Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today Children's Services in Stockport

Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 1 SC008486 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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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 children’s home is registered to provide care for up to six children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since July 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2024 Full Good 21/11/2023 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 04/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm, comfortable space with a large garden, living area and kitchen. Their bedrooms are spacious and personalised. The children’s ideas about the decoration of the home are shared with staff, and refurbishments are swiftly undertaken. Children’s achievements are celebrated, and photos capturing these moments are on display.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved in, and one has moved out. These were planned moves, and the child leaving was supported by staff to understand the reason for the move. This meant the child was moved forward in a positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting relationships with staff who offer emotional warmth, which helps children feel secure. Staff recognise the value of children’s family ties and work hard to maintain children’s relationships, which supports their sense of identity. Children are encouraged to develop friendships and have opportunities to stay with friends when it is safely assessed for them to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are preparing to join educational settings after facing challenges in mainstream schools. The manager works collaboratively with professionals in education to tackle barriers to children’s learning. The manager advocates for children and raises concerns with key stakeholders. Children are encouraged to supplement their education creatively through music and mentoring opportunities. This builds children’s confidence and self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each week, children attend meetings to discuss their thoughts and feelings. Activity planners capture trips to theme parks, go-karting circuits, trampolining and restaurants. Children also enjoy home-based activities such as movie and games nights.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to personal computers and consoles. These are closely monitored by staff, who ensure children’s safety and support their online achievements. Door monitoring is in place with the use of sensors, which the manager reviews regularly with staff. However, these have not been reviewed with placing authorities. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have nutritious diets, which include foods from different cuisines. Children are encouraged to develop their independent cooking skills alongside staff. Children’s health needs are recognised, and they are encouraged to attend health appointments. If appointments are missed, these are quickly rescheduled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional needs are prioritised. Children feel able to share their feelings in the knowledge that staff will respond to their needs sensitively. They receive help to access appointments with child and adolescent mental health services. A clinical psychologist also offers staff clinical consultations to enhance the support available to children. This is an area of ongoing development. Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 4 Children’s diverse needs are recognised and embraced. They receive support to explore their life stories, and their cultures are celebrated. One child in the home has explored their Muslim heritage and had the chance to visit the mosque and receive a visit from a local Imam, who shared insights about Islamic culture.

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

Children are kept safe in the home. The manager and staff are clear about the children’s risks. They assess risk and take appropriate steps to minimise them.

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

Children’s risk assessments are detailed and updated when necessary. Safety plans are put in place for children where required. Since the last inspection, there has been a low number of missing-from-home episodes. When children do go missing from home, staff go out and search for them and liaise with family, friends and relevant partner agencies.

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

Safeguarding concerns are investigated thoroughly, and actions are taken promptly. One professional said, ‘There is a clear line of communication, and managers take a diligent approach to sharing information when required.’

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

Each child has their own behaviour support plan. Children’s behaviours are understood, and good behaviour is encouraged. Staff have the expertise to support children to regulate their emotions and behaviours. This means any incidents are well managed. Children reflect on their behaviour via meaningful direct work with staff.

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

Restraint is only used as a last resort to keep children safe. Following incidents, children take part in a child-focused debrief within an appropriate timeframe. Staff are also debriefed appropriately and in a timely manner.

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

Recently, the manager has introduced a more restorative approach to consequences. This includes children apologising for their actions in writing or with kind gestures. This helps children learn from their actions.

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

Recruitment procedures and robust checks are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting work. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified. She has worked in the home for some time. The manager is highly ambitious and aspirational for the children. She speaks warmly and passionately about their progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are suitable staff in place who know the children well. Staff say that they work well together. They like working in the home and feel very well supported. Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 5 The manager uses many systems to monitor the quality of care provided to children. She understands the strengths and areas for development. For example, the manager makes good use of critical analysis and evaluation following incidents in the home. This helps staff learn from incidents to improve practice and processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place on a weekly basis. They are well attended. The manager uses a reflective framework, which helps her examine children’s experiences and understand what went well and what could be improved. Recently, the use of the in-house therapist has helped staff to develop strategies for future situations, and she now holds monthly child-centred support sessions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision, and annual appraisals are completed. However, the records lack detail, and there is a missed opportunity for the manager to test out staff knowledge and what they have learned from training. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is high importance placed on training. This is specific and relevant to the needs of the children. The manager uses research-informed practice and provides the staff with upskilling workshops on topics such as sleep awareness, bereavement and identity. This means children are cared for by staff who are equipped with the relevant skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers advocate well for the children and work effectively with professionals. Feedback from professionals is positive. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] has a great relationship with staff. They are happy there, and staff really care about them.’ Another said that staff are proactive, and they work well with the family. Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where monitoring or surveillance is used in the home, this is regularly reviewed with the child’s placing authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should ensure that supervision records are detailed and reflective of staff’s practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC008486 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sean Fitzpatrick and Ellen Fitzpatrick

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC008486 8 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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