Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Unique reference number SC022438 Inspector Maria McGranaghan Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person PIC Children's Services Limited Registered person address 2 North Street Haydock ST. HELENS Merseyside WA11 0TW Responsible individual Carol Fletcher Registered manager Kelly Torpey Date of last inspection 25/02/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 30/06/2014

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Previous inspection satisfactory progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action taken against this home.

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

From their initial starting point young people make good progress in a supportive and caring environment. Improvements are seen in the areas of educational attendance and social development. Young people are happy and relaxed in a home that suitably meets their individual needs.

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Overall effectiveness

Effective placement planning ensures that young people’s needs are consistently assessed. For example, productive relationships are formed between partner agencies and this ensures that young people receive the right help, support and guidance they need to make suitable changes in their lives. Likewise, young people’s views and opinions fully influence the care planning process and this assists them to feel in control of their lives.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe and feel protected from significant harm. Good safeguarding systems are in place to ensure the correct measures are taken should there be a risk of harm. Young people are very positive about the care they receive and say that the home has helped them to make positive changes in their lives. Consequently, young people gain stability in a home suitably equipped to meet their individual needs. 3 of 11 Young people build relationships with staff based on trust and mutual respect. It is clear that young people are very happy and relaxed in the presence of staff and are confident to raise matters for discussion without hesitation.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is suitably managed. Good internal monitoring systems are in place to ensure that care is reviewed regularly and updated in accordance with the needs of the young people. Likewise, an up-to-date development plan highlights the planned progression for the service which includes the commissioning of in-house therapeutic services for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Despite these strengths there are areas for development. Although external monitoring visits to the home take place they do not consistently include the views and opinions of social workers, independent reviewing officers or young people. Furthermore, reports completed by the independent visitor are not forwarded to Ofsted on a consistent basis in order that the quality of care provided in the home can be suitably monitored. Similarly, although it is clear that young people receive appropriate support in order to make a complaint records do not always contain the written outcome. This is essential should the young person wish to review the complaint now or in the future. Moreover, although young people are assisted to develop independent skills in the home this is not supported by an up-to-date pathway plan. As a result, one requirement and three recommendations are made at this inspection. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company and provides care and accommodation for one young person with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 24/06/2013 Full good 14/02/2013 Interim not judged 22/06/2012 Full good

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure visits by the independent person include interviews with their consent, young people, parents, person's working in the children's home, social worker and independent reviewing officer as appears necessary to form an opinion as to whether young people are effectively safeguarded and the welfare promoted (Regulation 33 (8) (a) (i) (ii) 30/07/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): 5 of 11  ensure the home contributes to the development of each child's plan, includin the pathway plan for eligible care leavers and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker in implementing this (NMS 12.2)  ensure the registered providers written report carried out under Regulation 33 forwarded to Ofsted for review at regular intervals (NMS 21.8)  ensure young people receive prompt feedback on the outcome of any compla they make and a record maintained in the young person's records should they wish to review this in the future (NMS 1.6) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress in the home. From their initial starting point, young people develop skills including self-esteem and confidence in order to take on the challenges in their lives. Consequently young people make sustained progress in their education, emotional resilience and their trust in staff and professionals who offer structured support both inside and outside of the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s health is promoted because of effective and consistent health care. Regular consultation with health professionals supported by keyworker sessions ensure young people have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, young people attend fitness classes and go jogging with staff resulting in improved fitness. Likewise, because of young people’s participation in sessions such as sexual health, smoking cessation and drugs and alcohol awareness they are now suitably equipped to make informed choices and decisions in their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people live in a home where educational attendance and achievement is well supported. Consequently, young people enjoy school and make progress resulting in 100% attendance and the completion of GCSE examinations. Young people say, ‘I want to join the army or do something important with my life. I actually feel like I can achieve and that makes me feel good.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from planned and supported contact with important family members. Detailed contact plans are in place to ensure that contact only takes place with whom it has been agreed and this is reviewed on a regular basis. Staff develop and maintain close relationships with families and involve them where appropriate in the overall planning of the young people’s care. Young people say, ‘Staff are pretty good and help me a lot. I now have contact with people who are special to me and I am happy about that.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Staff encourage young people to develop independence skills in accordance with their age and ability. Simple planned tasks enable young people to achieve specific targets, enhancing their individual self-esteem. Young people say’ ‘I can cook a meal from scratch and know what I need to buy to make it. I like to make meals with staff’. However, not all young people are in receipt of an up-to-date pathway plan that sets out the formal targets for independent training and transition. Consequently, young people are unclear about their transition arrangements and say, ‘I want to live independently but I am not sure when this is going to happen.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Planned and unplanned activities take place on a regular basis. Individual interests are well supported and include visits to places of interest, attendance at the gym and jogging with staff. Young people say, “We do lots of stuff, sometimes we play games in the house and I can beat staff or we will go out. If I want to try something 7 of 11 different I know the staff will support me.’

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a relaxed and supportive environment. Staff demonstrate a very good understanding of young people’s needs and work hard to secure the best outcomes for them. Young people are happy and confident in the company of staff.

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Quality of care good

Good residential plans are in place and are regularly reviewed to ensure the care offered is consistently meeting individual need. Effective partnerships with external services such as child and adolescent mental health service, drug and alcohol workers and the youth offending team assists to highlight the changing needs of young people and ensure the most appropriate steps are taken to address them.

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Quality of care good

Young people know how to complain. Information is available and includes contact numbers for external agencies. One young person said, ‘I know how to complain, my keyworker helped me when I wasn’t happy about something and she is always asking me if there is anything I am unhappy with. I can talk to all the staff they are really good and they take the time to listen to me.’ Young people are supported by an independent advocate whom they can share any worries or concerns with independently from the home. However, although complaints are minimal, some of the records of complaints dealt with independently of the home do not include the outcome. Consequently, essential information is missing from the records should young people wish to review the complaint now or in the future.

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Quality of care good

Consultation with young people is prioritised in the home. Individual consultation meetings regularly take place and provide a forum for young people to discuss how the home can develop and what they feel would make things even better. Likewise, young people regularly complete the home’s consultation document and participate in individual keywork sessions. This enables young people to discuss their individual plans and make comment about the care provided in the home. A young person said, ‘I really like it here, I like the staff and I like my room. I feel I have grown up since I have lived here because I help to make decisions.’ Consequently, young people’s views are central to the running of the home.

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Quality of care good

Young people’s individual health needs are suitably assessed and regularly reviewed. All young people are registered with local health care agencies such as doctors, dentists and opticians and this ensures their physical health is suitably maintained. Health care plans are in place and serve to identify individual health care requirements. For example, young people’s emotional health is supported by weekly sessions with external therapists and counsellors. As a result, young people are provided with a high level of support, to understand their individual journey, and 8 of 11 tools to take appropriate steps to make positive and effective change.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a home where there is a culture of promoting personal achievement and development. Education is viewed with high regard and is fully supported by the creative and enthusiastic staff team. Likewise, staff work diligently with partner agencies to ensure young people are provided with additional educational support where necessary. Consequently the young people make consistent progress within their specific educational setting.

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Quality of care good

Staff make sure young people are provided with first hand opportunities and experiences to enhance their lives. Memberships of local groups and fitness centres enable young people to develop essential skills such as developing appropriate friendships. As a result, young people clearly thrive in a home that places their individual needs at the heart of the service provision.

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Quality of care good

Young people are supported by staff that understand the importance of equality and diversity. Regular consultation sessions assists young people to learn about different cultures, religions and colonial histories whilst enabling them to celebrate their own identity. The home demonstrates a commitment to ensuring young people are afforded opportunities to understand their diverse nation.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in suitable home that blends well into the local community. They are encouraged and supported to make the house into their home and play a significant role in the decision making process around décor and furnishings. The home is maintained and provides a comfortable and homely environment for the young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are suitably trained in the area of child protection to enable them to respond to suspicions or allegations of abuse. Appropriate policies are in place to ensure the correct procedures are undertaken without delay should a concern arise. Individual risk assessments highlight specific risk factors for young people and the measures to be taken to minimise risk. Assessments are regularly updated and reviewed by the young people and staff. This process provides the young people with an opportunity to understand personal risk factors and to work with staff in reducing potential risk taking behaviours.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home operates a non-physical intervention policy and prides itself on effective de-escalation and redirection strategies. This approach is successful. Young people develop very secure relationships with staff and this enables them to work through periods of anger and frustration in an appropriate manner. A young person said, ' I can still get angry and annoyed but I will spend time in my room or go for a run. If I want to talk the staff will listen to me and help me calm down.' 9 of 11 Staff maintain a zero tolerance approach to bullying and are vigilant in monitoring episodes of bullying in the home. The topic of bullying is regularly addressed in keyworker sessions and young people’s consultation meetings. Consequently, young people feel confident to raise matters due to having the opportunity to learn about the impact of bullying on themselves and others in a safe and caring environment.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in a home where their safety and well-being is suitably supported. Detailed individual missing from home plans are in place and this ensures the correct procedures and strategies are implemented without delay. External agencies work with staff and young people to ensure a consistent approach is maintained should a young person go missing from home. As a result risk management processes enable young people to begin to understand issues regarding personal safety and make informed decisions about their actions and behaviours.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home employs a robust recruitment procedure that ensures young people are looked after by staff that are appropriately checked in order to work in the home. Staff have received appropriate training to ensure visitor's identity is suitably verified in order to protect the young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff promote young people’s on-going protection by undertaking regular fire drills and service tests and by making sure that all faults are efficiently addressed. There is good monitoring of all systems within the home including the appropriate storage, administration and recording of medication.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has been in post since June 2013. She brings to the role over ten years residential social care experience and two years’ previous experience as a Registered Manger. She is suitably qualified to undertake her responsibilities having acquired both the National Vocational Award levels 3 and 4 in children’s social care and the Registered Managers Award.

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Leadership and management good

Young people live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives of the Statement of Purpose, and young people, social workers and families are clear about the service and support the home provides.

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Leadership and management good

The home employs a committed staff team with a high percentage qualified at NVQ level three. The training of staff at this level ensures that they are suitably qualified in the care and management of young people. Staff receive suitable support from the manager. Supervision takes place on a regular basis and serves to identify training needs and personal development targets of staff. Staff say, ‘The manager is very supportive I am happy working here. The training is very good and really relates to the work we do.’

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Leadership and management good

Young people are looked after by a competent staff team who have a wide range of 10 of 11 skills and experience that are well matched to the needs of young people. The numbers of staff on duty are sufficient to meet the needs of young people in the best possible way.

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Leadership and management good

The staff demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering good child care practice tailored to the individual and personal needs of young people. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the consistent progress young people make particularly in education and developing and sustaining relationships.

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Leadership and management good

The manager is aware of the procedure for notifying Ofsted of incidents under Regulation 30, Schedule five and has been consistent in the reporting of all incidents occurring in the home. This practice ensures that information is shared with the regulatory agency in order that the actions and outcomes for young people can be suitable assessed.

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Leadership and management good

Internal monitoring systems are in place and provide the home with a clear approach to the overall monitoring of care. For example, detailed and transparent records highlight areas for development and the action taken to enhance the service. Likewise, the manager makes good use of reflective practice, the views of external services and families are regularly sought and inform the continued development of the home. Although it is clear that external monitoring of the home takes place, reports are not consistently forwarded to Ofsted for audit and review. As a result, the processes for sharing information in order to evaluate of the quality of care in the home are inconsistent.

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Leadership and management good

One requirement was made at the last inspection with regard to the external monitoring visits to the home and a failure to regularly consult with social workers, independent reviewing officers, parents and young people. Although improved, consultation processes remain limited and do not serve to influence the development of care practices in the home. Consequently, while there is no direct impact on young people living in the home this requirement will be restated at this inspection. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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