Children's home run by Partnerships in Care 1 Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1247390 1 Registered provider: Partnerships in Care 1 Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered with both Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. It provides care for up to eight children with emotional health needs and who may self-harm.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

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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: 1247390 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/04/2022 Full Good 30/11/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1247390 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspectors spent time with children and some shared their views on their experiences and quality of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have positive relationships, and their interactions are playful and caring. Staff encourage children to express their views through everyday conversations and during weekly catch-ups. Staff tell children that their views are important, and they seek to involve them in their care planning. For example, staff encourage children to attend multidisciplinary team meetings. Most children have the confidence to discuss their wishes and feelings with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have lived at the home for a lengthy period, and staff have offered them stability and unconditional care through difficult times. This has supported them to make considerable progress. Their mental well-being has improved, and incidents involving self-harm have decreased in frequency and severity. One child has strengthened bonds with her family. The other child is developing a passion for education and aspires to be a veterinary nurse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are making progress from their individual starting points, attributable to the personalised care delivered by staff. Children are supported in exercising improved self- care, including keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy. Children’s health needs are prioritised, and they are managed sensitively. The home is now a smoke-free environment, including vapes, and children have a dedicated staff member who supports them with smoking cessation. Children are developing independence skills, such as grocery shopping, cooking meals and doing their laundry.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff are committed to helping children make progress with their education. They supported a child in sitting her GCSEs in the home, ensuring that exam invigilation requirements were met. They have assisted other children in visiting colleges and applying for courses. When staff identify that children encounter barriers to learning, they take action to address this. For example, they ensure that children access specialist assessments to ascertain their learning needs.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks. Their approach to caring for children is adaptable, depending on each child’s mood, presentation and behaviour. Staff recognise that children will not automatically stop self- harming because they live at the home. They are mindful of such concerns while also allowing children an appropriate degree of freedom. The therapy team assists children in processing their lived experiences and exploring their emotions. Inspection report for children’s home: 1247390 4 Leaders and managers have changed the home’s model of care. Staff are now taking a more proactive approach when they support children in crisis, anticipating how children might behave and physically intervening to reduce the likelihood of high-risk incidents. Children still self-harm under the direct supervision of staff, but it is often superficial and treated with first aid. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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

Since the assurance inspection, there has been a decrease in behavioural issues and missing-from-home incidents. The home is relatively settled, with no significant or notifiable incidents occurring for a period of two and a half months. This is quite an achievement for the staff team and the children. It demonstrates that staff interventions are effective in helping children use healthier coping strategies. Children are also benefiting from more mental stimulation through education, engaging in hobbies and partaking in activities together.

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

Relationships between children, particularly those who have recently moved in, are sometimes strained. Staff are aware that children feel aggrieved by their peers’ words and actions during unpleasant exchanges. When staff notice tension between children, they take appropriate steps to intervene, such as speaking with them about boundaries, encouraging them to remain calm and suggesting they find a quiet space. Staff interventions have prevented children’s behaviours from escalating in these instances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been on an improvement journey since the last full inspection. Managers have made tangible changes over the past six months attributable to the appointment of a new responsible individual who is supporting the registered manager and staff team to fulfil their roles. The registered manager feels rejuvenated by the responsible individual’s support and input, which has motivated her to address long-standing shortfalls in care. Staff are more child focused and committed to achieving positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual and registered manager reviewed the training package offered by the organisation and recognised that it did not equip staff with sufficient knowledge to deliver effective trauma-informed care. They rectified this by sourcing external training, and in the meantime, the responsible individual delivered training to the team, helping them to improve their practice. Staff are well supported by the registered manager and deputy manager, whom they describe as ‘approachable’. They receive regular supervision and speak positively about the development opportunities in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are determined to improve the service and are taking steps to achieve this. For example, the home intends to work in partnership with a children’s hospital, enabling the children to access their education programmes. They are in the process of creating space that will have desks and laptops for children to use. Leaders consider how to help children engage with other agencies when necessary. They think creatively to breakdown any barrier and this is impacting positively on how children view other professionals and the support they can offer. Inspection report for children’s home: 1247390 5 The registered manager works collaboratively with other professionals while maintaining the confidence to challenge their decision-making, advocating in the children’s best interests. For example, they support children and their families to have a voice when decisions are made about their future they don’t agree with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: 1247390 6

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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: 1247390 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Partnerships in Care 1 Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seventh Floor, 7th Floor, 3 Shortlands, London W6 8DA

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Inspectors

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Gary Turney, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1247390 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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