Children's Home run by Liverpool City Council in Liverpool

Unique reference number SC035969 Inspection date 23/01/2014 Inspector Denise Jolly Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/06/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The children's home is managed by a local authority, providing short-term breaks for up to seven children and young people at any one time. Children and young people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities are cared for.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

At the last full inspection the short breaks service was judged as adequate. The recently appointed, qualified and experienced Registered Manager leads staff to demonstrate remarkable improvement in the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people. All young people are making very good progress in developing their skills and confidence. They access a wide range of experiences that reflect their interests and identities.

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Progress

The Registered Manager offers energetic and dynamic leadership; delivered through clear systems and high expectations of staff practice. This means that the requirement and all recommendations from the last inspection have been progressed, to improve the quality of care provided. Young people benefit from being cared for by a stable and increasingly competent staff team. Key workers create aspirational plans for children. They identify and regularly review tailored opportunities for young people to grow and develop, that take account of their unique needs. Integrated plans of care provide an excellent picture of the risks and support mechanisms required, to ensure children continue to progress. Because of this enabling approach, young people demonstrate increased confidence in communication and problem solving. This helps them to interact more successfully with others, and benefit from improved relationships.

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Progress

Staff are committed to maintain effective communication with all stakeholders. Staff enable children and young people to share their views and opinions in all arenas. When necessary, they use symbols or signs to clarify communication. Young people attend carefully organised group and individual meetings, to make decisions about activities and influence the home's operation and future direction. Professionals and parents regularly compliment the team for having a flexible approach to meeting the needs of young people. They appreciate the efforts of the staff to learn about emerging medical conditions, or respond to crises such as family illness.

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Progress

Staff are committed to assist parents and the local authority in planning for young people, and liaise well with education and health providers involved with young people. In addition, staff support young people to maintain relationships with their families. Parents say staff provide a happy experience for their child, which enables the whole family to re-charge and continue to look after their child at home. Staff say they are motivated by the privilege of working with children with disabilities, and getting to know their families.

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Progress

Staff admire young people’s achievements and share their delight with the young people, their families and the professionals who support them. Young people are valued and respected in the home, whatever their difficulties. Staff develop personalised and stimulating programmes of care, that ensure young people are supported appropriately while being challenged to develop. Children are safe, relaxed and happy in the home. Staff demonstrate affection and warmth in relationships that recognise the unique personalities and talents of each child.

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Progress

Managers provide excellent insight and support to ensure staff fulfil the aims and objectives of the service to a high standard. They use thorough quality assurance systems to monitor the operation, management, young people's welfare and the home's records. Staff contribute their ideas and views about the service in regular staff meetings The home's development plan is realistic. It targets areas for improvement, for example using children’s education plans to help keyworkers identify how to build on each child’s educational experiences and targets. Staff regularly update their skills and knowledge through wide-ranging training opportunities, from behaviour-support refresher courses, to supporting young people with their mobility. The management team leads staff to deliver dynamic and knowledgeable care to complex and vulnerable young people. The impact of this is evident in the improvements young people make in many aspects of their lives.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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