Children's Home run by Safe Base Care Limited in Wirral

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people make noticeable progress because staff provide them with good routines and stability.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people benefit from having positive relationships with staff and each other and feel valued and cared for. This helps them to trust staff and accept their guidance and support.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people’s wishes and feelings are effectively promoted. As a result they are routinely involved in making decisions about the home and their care.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff tackle risk well and are teaching young people how to manage difficult emotions more effectively. As a result, incidents of missing from home significantly reduce.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people benefit from maintaining contact with their families and friends despite living a long way from home. This is achieved through staff’s commitment to ensuring it happens.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There are some areas for improvement. Young people’s health needs are not being effectively addressed as their health plans do not adequately reflect their emotional health needs, and some are not receiving their daily medication.  Staff have not been trained to effectively deal with young people’s range of needs and risks, in particular training on e-safety, sexual exploitation, managing challenging behaviour and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  The manager is not providing staff with the level of support as set out in the Statement of Purpose because the provider has not put in place effective management arrangements. The Statement of Purpose does not meet regulatory requirement because it omits details of the therapists used by the service. Partnership working can further improve to ensure that young people and staff are receiving support and guidance from other professionals within the community.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard In order to meet the health and well-being standard the registered person must –

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Requirement Due date

(1) (a) ensure that the health and well-being needs of children are met; (b) ensure children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and (c) ensure children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) in particular, ensure that staff help each child to— (i) achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to children receiving their medication and health plans addressing children’s bereavement and loss. 03/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must –

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) 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; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to the manager being present and accessible in the home; providing staff with supervision as set out in the Statement of Purpose; and staff receiving training on e- safety, challenging behaviour, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. 03/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s 03/08/2015 home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular, details of the experience and qualifications of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or health care.

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to including details of the therapists used for this service. (Regulation 16 (1))

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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 to develop effective working relationships with services, individuals, agencies, organisations and establishments that work with children in the local community. For example, police, virtual heads, specialist health, and sexual exploitation teams. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 52 paragraph 10.3)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for 3 young people age 7 - 17 years with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is managed by a private company.

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good

Young people are making pleasing progress because they are living in a safe, stable and homely environment. Staff have a clear understanding of their needs, vulnerabilities and interests and therefore care for them well. Young people understand why they are there and know what to expect because staff fully involve them in the planning and reviewing of their daily lives and futures.

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good

Despite both young people being relatively new to the home, they have settled and are developing good relationships with staff and each other. Staff make them feel valued, respected and important. One young person commented: ‘I am really happy here, staff made me feel welcome by showing me around and (young person’s name) introduced me to her friends who were really nice.’

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good

Staff listen to young people and ensure that their requests are heard and actioned. This is achieved through regular house meetings and key work sessions. A young person explained how staff helped her to get a pet bearded dragon that she desperately wanted. She is caring for him well and is learning how to take on new responsibilities.

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good

Both young people are living quite a distance from their families. Staff have worked diligently to ensure that contact is maintained with people who are important to them, such as parents, siblings and friends. This was confirmed by a mother who said: ‘she gets on great with staff and they bring her to see me every week. Everything is going fine.’

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good

Staff value education and do all that they can to promote young people’s learning. One young person has continued to attend her usual school despite it being a long distance from the home. Staff understand the benefits of consistent care and demonstrate their commitment by transporting her to school every day. As a result, she remains happy in school and her learning has not been disrupted. Furthermore, she gets to see her sister and friends on a daily basis, which helps her to sustain important attachments. Staff have worked hard at establishing good routines to ensure that she gets to school on time. Her head teacher was highly complementary of staff’s efforts and their partnership working.

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good

Barriers to learning are effectively addressed by staff. For example, one young person with a long history of poor school attendance has started a full-time education programme which includes vocational training. This is significant progress for this young person and demonstrates staff’s dedication, patience and perseverance.

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good

Staff support young people’s learning by ensuring that they have a good range of social opportunities. One young person is due to start voluntary work in a local farm. She is also undertaking an ASDAN award in animal care. This is providing her with essential skills and experience, which in turn, will enhance future employment prospects.

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good

Young people are growing in confidence because they are provided with a variety of fun activities, including swimming and horse riding. This helps them to make new friendships within the community and gives them a chance to try different experiences and develop new skills.

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good

Staff ensure that young people attend their routine health checks, such as the dentist and opticians. However, some specific health needs are not being met. One young person has not had her daily medication since moving into the home. Despite staff’s efforts to chase this up, her medication has still not been reviewed or prescribed. This has been compounded by delays in getting her an appointment with the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) responsible for reviewing this medication. The provider did not ensure that this matter was effectively addressed at the initial care planning stage. In addition to this, some health plans do not address the emotional impact of bereavement and loss.

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good

Young people are safe and feel safe. Risk taking behaviour, such as child sexual exploitation (CSE) and self-harm significantly decrease because staff provide a high level of support and supervision. There are clear protocols in place to guide staff in the event that young people go missing from home. Parents and social workers confirm that these strategies are working and incidents of missing have significantly reduced. There has only been one incident of missing since the home opened in December. Staff responded swiftly which ensured the young person was quickly and safely returned to their care.

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good

Staff undertake regular and effective direct work with young people and provide them with good role models. They help young people to address their feelings and reflect on their behaviour. This is done in a positive and safe environment which enables them to develop better coping strategies and resilience. Young people recognise their progress and are proud of their achievements. A young person said: ‘staff have taught me how to walk away and take time out when I get wound up. I haven’t self-harmed since I’ve been here.’

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good

Despite the home having a comprehensive e-safety policy in place, some staff are unclear with regards to how they can implement safer mobile phone use. Young people’s risk assessments do not provide staff with clear guidance on how they should monitor and address this matter. Furthermore, staff have not received e- safety training. This means that staff are not fully equipped with the knowledge and understanding to protect young people from on-line abuse.

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good

The home is well maintained and comfortable. All necessary checks are in place to ensure that the home is a safe environment. These include checks on fire equipment and alarm systems, as well as gas and electrical appliances. All young people know what to do in the event of a fire and regular drills ensure that this knowledge is embedded.

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requires improvement

This is the home’s first inspection since opening in December 2014. There have been three managers since it opened. The current manager was appointed in April 2015. He is in the process of completing his application to be registered at this home. He has previous experience of managing a children’s home and is completing the relevant management qualification. On all accounts, he has the necessary skills and experience to successfully undertake this role.

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requires improvement

Soon after he took up post he was given another service to manage; he is now responsible for managing two homes. This increased responsibility has limited his capacity to provide effective leadership within this home. Consequently, some new members of staff have not received sufficient support through regular supervision, as set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose.

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requires improvement

The Statement of Purpose has been updated but it does not meet regulatory requirements. For example, it fails to provide details of the therapists who the company commission to support young people with their emotional development. This prevents placing authorities, parents and young people from obtaining a full understanding of the therapist’s qualifications and experience.

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requires improvement

In a short space of time the manager has successfully established a dedicated staff team, who demonstrate a commitment to improving the lives of young people. There is a sufficient number of staff to ensure continuity in care and this also minimises the need to use agency workers. A shortfall is in staff’s training, such as managing challenging behaviour and ADHD. This lack of essential training hinders the team’s ability to effectively meet young people’s specific needs.

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requires improvement

Although the manager has developed effective collaborative working with social workers and parents. Partnership working with the police, virtual heads of schools, and specialist CSE and health services has not yet been achieved. As a result, young people and staff are not benefitting from the full range of support or guidance provided by other professionals within the community.

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requires improvement

Young people benefit from living in a home that has effective and robust independent monitoring systems. The independent visitor consistently consults with young people, parents and social workers, to ensure their views are considered in service development. The manager values external scrutiny of the service and successfully addresses the areas of improvement raised within these reports.

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requires improvement

The manager is a reflective leader and shows commitment to continued improvement; both staff and young people speak very highly of him. He receives regular support and supervision from the responsible individual, who is a frequent visitor of the home and often covers shifts. Young people therefore have regular opportunity to share their wishes and views with important decision makers, which leads to effective consultation and participation.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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