Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

Unique reference number SC405448 Inspector Nick Veysey Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Quality Protects Children Ltd Registered person address Hill House Archway Road Huyton Liverpool L36 9XB Responsible individual Anthony Nolan Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 27/02/2014 2 of 12 Inspection date 19/01/2015

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection None

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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 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

This children’s home is making a very positive difference to the young people’s lives. They live in a safe, warm and caring environment. They get on well and are supportive of each other. The arrangements for keeping young people safe are good. The manager and staff provide young people with a good quality of care and young people achieve positive outcomes in their welfare and development, including in education, training, employment, personal relationships, independence skills, health, behaviour and emotional well-being. Young people and social workers are positive about young people's progress, the quality of care and the support provided by the home. Young people have built strong and trusting relationships with staff. They are able to share their worries and problems with staff, and know they will be listened to, taken seriously, and that staff will try their best to help them. Young people enjoy the same opportunities as other young people to spend time with

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Overall effectiveness

friends and develop their skills and talents.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager and staff work effectively in partnership with young people, social workers, support services and the police to ensure that young people get the help, guidance and advice they need on a daily basis. Their approach ensures the support young people receive is personalised and tailored to meet their individual and diverse needs. The manager and staff have a good understanding of the risks to young people’s safety and effectively use protective measures to promote their 3 of 12 welfare. Staff and young people have worked hard together to help young people manage their feelings and frustrations constructively. The staff are enthusiastic, suitably qualified, trained and competent to meet the needs of this group of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is efficiently and effectively run in the best interests of young people to promote their welfare. However, the management and leadership arrangements are inadequate because the home has not had a Registered Manager since May 2014. The provider has now appointed a permanent manager to address this weakness. There are other areas for improvement in relation to informing Ofsted of all serious concerns about young people; the quality of the internal monitoring reports; taking into account the views of young people, parents and social workers about the quality of care; recording young people’s views about sanctions to inform practice; and developing a more evaluative assessment of the suitability of the home’s location. 4 of 12

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children's home is registered to care for up to five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It also provides education for children at school on the premises.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2014 Interim good progress 16/10/2013 Full good 09/01/2013 Interim good progress 18/09/2012 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 if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30 (1)) 23/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) provide a copy of every independent person's report to HMCI. (Regulation 33(9)(a)) 31/01/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take 5 of 12 account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the views, wishes and feelings of children and those significant to them, including their parents and social workers, are taken into account in monitoring the running of the home and the quality of care provided (NMS 1.7)  ensure where any sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3.18)  review the location assessment to take into account the guidance from the Department for Education issued in July 2014 to provide a detailed evaluation of how the location of the home promotes children's health, safety, well-being and avoids areas that present significant risks to children (NMS 10.2)  ensure that the monitoring reports under regulation 34 and schedule 6 fully evaluate the effectiveness of the quality of care and outcomes for children. (NMS 21) 6 of 12

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are making very good progress and achieving better outcomes. They are happy and safe. They have made excellent progress in education, training and employment and no longer take part in behaviour that is harmful to their health and emotional well-being. They are showing signs of emotional resilience in coping with the challenges they face living away from their families. They are developing effective coping strategies to help them manage their frustrations and stressful situations. Young people’s health outcomes have improved. They enjoy healthier diets and get plenty of physical exercise, including playing badminton, swimming, and going to the gym. They take more responsibility for their own health needs, including managing their own medication and personal care. They have a good understanding about the importance of healthy lifestyles and make positive choices that improve their own health; for example choosing to no longer use drugs or alcohol.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have strong relationships with the adults caring for them. They trust their staff and know that they listen to what they have to say. Consequently young people feel able to talk about any problems they are experiencing and make good use of the guidance available to them. They also have made good friendships with other young people. They get on well, are generous and supportive of each other and enjoy spending time together. They also have made friends with young people outside the home. They enjoy the same social experiences as other young people of their age. They take part in a wide range of activities, including dancing, going out for meals and spending time with friends.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from seeing their parents and families regularly, even though they live far away. This has been crucial in enabling young people to maintain and build positive relationships with important people in their lives. The staff work effectively with young people, families and social workers to make sure it is a safe and rewarding experience.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s participation in education, training and employment has improved significantly. They are well-motivated and keen to attend school, college and work. A young person said, ‘I never used to go to school but I now go all the time.’ They are working hard to develop their skills and talents, gain qualifications and have aspirations for their future. Some young people are completing apprenticeships and go to a prestigious hair and beauty college. Young people show talent in dance, drama and art. Young people are making excellent progress academically and have potential to achieve good GCSE results. Young people are building confidence in their abilities and take pride in their achievements. They feel that their lives have changed for the better since they moved in and are especially proud of how well they are doing at school and at work. A young person said, ‘I enjoy my job. Sometimes it is

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Outcomes for children and young people good

difficult to get up so early, but I get up and go to work, it's worth it,’ and ‘staff push 7 of 12 you to try things and this helps you to feel better about yourself when you do them.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are being well-prepared for the opportunities and challenges of adult life. They are successfully taking on more responsibilities and have every opportunity to build confidence in their skills. They routinely plan, shop and cook meals, and keep their rooms tidy. They are also well-supported to make positive and suitable personal relationships, develop their self-esteem and confidence, to study and prepare for work, moving into their own place, and to develop financial knowledge and skills managing their own money.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a warm and friendly atmosphere. A young person said, ‘I felt really welcomed when first moved in, they baked me a cake and the other girls really helped me feel at home.’ Young people have a strong sense of belonging and said ‘it’s like a family.’ The staff provide young people with a consistently good standard of care and the structure that enables them to feel safe and do well.

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Quality of care good

The staff are skilled at developing positive relationships with vulnerable young people. The quality of the communication between staff and young people is excellent. Young people are very positive about the home and the support they receive. They feel that the staff are interested in their lives and concerned about their welfare. A young person said, ‘I really like it here, it’s a really good and fun care home to be in and the staff are good fun and they are joking all the time they're fun to be around' and ‘the staff are nice and they treat me good and they always try and do the best they can to keep me from doing something bad and they do their job properley.’

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Quality of care good

Parents and social workers are also positive about the quality of care. A social worker said, ‘the young person settled in very well and continues to be settled. It’s a really good placement for her. The fact that she is still settled and happy is amazing, this has not happened in the past.’

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Quality of care good

Young people know what is expected of them and know that staff listen and take their views seriously. They play an active part in the running of the home and decisions about their lives. Staff are very positive about young people as individuals, want them to do well, and are committed to helping young people to lead happy and fulfilling lives, regardless of the challenges young people and their circumstances may present. The structure and culture of the home are tailored to meet the diverse needs of individual young people. Staff work in a coordinated way with social workers, education, health and psychologists to ensure care planning is effective and meets young people’s needs.

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Quality of care good

Young people’s written records provide a detailed and evaluative picture of their progress and experiences. Placement plans set out the objectives for the placement, 8 of 12 young people's individual needs and the support to promote and safeguard their welfare. Staff show a detailed understanding of young people’s personalities, vulnerabilities and needs. They work in a considered way to ensure young people’s plans are consistently put into practice and they get the support and guidance they need. The staff routinely monitor and review young people's plans, and their own practice, to make sure they continue to meet young people's needs. Staff share information and their professional opinions appropriately about young people’s experience and progress with other professionals. This contributes to an understanding of young people’s lives and informs the plans for their future.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a healthy environment that actively promotes their physical health and emotional well-being. They have good access to the full range health services. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s specific health and emotional needs and ensure their needs are met on a daily basis. They take prompt action when young people are unwell, ensuring that they get the medical attention, assessment and treatment they require. Staff and specialist services help young people understand about healthy lifestyles. They provide young people with excellent advice on health issues, including diet, exercise, sexual health and relationships, and drugs. Staff follow safe care practices for managing young people’s medication. They safely store medicines, keep accurate records and ensure that young people receive the medication they need to promote their health.

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Quality of care good

The staff value education and understand its importance as part of young people’s development. They work well with young people, social workers and teachers to promote young people’s participation in education. The staff actively promote young people’s education and are successful in developing young people’s opportunities to learn and achieve. They ensure that the daily routine supports young people’s participation in education, training and work. Young people have good access to plenty of books, art materials, games, computers and other educational resources. Staff also ensure that young people have the same opportunities as other young people to explore and feel part of the social and cultural life of the place they live.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a large comfortable family house. It is decorated, furnished and maintained to a good standard. It meets young people’s individual needs, personalities and tastes. The bedrooms used by young people were exceptionally tidy and decorated to a very high standard. It is suitably located in a quiet residential street near the town centre, with easy access to shops, facilities and public transport. The staff and young people play an active part in the local community; for example, in the summer they held an art exhibition and garden party for local people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

9 of 12 Young people feel safe and are protected from harm. They do not going missing from home or experience bullying. They feel that staff care about them and want them to be safe. A young person said, ‘I am able to talk to staff, they listen to you and help you, you feel that you can trust them.’ Young people have a good awareness of personal safety and support each other in keeping safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff consistently apply effective safe caring practices to promote young people’s welfare. They have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues, including the risks associated with child sexual exploitation, self-harm and child protection procedures. They know exactly what they need to do when they have concerns about young people and act decisively to protect young people. When young people have raised safeguarding concerns staff have taken what young people told them seriously and make sure young people know they are believed. A social worker said ‘the young person has a good relationship with staff and goes to them if she has any concerns.’

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The manager and staff have effective relationships with safeguarding agencies and the police and usually report serious incidents that may impact on young people’s safety. However, on one occasion the manager did not inform Ofsted about potential concerns about a young person’s safety. This did not impact on the young person’s welfare because the manager had reported it to the other agencies and took suitable action to protect young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The staff have a very good understanding of the risks associated with individual young people. They are good at sharing relevant information with other agencies to identify and understand specific risks. They use risk assessments and plans effectively to keep individual young people safe. They have successfully reducing risks associated with child sexual exploitation, social media, drug and alcohol use and aggressive behaviour. Staff work effectively and sensitively with young people to promote their personal safety and relationships. They have a very clear understanding of young people’s particular vulnerabilities relating to their level of understanding and emotional maturity. This enables them to ensure young people are safe at home and in the community. Staff effectively balance the need for protection with enabling young people to take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The culture and ethos of the home actively promotes socially acceptable behaviour. Young people’s behaviour is exceptionally good. Staff have developed a good understanding of the factors affecting young people’s behaviour and are skilled at helping young people to manage their feelings safely and constructively. This includes following young people’s wishes about how they want to be helped when they are upset. Young people feel that they are fairly treated and accept that sanctions help them to learn about acceptable behaviour. The staff effectively challenge any unacceptable behaviour; for example, the staff acted decisively to deal with racist language. They worked with in a voluntary agency to help young people understand about the impact of their behaviour on others and the possible consequences of their behaviour. The staff keep detailed records about young 10 of 12 people’s behaviour. However, the sanctions records do not include young people’s

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Keeping children and young people safe good

views about what happened and their feelings about the punishment. This is a missed opportunity to understand how to work with young people to promote positive behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The recruitment and selection of people working at the home is thorough to make sure young people are protected. The manager carefully ensures that staff have the right knowledge, skills, experience, motivation and competencies to meet the needs of individual young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected from any hazards by a comprehensive range of detailed health and safety procedures and risk assessments. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks, including fire drills, to ensure the premises are safe and young people know what to do in case of an emergency. The provider’s assessment of the benefits and potential risks of the home’s location does not show a detailed analysis on how the risks are managed and how it is a good place for young people to live.

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Leadership and management inadequate

The leadership and management are inadequate because there has not been a Registered Manager in charge of the home since May 2014. The acting manager has suitable experience and qualifications to run a children’s home. She shows effectively how she runs the home, supporting and enabling young people to continue to making progress and achieve better outcomes. The provider has now re-appointed the previous Registered Manager to be the permanent manager from February 2015. This manager is currently applying to be registered with Ofsted.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Young people are looked after by suitably trained and qualified people well-equipped to meet the objectives of the home and their needs. The staff are enthusiastic, positive and committed to improving young people’s lives. They are enjoy their jobs and working with the young people. The numbers of staff on duty are sufficient to meet young people's needs. The deployment of staff promotes continuity of care and provides opportunities for the young people to form positive attachments with the staff. The retention of staff is very good with very few changes to the people working at the home. This has provided young people with stability. The resilience of the staff team has had a positive impact on the resilience of young people and their sense of belonging.

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Leadership and management inadequate

The manager and staff have opportunities to discuss their performance and development with a manager through regular good quality professional supervision. The staff feel very well supported by the manager. Team meetings take place routinely to provide staff with the chance, as a group, to review and reflect young people’s progress, the running of the home and how best to develop and improve the standard of care and support. Staff have access to a detailed and relevant training plan, including safeguarding, self-harm, working with teenagers and abused children, 11 of 12 child sexual exploitation, behaviour management and counselling skills. As a result they are developing their expertise in supporting vulnerable young people with emotional and behavioural needs.

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Leadership and management inadequate

The home is efficiently managed in line with its objectives and in the best interests of young people. The culture and ethos of the home and staff reflects a strongly child- centred approach and commitment to promoting and safeguarding young people’s welfare. The provider and manager use the monitoring of the home to understand the strengths and key areas for development. The monitoring carried out by the independent visitor is detailed, evaluative, and now includes interviews with young people and staff. However, the independent visitor has not supplied Ofsted with a copy of each of the monitoring reports. This is limiting the opportunities for the provider to show the quality of the monitoring carried out on his behalf and how the home is improving. The internal monitoring completed by the manager does not provide a detailed analysis of the quality of the care. It also does not include the views of young people, parents and social workers about the standard of care. This is

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Leadership and management inadequate

a missed opportunity to reflect on the quality of the home from young people’s point of view and to show how effectively it is making a positive difference to young people’s lives. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management inadequate

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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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