. This means that they are being provided with regular opportunities to receive feedback on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders fail to ensure that the oversight and monitoring systems in place fully support the development of the home. For example, the home has recently had some Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 5 challenges but there has not been any reflection by managers with the staff to promote learning and share valuable information. This means that any lessons learned from incidents or instances where there have been shortfalls in practice have not been shared with staff. This lack of open discussion does not promote a learning culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work effectively with a range of other professionals, including social workers, school staff and health professionals. As a result, children benefit from coordinated care and make good progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that a staff debrief and review takes place. 31 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 31 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 7 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v))

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 July 2025

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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: 2561970 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke-on- Trent ST4 6NW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Emmaline Scoular

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2561970 9 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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