Children's Home run by Social Care Services Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC021684 1 SC021684 Registered provider: Social 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

The home is owned by a private provider. It can provide care for up to six children who may have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 18 August 2023.

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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: SC021684 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2024 Full Good 06/12/2023 Full Good 14/12/2022 Full Good 15/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC021684 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a home filled with laughter and positivity. They make wonderful progress due to the nurture and care provided by the staff. Managers and staff talk about the children with pride and warmth. Children’s care is at the centre of their practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy lots of fun activities. They have water fights and trampolining games in the large garden, as well as many other experiences outside of the home. One child has significantly increased their physical activity since living in the home. The child now often chooses to walk home from school with their friends. As a result, there have been great improvements to the child’s physical health as well as building their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to express their thoughts and feelings. One child has made significant progress in their verbal communication. When children struggle to communicate verbally, staff find alternative ways to help them share their individual choices and preferences. This means that children are empowered to make decisions and share their views in positive ways.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s transitions when moving out of the home are well planned. One child had a successful move out of the home due to managers and staff working closely with the professionals in the next setting. The child was able to build relationships with the new staff before their move, which reduced their anxieties. This structured but dynamic approach means that children look forward to their increasing independence. One child has moved into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of education for children. The children attend full-time education and are thriving in their individual schools and colleges. One child had been out of education for some time before moving into the home. Managers and staff considered the child’s barriers to accessing education so they could provide the right support. The child is now attending school full time and is enjoying learning and making new friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, and children have several areas to spend time together as well as individually to focus on their own interests. Areas of the home, such as the kitchen and one of the bathrooms, are being modernised by the provider. However, the use of some of the signage around the home is unnecessary, for example, there is a ‘no smoking’ sign on an internal door. Additionally, there are several areas that are in need of repair, such as the internal doors. This would ensure that children live in homely and well-maintained environments. Inspection report for children’s home: SC021684 4

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

Children’s risks are well managed by staff. Staff ensure that the children have fun while making sure they are safe. Children enjoy new experiences outside of the home as well as learning how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff know how to identify when children are upset at the earliest opportunity. They understand triggers for children and respond with individual strategies of comfort. This helps children to process their emotions, and incidents are de-escalated effectively.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that staff have clear guidance in children’s risk plans. They are individualised to each child’s needs. Staff follow the plans and update them when they identify new ways to support the children. This means that children’s plans are continually evolving to reflect the children’s development.

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

Effective management oversight of staff practice ensures that children are safe. When there have been shortfalls in staff practice, managers have taken the appropriate steps and acted with urgency. This ensures that there is a strong culture of safeguarding in the home.

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

When incidents occur, leaders and managers ensure that they notify the relevant professionals, including Ofsted. This ensures that there is independent scrutiny of the actions taken to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has significant knowledge and skills in caring for disabled children. Her leadership, together with the deputy manager and senior carers, ensures that children’s voices are front and centre of their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a positive presence in the home. Managers and seniors often practice alongside staff, and children feel confident in speaking with them about any concerns. As a result, managers identify and address any areas of development in staff practice immediately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a clear vision of delivering child-centred care. This is embedded through regular supervisions and team meetings where staff can reflect and develop their practice. This means that staff are motivated to develop their skills and improve their care of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that staff record information accurately. Children’s records are written with care and are free from professional ‘jargon’. This ensures that important information about the children can be easily accessed by the relevant people. Inspection report for children’s home: SC021684 5 Staff feel supported by leaders and managers. They are encouraged to lead on their own learning to improve their skills. However, the face-to-face learning opportunities offered to staff are limited. This is a missed opportunity for staff to apply research- based practice into their care. The provider has recently employed a psychologist to deliver training to staff to address this issue. Inspection report for children’s home: SC021684 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training, including sufficient face-to-face training, taking into account recent research and developments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm and welcoming environment that has a homely feel. Specifically, they should ensure that repairs are completed in a timely manner and that the use of internal signage is reviewed and removed where possible to ensure that the home does not feel institutionalised. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC021684 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Shaw Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 4AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Annabella Foulkes

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Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC021684 8 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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