Children's Home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in Wigan

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Outcomes for young people:

 Young people make good developmental progress while they live in the home.  Young people are able maintain meaningful contact with family and friends.  Young people engage in a wide variety of activities that stimulate their interest and help keep them fit and healthy.  Positive and respectful relationships are evident between staff and young people.  Young people’s views are important and they influence the development of the home.  Sound safeguarding practices ensure that young people are safe.

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Leadership and Management:

 Staff support to young people is good. They encourage them to engage in education and to improve their health.  Staff work in partnership with other agencies and communication between them is good.  A stable staff team ensures that staff know the young people well.  Managers request regular feedback from service users in order to improve the service provided.

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Leadership and Management:

 Areas for improvement include management monitoring and assurance that all staff are familiar with updates to young people’s risk assessments.

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; specifically that the Registered Manager can be assured that they are familiar with young person’s risk assessments (Regulation 12(2)(a)(v)) 18/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard:

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Requirement Due date

the registered person should ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(c)(h)) 18/09/2015

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

The home has a positive impact on the progress that young people make. They benefit from the stability that they experience here. Young people have often experienced chaotic and inconsistent care previously and are now thriving as a result of clear boundaries and the establishment of good routines. Young people feel safe and secure as they receive predictable and reliable care. A decrease in their disruptive and risk taking behaviours is evident as they begin to make progress across all areas of their development.

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good

Young people are welcomed into the home and have an opportunity of visiting before they move in. Staff help young people to settle in and they are able to choose furnishings and decoration for their bedroom to assist with this. Staff demonstrate good knowledge of the backgrounds and presenting needs of young people. Staffing levels are good, enabling them to spend quality time together. Young people are able to participate in a wide range of recreational activities that reflect their individual preferences and skills. For example, they currently enjoy roller skating and cycling. These activities also keep young people healthy and the small achievements they make help improve their self-esteem. Some young people living in the home have exceptional school attendance. They are also making good academic progress. However, this is not the case for all young people. Staff clearly encourage young people to engage in education and

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good

offer short term incentives. These are having some positive impact. Staff also work well with the placing agency and educational establishment to offer the best support to the young person. Staff want young people to make the most of the opportunities available to them. Similarly, young people’s engagement with health services is variable. Staff focus on short term goals and quickly respond to issues identified by young people themselves. For example, one young person who has refused medical appointments is currently engaging positively on a smoking cessation programme.

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good

Consultation with young people is a strength of the home. Young people really feel that their views are important. Their views are included when any changes are planned to the home and young people receive feedback to the suggestions that they make. Staff act on young people’s views whenever possible. For example, young people asked for a trampoline for the garden and one is now in place; and one young person was excited about going on holiday abroad during the inspection. Young people clearly appreciate this. Warm and respectful relationships exist between them and staff. One young person commented, ‘I am really happy with how things are and I feel that staff really listen to me, everything is great.’ Young people who have moved on from the home often keep in touch with staff, demonstrating the significance of the relationships they formed while living here. However, young people have not always moved on in a positive and

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good

Staff ensure that young people are able to maintain contact with their family and friends while they live here. Staff successfully facilitate a range of different contact arrangements, so that young people are able to maintain these relationships for the future. Young people and their families appreciate this.

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good

Social work professionals speak highly of staff in the home. They comment on the good communication, comprehensive reports and detailed knowledge of young people’s care plans.

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good

Comprehensive risk assessments inform safe caring practices in the home. These are subject to regular review and update. They alert staff to areas of high risk for each young person and what precautions to take to reduce these risks. These are shared with young people and some have been amended as a result of their feedback. Social workers are also alerted to any revised procedures. However, the system currently in place to ensure that all staff are familiar with any updates is ineffective. Consequently, they may not be aware of an increase in concerning behaviour and the necessary precautions they need to take.

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good

Young people say they feel safe living in the home. One young person said, ‘I feel safe here. I have never been restrained. I like living here.’ Young people say they would be happy to raise any concerns with a staff member and they have indeed done so in the past. Young people are aware of the complaints procedure and also are able to raise an issue with the Registered Manager by expressing their views in the ‘grumbles box’. Young people receive a written response to any issues that they raise, so that they know it has been given due consideration.

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good

Staff recruitment processes are largely thorough, as a range of pre-employment checks are carried out prior to staff starting work in the home. However, the Registered Manager was not in receipt of all the required information in relation to agency staff employed. Auditing systems had not identified this omission prior to this inspection. However, action was taken to address this shortfall during the inspection.

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good

Allegations and complaints about staff are taken seriously. Appropriate consultation takes place with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). Similarly positive liaison is evident with other professionals with a safeguarding responsibility. For example, the community police make regular informal visits to the home. Staff also demonstrate vigilance to young people’s behaviours and are alert to their vulnerability.

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good

Staff promote positive behaviour, with young people have personalised incentive plans to help them focus on short term objectives. This motivates young people to achieve and has successfully effected positive change. Sanctions and physical interventions are rarely required. Staff remind young people about acceptable behaviours and skilfully diffuse the majority of challenging situations. Similarly, young people rarely go missing from the home. On the rare occasions that they do staff search the local area and work effectively with the police to ensure their safe return. Good quality records are maintained in relation to all of the above incidents. Keyworker sessions also take place with young people to review the incident and help them identify a more effective response for the future. Judgement grade

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good

The Registered Manager has been in post for three years and completed the registration process with Ofsted in January 2013. He has the necessary skills, qualifications and experience to manage a children’s home. He also has management responsibility for another home in the organisation. A deputy manager is in place to support him, who is currently completing a management qualification. They demonstrate a good understanding of the skills of the staff team and the needs of young people in the home.

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good

The Statement of Purpose has been recently updated and reflects the aims and objectives of the service. However, the conditions of registration were incorrect. The Registered Manager took immediate action to rectify this error during the inspection. However, it may have misled commissioners in the interim period. The young people’s guide to the home also outlines in a user friendly way what young people can expect when they live here. Young people receive this during the admission process. This ensures that they know what to expect at the start of their placement and who to contact if they are unhappy here.

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good

Staff receive supervision on a regular basis and staff undertaking this task have had the necessary training to enable them to conduct this effectively. Staff have a number of training opportunities that support them to understand the needs of young people. Managers seek their views and staff take on key responsibilities to ensure that issues identified in the home’s development plan are taken forward. This ensures that issues are addressed in a timely fashion. Regular staff meetings support this as staff provide updates on their progress. Minutes of these meetings are thorough and ensure that staff know what is happening, even if they have been unable to attend.

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good

The Registered Manager has introduced a number of recording systems in the home that demonstrate the progress that young people make while living here. Young people who move on from the home do so with their own record of their time here. However, management monitoring and auditing has overlooked a number of issues over recent months. For example, third party information on a young person’s file; incorrect information about a young person on an impact risk assessment; and a breakdown in the procedure for familiarising staff about update risk assessments, as outlined above

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good

The staff team is largely stable. The Registered Manager utilises the strengths of the individuals well so that they are best able to meet the needs of young people and operate the home effectively. There are clear lines of accountability, with staff demonstrating confidence in senior managers.

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good

Relationships with partner agencies are positive. One stakeholder commented, ‘Communication is excellent. Staff always inform me if there has been an incident, but they also let me know about the young person’s achievements, which I really appreciate.’ Staff participate fully in drafting and reviewing the care plan for young people. They prepare comprehensive reports for reviews and also challenge placing agencies if they do not agree with decisions made or where they require missing documentation. They are good advocates for young people.

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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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