Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 1 SC010090 Registered provider: Partners in Care 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

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in 2001.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2024 Full Good 23/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/10/2023 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, staff have provided the children with consistent care. The staff team knows the children well. However, the manager’s assessment for a new child moving into the home was not robust. After the child moved in, staff were unable to meet the child’s needs. This led to the child moving on from the home prematurely. Therefore, the child lived in the home for a short period of time and their experiences were not always positive. This also had a significant adverse impact on a child already living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Other children who have lived at the home for a considerable time make progress. Children are encouraged to develop their identity, interests and to share their wishes and feelings with staff. Staff encourage children to consider their future regarding their education and independence skills.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met by staff. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health as part of them developing their independence skills. Some children are prescribed medication. However, records do not demonstrate how this should be managed for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff take appropriate steps in response to children’s physical and emotional health needs. Referrals are made for support for children around their specific needs such as a dietician and access to CAMHS. Children benefit from the input of the provider’s psychological service on a weekly basis.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. One child’s parent felt that staff helped their child progress in key areas of their lives.

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improvement to be good

The home environment has had some areas of redecoration, but there are still areas that look worn and tired and require updating.

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improvement to be good

The risks for some children living in the home have reduced. However, there was an escalation in incidents when a child recently moved into the home.

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improvement to be good

There are clear plans in place for staff to follow with strategies to help reduce risks to children. However, staff do not follow these strategies consistently. Therefore, some incidents have escalated because not all staff have the necessary skills and experience to manage these incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 4 There has been an increase in physical interventions to prevent a child from causing harm to themselves and others. The manager supports staff to reflect on their practice and to consider more effective options. At times, staff debriefs are completed as a group. This reduces the opportunities for individual reflection and accountability.

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improvement to be good

Professionals and family members say that staff keep children safe from harm. Staff work with children to help them to understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff use planned online training modules for children as well as regular discussions with children about how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

There have been very few occasions when children have gone missing from home, and these have only been for short periods. Staff follow the protocols in place to help return children back to the home safely.

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improvement to be good

Allegations made by children are taken seriously by leaders and managers. These are addressed appropriately, and children receive feedback.

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improvement to be good

Staff use natural consequences sparingly to support children’s positive behaviours. However, these are not all separately logged to ensure that managers have oversight of their use and effectiveness.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practices in the home are safe. This helps to ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been several changes in the staff team recently. This means that there are very few staff who are qualified or experienced in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feedback is variable and reflects recent challenges in the home. Some staff report that at this time they were supported. However, other staff did not share this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers demonstrate learning from recent challenges. This involves support from centralised teams, including the psychological service to support staff wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has oversight of incidents and identifies areas for improvement. However, he cannot demonstrate how effectively he has addressed specific practice issues with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings and supervisions are held regularly. Supervisions are child focused and show how staff share their experiences and reflect on the care they provide as a team. The manager uses supervision to set out his expectations for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training is specific to children’s needs. The manager supports staff to share their specific skills and life experience to improve staff practices. Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to staff consistently following children’s plans. 31 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 31 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically to ensure that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place to ensure that staff provide good care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1))(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to leaders and managers ensuring that they is consider all children’s needs before new children move into the home. 31 December 2025

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Recommendations

 The responsible person should ensure that the home environment and decor are maintained to a high standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are reviewed to ensure that they are fair and effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraphs 9.38).  The responsible person should ensure that prescribed medications are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. This should clearly show the time needed between doses. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15) Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 7

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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: SC010090 8

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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

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC010090 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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