Children's Home run by New Foundations Care Homes Limited in St Helens

Unique reference number SC406636 Inspector Maria McGranaghan Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd Registered person address Mill Farm Bull Bridge Lane LIVERPOOL L10 6LZ

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Responsible individual Peter James Barron Registered manager James Edward Hind Date of last inspection 19/05/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 26/03/2015

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Previous inspection adequate Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged adequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

At the last inspection on 19 June 2014 the home was judged as adequate. Two requirements and seven recommendations were made to address the shortfalls and to further develop practice within the home. This interim inspection will look at the progress made to address shortfalls and the quality of the service provision for young people.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager and staff have made good progress in addressing these areas. Pathway plans are in place and records of work undertaken with young people are suitably improved. Educational attendance and achievement has progressed because young people now have suitable educational placements and receive additional support in order to maintain these placements. The managers monitoring is also improved. Where shortfalls are identified the manager is active in addressing matters effectively. Young people are suitably supported by regular visits from an independent advocate and this ensures they can raise any concerns independently from the home.

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This inspection

There is one recommendation that is restated at this inspection and this is with regard to collating names and addresses of friends and acquaintances of young people living in the home. Although there are no current safeguarding concerns, staff do not always know who young people are associating with and this is integral in the risk management and safeguarding of young people accommodated in the home.

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This inspection

Independence training is developed within the home. Young people have up-to-date pathway plans are active in developing independence skills. Two young people are preparing to move into semi-independent accommodation and to aid consistency they will be supported by staff from the home during their initial transition. 3 of 5 Education, training and employment is now central to the routine of most young people living in the home. Overall attendance is consistently good with young people attending both mainstream and alternative educational resources and work place programs. The Registered Manager now ensures new referrals to the home are in receipt of a suitable educational placement within seven days of their arrival to the home.

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This inspection

Young people are safe in the home. Up-to-date risk assessments ensure that care is taken to address concerns and minimise risk. The frequency in which young people absent themselves from the home has significantly reduced and there are no episodes of young people requiring a physical intervention. Likewise, records of complaints are further developed to ensure young people receive a timely response and feedback from any concerns they raise.

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This inspection

Family contact is very well supported. Young people enjoy quality time with family members both in their home community and at the children’s home. Families are regularly consulted on the progress young people make and areas for further development. Consequently, good partnerships are forged between the home and parents and this enriches the care young people receive.

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This inspection

The management of the home is further developed. A new deputy manager and administrator work effectively with the manager to develop the service provision with particular regard to the quality of work undertaken with young people and the records of this work. This means that files are up-to-date, appointments are planned for and statutory visits are maintained. Likewise, the manager regularly assesses new referrals to the home and has developed an effective matching criteria. This ensures that young people are only placed where it is deemed their needs can be reasonably met within the current group of residents in the home. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and offers accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2014 Full adequate 12/03/2014 Interim inadequate progress 19/04/2013 Full good 23/01/2013 Interim good progress

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 ensure staff have names and addresses of friends and acquaintances of young people in order to reasonably assess their safety (NMS 5.5) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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