Children's Home run by Teen-Works Care Limited in Sefton

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’s good relationships with staff have helped them to steadily move forward and make progress. One young person said that staff at this home are excellent. She said, ‘I can talk to anyone and they are there for you when you need them.’ A professional said, ‘Staff at this home take time to build honest and trusting relationships. Therefore, they are able to support them through various issues.’  Young people are making good progress at this home. This is evident with young people returning to foster care. However, their files are cumbersome because the manager has not achieved any paperwork. This means that the most relevant information is amongst old information.  Young people say they are safe at this home. A range of professionals said this home was exemplary at protecting vulnerable young people. In addition to this, good training has assisted staff to identify signs of child sexual

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The children's home provision is good because:

exploitation and report incidents appropriately.  Most young people are doing very well in school or alternative provision. Staff ensure that good working partnerships with educational professionals address any issue straight away. Good incentive schemes encourage young people to improve their attendance. But the home does not have a plan in place for one young person who is in between courses. As a result, there is no structure to her day.  Two young people are in the process of moving into either independence or into foster care. Good independence plans show how the staff have supported them to have the skills they need to live independently and staff have worked closely with identified foster carers to ensure that they understand the young person’s needs. But they do not have transition plans in place. This means that it is not clear whether all parties know their responsibilities in this area.  The manager understands the strengths and weakness of the home and she

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The children's home provision is good because:

has clear plans in place to address them. For example, when she identified that the independent visitors report did not assist her to improve the home; she employed a private company to complete them and they are steadily improving.

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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 education standard the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

8 (2) (a) (ix) Staff help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment. This is specifically in relation to having a plan in place to support young people in between finishing a course and securing another option. 29/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This is specifically in relation to having a transition plan in place. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 17, paragraph 3.27)  Ensure that children's plans are relevant and that they form the basis of their care. This is specifically in relation to the structure of the young people's files. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 10, paragraph 2.1)

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Information about this children's home

This privately run children’s home can accommodate up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22/01/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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good

Young people have been in placement for a significant period of time and they have made measurable progress. A professional said, ‘He has done so well here that I do not want him to leave but he is ready to move into foster care. I cannot praise or thank them enough.’ A young person said, ‘I have improved so much I am ready to get on with my adult life.’ When young people are admitted to this home, this is in accordance with the home’s Statement of Purpose. They have opportunities to visit, meet staff and other young people, and stay for tea and in some circumstances stay overnight. The manager completes an impact risk assessment to ensure that the home can meet the young person’s individual needs and that there is a good match to other young people already in placement.

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good

Staff work closely with educational providers to ensure young people receive appropriate education and reach their full potential. One young person requested to move schools because he wanted to be close to his home area. The transition into the new school went well. He is doing extremely well. A teacher said, ‘He has settled very well because of the support he has received from staff. He has moved up two sets in English in the short time he has been here which is excellent.’ Another young person was struggling within a large education group. The home worked closely with the Virtual Head for education to find a smaller setting. She is now doing well and also attending college once a week to do a hairdressing course. She said, ‘I love going and I rarely miss a day.’ Another young person left formal education in July 2015. She attained several exams results but did not know what she wished to do as a career. The home worked hard in ensuring that she

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good

received careers advice. She went on and completed the Princess Trust award. She said, ‘It was great, especially the outward bound week in Wales.’ She attended her award ceremony and gave a speech. To celebrate this achievement the home bought her a dress and had her hair and make-up done professionally. A member of staff said, ‘This was my proudest moment. She lacks confidence and self-esteem and to see her do this just shows how far she has come.’ The young person proudly showed her certificate to the inspector and this takes pride of place in the small lounge. But, since Christmas she has struggled to keep appointments with the careers office and has turned down several courses which she initially showed interest in. The home does not have a plan in place that demonstrates what she is doing or what she is offered on a daily basis. This means that she is spending large periods of the day in bed. This does not ensure that she has a good structure to

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good

her day or prepare her to have good routines for her independence. Young people have clear plans for seeing their families. One young person’s contact has developed into weekly unsupervised contact. She said, ‘It’s really good. I can make my own plans to see my mum and it is going well.’ One young person had not seen her sister for a long time. The manager worked closely with the local authority to ensure that they could meet safely. Other young people have been supported to repair relationships with extended family. A grandfather said, ‘We see her regularly and she seems to be doing well there. We can now play a grandparent role rather than a parent role which is great.’ This shows that the home fully support young people’s wishes and feelings and they are able to maintain relationships that are important to them. Young people have a range of independent people to talk to if they have concerns. They are confident that they could raise a complaint or concern without fear of

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good

reprisals. One young person said, ‘I can talk to any staff, you (inspector), the responsible individual, my social worker, and loads more.’ No young people have raised a concern but said they were confident that it would be taken seriously. They said that they have several opportunities to discuss issues in key worker sessions, young people’s meetings or they are able to speak with the manager most days. Young people receive individualised health care, because they have built up good relationships with staff over the years, so they understand the importance of attending health appointments. One young person now makes her own appointments as part of her semi-independence routine. In the past, young people have received additional support from the mental health services but young people have been able to say when they no longer require support with their emotions. One young person said, ‘We have recently looked at how we can make our food

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good

healthier by adding more vegetables or by making food from scratch rather than shop bought. Tonight we are having homemade stew with lots of vegetables in.’ When one young person’s historical information noted that the young person had childhood epilepsy, the manager ensured that all staff were trained in this area. She said, ‘Although they had not had an episodes for a number of years I wanted to make sure that all staff knew what to do if happened.’ This good practice safeguards young people. The administration and recording of medicine is robust. This is because all staff have received training in medication awareness and first aid. This means that young people receive their medication in line with their prescription. Young people are offered a wide range of activities that include pursuing interests, fun, exercise, and gaining new experiences. For example, one young person is having singing lessons and she also wanted to learn Spanish. She has a Spanish

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good

tutor who visits the home on a weekly basis. Another young person is a keen footballer. He plays in the school team and a local area team. Therefore, most of his nights are taken up with football practice and matches at the weekend. All the young people experienced a holiday abroad last summer. They said it was good but they missed being at the home. In addition to this, each young person has been to London on a weekend away. They have explored the sights and been to a theatre show. One young person said, ‘It was amazing.’ This shows that young people have good opportunities to sample different cultures, experiences and be part of the local community. Two young people are due to move on from this home soon. One young person is going into independence. Over the years, staff have worked with her on the skills she will need to do this successfully. As a result, she said, ‘I am confident that I can care for myself well. I can budget, cook, clean, and even know how to change

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good

a plug.’ The home has also put together a useful booklet for her with all the names, addresses, and telephone numbers that she may need such as local housing, doctors, and emergency services. The manager has been chasing the young person’s pathway plan from the local authority. She has now made her request more formal in a letter because they young person has been told that she is moving on and they need to know the plan for her. Another young person is being prepared to move into foster care soon. Unfortunately, one identified foster couple pulled out days before introductions were made. They manager has made a formal complaint about this to the local authority. But, both young people do not have transition plans in place. This means that the home cannot evidence all the good work that they have done, that staff know the plan, their role and responsibilities in ensuring that it is followed or that everyone is in agreement with

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good

it. More importantly, not all the young people know what the arrangements are or when their move will happen. One young person said, ‘My social worker said I will be moving after Christmas into independence but that’s all I know.’ This does not alleviate young people’s anxieties or help them prepare emotionally to move on. Young people live in a warm, welcoming environment and they are very much involved in the design and decoration of the home. Young people’s bedrooms reflect their individual personalities. They display pictures of their family and art work around the home.

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outstanding

Young people described staff as very good. They say that staff care for them very well; they listened and tried to make things happen. They were able to reflect that their progress was down to these good relationships. A professional said, ‘They talk to her like an adult and respect some of her decisions. She is happy there. She has platforms to progress and they have ironed out lots of issues such as relationships with family members, so these will not be obstacles in her life.’ Another said, ‘Staff are brilliant both individually and as a team. He understands a situation; he can reflect and make positive choices now.’

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outstanding

Young people said that they were safe at this home because staff discussed safety issues with them and often talked about examples of things that have happen in the media or discuss scenarios on television within soaps and films. For example, the young people went to watch ‘Sophie’s choice’, a film that covers child sexual exploitation. The manager said, ‘This opened up avenues to discuss safety issues.’ One young person said, ‘I am very safe online because I have completed a safety course from my local authority.’ Therefore, she was very confident that she could keep herself safe when using social media. Last autumn, one young person had a month were she was repeatedly reported as missing from home. Because staff had received good training in child sexual exploitation they quickly identified some of the changes in her behaviour that could mean that she was a risk such as her appearance, having a new mobile and being

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outstanding

secretive. These concerns were quickly reported to the relevant safeguarding professionals and decisive action was taken. A detective constable from the police said, ‘This prompt action has not only safeguarded her but other young people within the community.’ She continued to say, ‘Throughout our investigations this home has gone above and beyond what is expected of them. I cannot praise the structure, their following protocol, and communication enough. They are fantastic.’ The missing from home co-ordinator from the police said, ‘The home has worked well with the police and other agencies to try to understand and manage the risks. They share concerns, intelligence, new information, and highlighted issues that increase concerns. The staff have a good relationship with the young person, show her warmth and that they are concerned about her safety. They are listening to her issues and carrying out work around safety and child sexual exploitation with

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outstanding

her. They are committed to wanting to make things work out in a realistic and safe way. All the agencies are working together.’ Return interviews and planned key worker sessions have been carried out timely. As a result, the young person has unknowingly shared more information and this has passed to the police and relevant parties. The outcome of these excellent practices in the home, is that the young person has not been reported missing since this time. In addition to this, all professionals, spoken to as part of this inspection process said that young people’s safety is prioritised here. They said there are excellent systems to protect young people and to help them understand how they put themselves at risk. Young people’s risk assessments identify their individual vulnerabilities. Staff work consistently with the strategies identified within them and take the agreed action when an incident occurs. Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and discussed

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outstanding

within staff meetings. This means that staff can contribute to them and that know of any changes made to them. This ensures that all staff follow the agreed protocols and procedures and that young people receive continuity of care.

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outstanding

Clear and consistently applied behaviour management strategies ensure that young people understand about acceptable behaviour. Consequences for unacceptable behaviour are minimal but when applied, young people said they were fair. When the manager has viewed these records she has made some changes because they have been ineffective or she has given the young person the option to choose something else. For example, one young person lost his television for being verbally abusive to staff. The manager recognised that he needed his television to settle at night. Therefore, he was given other options and he chose to be grounded rather than lose his television. Excellent reward and incentive schemes have seen young people having weekends away, going abroad on holiday, receiving personal items, having additional monies and being treated to clothes and beauty sessions. These excellent practices ensure that young people are involved in their care, that

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outstanding

they understand the consequences of their actions and that their achievements are celebrated. Young people have not been physically held for a significant period of time. This is due to the excellent relationships between young people and staff. Records maintained in the home around this area show robust recordings and action taken to safeguard young people when incidents have happened in the past. All staff have received training in holding young people safely and have completed several associated safeguarding courses. These are regularly updated. This means that staff have been able to put their learning into practice specifically around child sexual exploitation. Staff are very clear about their responsibilities for keeping young people safe. They know what to do if they have concerns and take action to protect young people. Health and safety responsibilities are taken seriously and equipment and installation checks are undertaken annually. Young people and staff complete

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outstanding

monthly fire evacuations to ensure that they all know what to do in an emergency. To capture their understanding, the manager has implemented a questionnaire for them to complete. As a result, the young people confidently said that they knew what to do in an emergency.

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good

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2011. She has the relevant qualifications and has extensive experience to lead a staff group and manage the home. A qualified deputy manager supports her in this role. All professionals spoken with as part of this inspection said the manager is an effective role model and undertakes her duties seriously. One professional said, ‘It is evident that she has the young people at the heart of her practice.’

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good

Professionals confirm they have received the home’s Statement of Purpose and that it provided very good information about the service. Young people said that they are welcomed into this home and part of this is receiving a welcome booklet. They say that it is child friendly and gives them good information about the home. They continued to say that staff take time to go through this with them. This helps them settle and know the boundaries of the home. It also provides them with details of independent people who they can contact, if necessary.

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good

Young people’s records are stored over numerous files. They have become cumbersome because the manager has not archived old information. For example, one young person has been in placement for nearly four years and every placement plan or review record is maintained on their file. This has the potential to impact on staff having the most relevant information to hand. In contrast to this, young people said that they can contribute and influence their plans. They often make comments and sign that the information is factual. These good practices ensure that young people are fully involved in their care.

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good

Young people receive continuity of care because there is a well-trained, supervised, and qualified staff team in place. The home recently recruited a part-time member of staff to release the manager from being part of the rota, so she can undertake more managerial duties. Two additional staff have been recruited to replace staff that have moved on as part of their development within the company. Robust recruitment records show that all the necessary checks are completed to ensure as far as possible that suitable adults care for young people. Most staff are qualified in caring for young people. Two staff are completing this award. Staff said that the support they receive from the manager is excellent. They said they were fully involved in the development of the home and all decisions or changes were fully explored within staff meetings. One staff said, ‘Staff meetings gives us the opportunity to discuss the progress of young people, any changes to strategies or

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good

risk assessments and to plan the month ahead.’ Further to this, staff say they have good training and developmental opportunities. The manager or deputy manager often attends additional training to support young people’s individual needs or to broaden their horizons. This gives them the opportunity to assess the training and whether it would benefit staff or they put together a presentation to deliver to staff in staff meetings. When staff complete additional training they complete a questionnaire on its effectiveness. This gauges their knowledge and how they put the learning into practice. This shows that staff have excellent progression and development opportunities and that their skills and knowledge are continually built upon.

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good

The manager recently questioned the quality of the independent visitor reports as she felt they did not assist her to improve the home. Therefore, she has employed and independent service to undertake these visits. Although, only one visit has been completed she feels there is an improvement especially around them consulting with the young people. The manager uses the information supplied well. She includes all positive and negative comments within her development plan. This means that the home continues to improve. For example, improvements have been made in assessing staff knowledge and how they would apply it in practice when they complete training. She is currently looking at how the home can be more concise in what they record and the relevance of it. This will mean that information is stored in one location rather than over several files. This means young people will be able to make sense of their background, journey, and progress at this home

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good

when access their files. The manager has consulted with the police when compiling the home’s locality risk assessment. Therefore, she is aware of any potential risks to young people within the community. Although, no young people have been recently placed, she said this will assist when assuring young people are suitably placed. On occasions, the inspector has had to telephone the home to gain more information around serious incidents because the record lacked detail. The manager has ensured that staff complete information within notifications clearly, that they represent the incident, the action taken, and the outcome. This means that all parties have a better understanding of the processes the home has followed.

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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