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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 1 SC390576 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large private provider operates this home. Staff provide care for up to four children who have experienced childhood adversities. This has resulted in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2022. She holds a Level 5 Diploma in leadership and management for children’s residential care.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were 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

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: SC390576 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/06/2023 Full Good 01/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and two children have moved on. Staff supported one child to transition into semi-independent living, and another to move into a more suitable home. Both children formed positive relationships with staff, which has led them to maintain contact with staff and peers. Two children currently live in the home, one of whom has been resident for over two years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with those people who are important to them. Family time is well planned in collaboration with relatives, which contributes to a more organised and consistent approach. One parent told the inspector, ‘The home is fantastic, communication is absolutely brilliant—can’t fault them at all. Staff are amazing, they put in so much work. [Child’s name] is definitely making progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships among staff are supportive and trusting. Staff create positive experiences for children, including holidays and shared activities. They also provide a safe and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable expressing their feelings. Children said that they feel safe and ‘really like’ living in the home. Leaders and staff have developed a strong understanding of how to meet children’s needs, which contributes to children feeling a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make sustained progress in education. Leaders have worked collaboratively with education providers to develop bespoke plans for one child, resulting in improved engagement and academic attainment. Another child is supported to attend their education provision regularly and has recently completed all their GCSE examinations. This consistency has enabled the child to secure a conditional college placement for September 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and fitness are actively promoted. Staff encourage children’s participation in physical activities, including playing for local football teams. Attention is given to children’s holistic health needs, including their mental health. Leaders and staff make appropriate referrals when required, which have contributed to improvements in one child’s emotional well-being over time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment requires redecoration and maintenance. Some areas need to be repainted, deep cleaned and repaired. At the time of the inspection, leaders did not have a plan in place to address these issues.

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

Staff respond appropriately when children go missing from the home. They are vigilant and promptly identify when a child is leaving the premises. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child’s individual missing-from-home plan and act in accordance Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 4 with it. Relevant professionals are notified without delay, which has enabled them to locate children and return them home at the earliest opportunity.

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

Children feel confident in raising concerns with staff. Leaders and staff have created a culture in which children feel able to speak openly. Although no allegations have been made since the last inspection, children said that they know who they can speak to if they have any worries.

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

Staff provide suitable support when concerns around internet safety arise. They work collaboratively with external professionals, including the local authority and police. Bespoke key-work sessions are delivered to help children understand how to stay safe online and the legal implications of unsafe behaviour. As a result, children have developed a better understanding of online safety, and related incidents have reduced.

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

Staff respond effectively to incidents of self-harm. Leaders ensure that staff are appropriately trained, which has increased their confidence in managing such situations. Staff demonstrate empathy and care during incidents and ensure that support is sought for children from external professionals, such as child and adolescent mental health services. This approach has helped to keep children safe and has contributed to a reduction in the frequency of self-harm incidents.

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

Leaders do not consistently consult with professionals when reviewing the locality risk assessment. During the most recent update, the manager did not seek input from local services to inform her review of the area. As a result, it is unclear how the manager has assured herself that all relevant information has been considered.

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

Consequences are generally fair and effective when implemented. Staff ensure that children understand the reasons behind any consequences applied. However, records do not always clearly outline the instructions given, and management comments do not consistently indicate whether the consequence was agreed with or endorsed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post for over two years. She remains child focused and motivated to support children in making good progress. Staff feel well supported by the manager and said that they can speak to management at any time. They also confirmed that they receive regular supervision. The quality of supervision has improved since the last inspection and is now more reflective in nature. The manager places a strong emphasis on staff development to ensure that they are well equipped to carry out their roles effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed strong relationships with professionals outside of the home, which has helped to ensure that children receive the support they need. One professional said, ‘They are really good. [Manager’s name] is really good, she’s always on it.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 5 The manager regularly reviews the quality of care provided by staff. Robust monitoring systems are in place to identify areas for improvement. As a result of consistent oversight, staff deliver consistently good care to children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff are recruited safely to work at the home. Leaders carry out thorough checks to ensure that all required information is obtained. This process provides leaders with greater assurance that staff are suitable to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders provide staff with a range of training opportunities. The manager is proactive in sourcing relevant training, including in areas such as self-harm and safeguarding. Staff participate in group reflection sessions, which promote peer learning and development. This supports staff to be clear about their responsibilities. Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is well maintained at all times. 24 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). 24 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 7 When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Recommendation

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC390576 8

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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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Inspector

Chanel Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC390576 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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