Children's home run by Partners in Care Limited in Leeds

Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 1 SC053145 Registered provider: Partners in Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Both children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted an application for registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2024 Full Outstanding 04/07/2023 Full Good 05/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from the home’s warm, nurturing environment. They have access to a large garden, a living area and a dining room. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and the home is adorned with children’s artwork and photos of them having fun with staff. Children are encouraged to share their ideas about the home’s decoration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have formed strong relationships with staff, which gives children a sense of permanence and stability. Children enjoy spending time with staff, playing board games or watching movies. Children have had opportunities to take age-appropriate risks in safe settings, including going rock climbing and scuba diving, and plan holidays. This helps them build a sense of personal resilience and achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff prioritise children’s time with their families and support children to make friends in the local community. Children regularly meet their friends at the local village green, and they have taken part in sleepovers with friends following assessment by their social worker.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views are gathered daily. Children talk to staff about the activities they want to take part in. This has included going to fan conventions, Pride events and museums. Children have monthly meetings with staff to share their views about the care they receive. This influences staff practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children attend education every day and are making exceptional progress. The manager has challenged professionals when children face barriers to education, and swift action is taken to ensure that children’s learning is prioritised. Staff have high aspirations for children’s futures, and this has helped build children’s self-esteem. Children have strong ambitions for their future careers, which staff support them to explore.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from nutritious meals from a broad range of different cuisines. They contribute to weekly menus that take account of their dietary preferences. One child has an individual shopping budget, which supports their independence and allows them to make choices about their diet. Staff monitor this to ensure the child’s chosen diet is balanced and varied.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health needs are well understood, and they attend all necessary health appointments. One child has been supported by the manager for a fast-track assessment that will support their emotional well-being. This means that the child will receive the right support to meet their needs.

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

Children’s safety is prioritised. The manager and staff have an exceptional understanding about the risks that children face. Children contribute to their risk Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 4 assessments, which gives them a sense of ownership. Risk assessments are thorough and are reviewed regularly to ensure that children’s risks and the strategies to manage them are up to date. As a result, there have been no incidents of children going missing from the home since the last inspection. One social worker commented that the staff approach to risk is ‘consistent and dynamic’.

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

Children’s behaviour support plans promote individualised de-escalation strategies that minimise the use of physical intervention. Physical intervention is a last resort and is seldom used. Staff use their close relationships with children to manage difficult situations safely. If a child is physically held, thorough debriefs are carried out with children and staff to consider any learning from the incident.

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

With the support of staff, children receive consistent care for their mental health, and key workers have supported one child to access long-term therapeutic intervention. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in the risk of self-harm for the child. Children trust staff, which means they feel able to share incidents that have caused emotional distress.

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

Children benefit from strength-based, child-centred, key-work sessions focused on their individual needs. This includes work linked to safe relationships, equality and diversity, knife crime and self-harm. Staff have completed training linked to children’s individual needs and have used research to inform their practice. This has ensured that children’s diverse needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The interim manager has worked in the home for some time and is suitably experienced and qualified. He is highly ambitious and committed to securing the best possible outcomes for the children in his care. The manager is supported by a deputy manager who shares his enthusiasm. Staff speak highly about their focus on professional development, with one staff member saying that the home has a culture of ‘continuous development’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager uses many systems to monitor the quality of care provided to children. He understands strengths and areas for development. For example, the manager makes good use of monthly reports from the independent person, tracking systems and development plans to ensure that children’s needs are being met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers advocate strongly for children and work effectively with key stakeholders. Partner agencies spoke candidly about the manager’s and staff’s communication. A special educational needs coordinator said, ‘Their communication is excellent; they leave no stone unturned.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team is stable, and those who have moved on have been promoted into senior roles within the organisation. Staff have a broad range of experience, and they work Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 5 cohesively to achieve the best outcomes for children. Staff spoke overwhelmingly of feeling valued by leaders and managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

New staff benefit from comprehensive training and induction, while those with more experience are supported to gain specialist qualifications. Agency staff have not been used, and several staff spoke of their commitment to working flexibly to ensure that the children receive consistent care from familiar adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from clinical consultation that helps them to understand children’s therapeutic needs. This has supported them in implementing trauma-informed approaches and research-based practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have regular supervision, which is reflective. Appraisals are completed annually; however, these would be enhanced with the inclusion of feedback from children and external professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC053145 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Partners in Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kealey Rushworth

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Inspector

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC053145 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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