Children's Home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited in Lancashire

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are making good progress in forming positive relationships with other young people and staff at the home. This has contributed to the stability of their placements. They confirm they feel safe and they are confident in discussing any concerns they may have with staff.  They are attending schools and also accessing bespoke educational packages. This is enabling them to make good progress in their education, including the opportunity to take exams and gain qualifications to underpin their future educational outcomes and transition into adulthood.  The home works effectively with other agencies. Information sharing supports strong planning and this contributes to meeting the holistic needs of young people. Strategies to minimise behaviour that increase the risk of harm are in place, this includes for when young people go missing from the home. Although incidents of this still happen, there is an overall reduction in

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The children's home provision is good because:

this.  The Registered Manager provides positive leadership and is supportive of staff to ensure they have the necessary understanding and knowledge to support the needs of the young people. The home has had a period of instability in management and staffing which did impact on progress and outcomes. This has been resolved with the recruitment and registration of the manager, a deputy manager, and senior residential childcare workers who have experience and knowledge of working with children and young people within a residential setting. Some monitoring systems require further scrutiny to ensure they are consistently robust. This includes making sure notifications are sent to Ofsted within agreed timescales, ensuring when the Statement of Purpose is reviewed, this is also sent to Ofsted. All staff receive supervision. However, a clear record of this needs to be maintained along with ensuring the views of other appropriate professionals who have a

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The children's home provision is good because:

statutory duty in safeguarding young people, are gathered as part of the overall location risk assessment.

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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

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b) 31/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and other relevant parties without delay if there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31/08/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33 (4)(b) (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.3).  Ensure the registered person's annual review of the suitability of the location and premises of the home, fully consider the views of other appropriate professionals that have a statutory responsibility for safeguarding children in the neighbourhood where the home is located (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run home. It provides care for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

good

The vast majority of young people have settled at the home and speak positively about their placement. One young person said ‘this is the best home I have lived in.’ Another young person said ‘I know the staff really care about me and I feel happy here.’ They are well cared for and supported to develop positive relationships. This enables their self-esteem and confidence to grow.

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good

Educational outcomes have significantly improved for all of the young people. Some, prior to moving into the home, had very low levels of attendance, with some having not attended any educational setting for a significant period of time. With encouragement and bespoke educational packages sourced, all young people attend education, resulting in the opportunity to gain certificates of achievement and to take exams to contribute towards their future education and eventual careers in adulthood. One young person said ‘it has provided me with encouragement to do something positive with my life.’ Another young person said ‘staff come to my parents’ evenings and encourage me to do the best I can.’ Social workers also comment positively about the engagement of young people in education.

p.6

good

A range of activities is available for all young people. However, some young people choose not to consistently engage with planned activities. They have access to local community facilities and have developed a number of friendships within the area. Not all of these have been positive and there have been some behaviour within the local community which has resulted in a number of complaints being made to the home and to the community police. The manager and staff are keen to address these concerns and along with the young people are developing ideas of how to engage with the residents within the community in a positive and interactive manner. One young person said ‘we have discussed having a barbeque or pizza night to get to introduce ourselves to our neighbours and hopefully this will happen soon.’ The Registered Manager has also met with community representatives to discuss the concerns raised.

p.6

good

Health care promotion is good. Through ongoing encouragement, young people now have all relevant vaccinations up-to-date and attend health care appointments as required. They have access to a cognitive therapist within the home and this enables them to have support with their emotional health needs. Staff work in partnership with a range of agencies to further underpin and promote positive health care, including understanding of the risks around substance misuse and smoking. Placement plans are individualised and reflect needs clearly as well as the support provided to meet these. This enables staff to respond appropriately for each young person, which includes helping them to prepare for independence in accordance with their age and abilities. This includes assisting with household tasks and taking responsibility for keeping their bedrooms tidy. They help prepare food and assist with shopping. This provides them with an understanding of budgeting for daily

p.6

good

Support provided to young people helps them to understand their backgrounds and to maintain relationships with their family and friends. An example of this includes advocating for individuals, placed a distance from their placing authority, to have suitable funding for regular contact in an appropriate venue. This has subsequently been agreed. Where there are restrictions on contact in the best interests of children, the home adheres to these to safeguard individuals.

p.7

good

Young people say they feel safe living at the home. One young person said ‘staff are interested in me and want to keep me safe. They speak with me about situations and what I can do to be as safe as possible.’

p.7

good

The home works effectively with placing authority social workers to maintain young people’s safety and is proactive in keeping each child’s social worker updated regarding any concerns or issues that may arise. One independent reviewing officer said ‘the staff attend regular strategy meetings for the child and demonstrate a strong commitment to working in partnership to safeguard very vulnerable young people. This home has provided stability within the young person’s life and has enabled positive attachments to begin to develop.’

p.7

good

Staff work consistently with young people who have a history of missing from home and being at risk of involvement in criminal activities or at risk of exploitation. All young people have individual missing from care risk assessments with strategies for staff to follow in the event of this happening. Although young people still have periods of missing from home, these have substantially decreased in relation to when they first moved into the home. Regular strategy meetings and reviews of individual risk assessments are undertaken to ensure actions taken contribute to improved outcomes and reduction of exposure to risk.

p.7

good

All staff have undertaken safeguarding training and have a good understanding of individual risks for each young person. They are confident and competent in implementing the home’s policies and procedures if they have any concerns regarding young people’s welfare. This includes young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation, involvement in criminal activities or who have a history of self-harm. One young person said ‘I trust the staff and feel I can tell them things that I have previously not been able to tell other people. I feel safe here.’

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good

Behaviour management strategies help minimise some of the extremely challenging behaviour some young people present. Staff are consistent in their approach to provide young people with clear guidance. There has been some incidences of challenging behaviour within the local community. This has led to an increase of concerns raised with the local police. The manager has met with the police and representatives of the neighbourhood to address concerns raised and to work towards appropriate solutions. Young people at the home are keen to be involved in this, demonstrating a commitment to making positive relationships within their local community.

p.8

good

Effective rewards and sanctions further promote positive behaviour. Records demonstrate full involvement and discussion with young people to help them to understand boundaries and to recognise when they have adhered to these.

p.8

good

The home is a detached building, providing space both internally and externally for young people to have their own space and also communal areas. There has been some level of damage internally but this is repaired in a timely manner and young people are learning to respect their home by becoming involved in choosing the décor and soft furnishings to provide them with a home they are comfortable in.

p.8

good

The home has had a period of instability of management since being registered. However, a manager appointed in January 2015 has recently completed her full registration with Ofsted. She has experience of working within residential homes with both young people and adults and is currently working towards a relevant leadership and management qualification. Since her appointment, she has demonstrated a commitment to promoting stability for the young people, by ensuring staff recruited are providing positive levels of care and support, and are committed to remaining at the home. This is enabling the young people to develop positive attachments. The Statement of Purpose reflects the aims and objectives of the service. It has recently been reviewed. However, a copy of the updated version had not been provided to Ofsted to enable the Regulator to have oversight of changes within the home. This document is, however, available to placing authority social workers and

p.8

good

other interested parties to enable them to have an understanding of the services the home provides when requesting a placement. The manager undertakes a detailed pre admission impact assessment to ensure that the home is able to meet the needs of any new young people and also to establish how this will affect the other young people currently at the home. She ensures their views are clearly recorded and continues to monitor all placements.

p.9

good

Staff confirm they receive good levels of support from the manager and say if they have any concerns or worries they are able to discuss these. They receive regular supervision both on a formal basis and informal basis. Written records of supervision are maintained on individual files but an overview of the supervision did not clearly reflect the date, time, and length for all staff. Training and development for all staff is provided by the organisation and all staff complete mandatory training. Although not all staff hold a level 3 qualification in Caring for Children and Young People, the service has ensured all staff start on this following their period of induction and probation. Annual reviews have yet to commence due to the time the home obtained registration. The manager is in the process of arranging these to ensure all staff have their reviews in a timely manner.

p.9

good

Independent monitoring of the service is undertaken and reports submitted to the home and Ofsted. These reports enable the manager to address any shortfalls in practice in a timely and robust way. In addition the manager undertakes monitoring of the home and is aware of the requirement to complete six monthly monitoring reports to demonstrate the impact the home is having for the young people living there. She is currently developing a format to ensure it demonstrates a true and accurate record that is clear and concise. The home’s location assessment is annually reviewed. However, views from external professionals are not consistently sought. The manager is working with the local residents and police to address concerns raised about some of the behaviour of young people from the home within the local community. This includes planning a social function to enable the young people to meet neighbours and to understand the importance of positive

p.9

good

community relations. Young people say they think this is a positive thing to do.

p.9

good

There have been a number of significant and notifiable events since the last inspection. Most notifications have been made in a timely manner. However, there has been a delay in some being made. This does not enable a full overview by the Regulator to ensure the home is responding to events clearly. The manager has acknowledged this shortfall and is reviewing this as a matter of urgency.

p.9

good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for further development and has a clear action plan to continue to improve the service provided. She holds regular consultation with young people, staff and external professionals to inform the homes further development.

p.9

good

Requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection have been met. The manager is aware of the shortfalls identified at this inspection and is taking action to address them. This is through developing a clear six monthly monitoring account, ensuring notifications are sent to Ofsted electronically as well as a revised Statement of Purpose. A supervision matrix will be available at all inspections and views are to be gathered from professionals to add to the location risk assessment.

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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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