Children's Home run by Good Foundations Limited in Wirral

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:

 A stable and committed staff team appropriately supports young people. They are listened to and encouraged to share their ideas about improvements in the home.  Young people continue to make good progress in their education provisions  Young people are fully supported to attend all health appointments and staff ensure their emotional wellbeing is paramount.  Young people have access to a wide range of social and recreational opportunities both inside and outside of the home.  Young people are supported to develop their independence skills  Managers regularly review the quality of care provided, identify areas of development, and make improvements.  Staff receive regular professional supervision and training to further their skills and knowledge when working with young people.  The statement of purpose is under review and should reflect the the ethos and objectives of the home.  The children’s guide and complaints procedure does not provide young

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The children's home provision is good because:

people with all the information they need to know about the home.

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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

7. The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person must —

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Requirement Due date

2(a) ensure that staff— (c) keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. 20/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that

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Requirement Due date

(d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health 20/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must —

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Specifically in relation to the auditing of the home’s records to ensure they are accurate, up-to-date and reflect young people’s full range of needs and risks. 20/01/2016 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 28days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 20/01/2016

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children's home registered for four 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

02/02/2015 Interim sustained effectiveness

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good

Young people make noticeable progress from their starting points. This is down to the staff team’s consistent support and encouragement. Young people feel settled, valued and at home, this is reflected in their comments, ‘I love it here, the staff really do care’; ‘It’s just like home’; ‘If we need help the staff are always there, it’s a good place to live’.

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good

Young people have all made progress in their education provisions. Their attendance and engagement at both school and college is good; they all have clear ambitions for their future. One young person explained that he is enjoying working for a local bus company, while another had a placement at a local farm. There are clear individual education plans in place and staff are very proactive in their approach. They work closely with education professionals to ensure all young people are provided with the same opportunities as their peer group, to learn and develop. When areas of concern arise, staff ensure these are dealt with in a timely way. For example, when a young person was struggling within their school placement, staff arranged a meeting to look at a plan of support. The young person returned to school and successfully completed their mainstream education. Young people’s health and well-being is promoted in the home. Health care plans

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good

identify their individual health needs. Statutory health assessments have been completed and young people have attended all required medical appointments. Young people are encouraged to contribute to their plans and identify any areas were they may need additional support. For example, a young person had requested additional support around substance misuse. An appointment was arranged with the substance team and staff ensured that on-going guidance, and support was provided throughout. Detailed activity plans are in place for young people. These are discussed in young people’s meetings and in key working sessions. Activities are individualised and demonstrate that young people are provided with lots of opportunities to increase their hobbies and social skills. For example; going to the gym and golf lessons. During holidays, day trips and activities staff capture these events with photographs and by collecting memorabilia. These are displayed around the home

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good

and copies are given to young people when they move on. These provide an opportunity for young people to have many memories to take with them.

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good

Young people enjoy contact with their families and friends. Staff facilitate contact at the home and transport young people to and from contact. This ensures young people remain connected to important people in their lives. If issues arise during contact staff take appropriate action to ensure young people are safe and hold discussions with the relevant social worker to look at different ways of managing this effectively. This ensures that contact can continue in a safe and appropriate manner, whilst young people enjoy a sense of belonging and have a strong sense of personal identity.

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good

Safeguarding young people is a priority of the staff team and central to practice. Young people are supported to keep safe. Sufficient levels of supervision both inside and outside of the home recognise their vulnerabilities. Staff understand their responsibilities and act within clear procedures when required. They have good links with the Local Authority Officer, working closely with local authorities when concerns have arisen. For example, following a potential safeguarding concern, immediate action was taken to make all professionals involved aware and a full and detailed report compiled for the relevant meeting. This ensures that appropriate action is taken and young people are protected.

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good

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of risk taking behaviour, such as missing from home and child sexual exploitation (CSE). Missing from home procedures are followed well and incidents of missing are reducing. When young people return they are offered appropriate support and reassurance to ensure they are safe and well. An independent person completes return home interviews, to see if any learning can be captured from the event.

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good

In the main, risk assessments are detailed and provide a clear picture of young people’s risks and how they should be managed. However, some risk assessments had not been updated to reflect significant changes, neither had they been signed by all staff to show they had read and understand them. This did not impact directly on young people’s safety as staff demonstrate in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of individual’s risks and their interventions are consistent and effective. This is clearly a recording matter and highlights shortcomings in the manager’s monitoring of records.

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good

Behaviour management strategies are effective. Incidents of challenging behaviours are regularly reviewed by the Registered Manager to consider any trends, patterns or issues that may emerge. This information is reflected upon and any learning gained is used to inform future practice. For example, the manager had noted that sanctions imposed on a young person, were ineffective. A discussion took place at the team meeting and different ways of managing the behaviour agreed. A further discussion with the young person around their behaviour and the impact they were having on others also took place. This provided them with an opportunity to discuss what they thought was an appropriate sanction and be involved in the decision making process. This promotes their confidence and encourages participation.

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good

Staff have a good understanding of their own and other professionals’ safeguarding responsibilities and know who to turn to for further guidance and support. All professionals, including social workers, missing from care coordinators and the police consulted during this inspection consistently praised staff’s safeguarding practice. One social worker said, staff always take immediate action if they are concerned and make sure that young people’s safety is their priority.’

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good

Young people are aware of the complaints procedure and can identify who they would talk to if they are unhappy or worried. One young person said: ‘I have not had to write a complaint form out, as when I talk to staff about things that upset me; they sort it out’. This helps young people deal with their difficulties in a child friend way with appropriate outcomes achieved. Judgement grade

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good

A motivated and committed Registered Manager, who has high expectations and aspirations for young people, effectively leads the home. She has been registered with Ofsted since September 2012. She leads by example and is actively involved in all of the home’s operations, including covering shifts. This enables her to monitor everyday practice in the home as she works alongside colleagues and young people. Young people and staff speak highly of their manager.

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good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision, which they feel enables them to reflect upon their practice and recognise their own strengths and weaknesses. This takes place on a monthly basis. It clearly focuses on the needs of young people, the working practice of staff and any areas of personal and professional development. One staff member commented that supervision is ‘held on a regular basis and Jen is an excellent manager who is very approachable and really cares about both the boys and the staff.’ Staff also feel the team are mutually supportive and have the ability to reflect and learn from incidents. They use team meetings to review their practice and evaluate the progress and experiences of young people.

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good

The service has established strong working relationships with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in young people’s care. Staff work closely with schools, colleges, social workers, health professionals and leading child protection agencies. Feedback from all stakeholders is positive, praising staff’s commitment, young people’s progress and effective communication with the manager and her team.

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good

The manager ensures staff are involved in the monitoring and development of the service. Their views are sought during monthly service reviews, team meetings and individual supervision sessions. Consequently, the team feel valued, respected and supported and this is reflected in the good standard of care provided.

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good

The physical environment of parts of the home is not kept to a high standard. The home presents as worn in places with the bathroom and some young people’s bedrooms, not being kept in a good state of repair and cleanliness. Bedroom windows were leaking and had mold on the windowsills. The garden was strewn with cigarette stubs. This detracts from the welcoming, homely feeling which staff try to achieve.

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good

The statement of purpose is currently in the process of being updated. This did not provide clear details on all aspects of care provided by the home. Although both the manager and staff had a clear understanding of the purpose and ethos of the home and how they will achieve this, there were issues identified around smoking. It was evident that both staff and young people were smoking in the garden area, despite the policy and statement saying this was not acceptable. This is currently being reviewed.

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good

The children’s guide has recently been updated, but does not provide young people with an up-to-date guide with clear explanations and information. Senior managers, with limited consultation with young people, have written it. The manager had already identified a number of errors and this was also under review.

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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. procedures set out in 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

regulates and inspects to 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

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Information about this inspection

Policy Team, 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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