Children's Home run by Halton Borough Council in Halton

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One of the two recommendations has been suitable addressed and children and young people’s case records are now signed and dated by the author. The provider acknowledges the need to improve the quality of the independent visitor’s assessment of the home, and has identified a suitable action plan to address this. However, the external monitoring undertaken by the independent visitor continues to be ineffective as this does not identify what the Registered Manager can improve to ensure that the services and experience for children and young people continue to develop. This is because the Independent Visitor does not consult with the children and young people, or their families and their carers when they are undertaking their assessment of the home. Furthermore, the Independent Visitor does not make any assessment of how the home is enhancing children and young people’s experiences and progress as a consequence of their stay within the home,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

or how the home effectively safeguards them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people continue to receive good quality care and support from an experienced, consistent and dedicated staff team during their short term breaks. Care practice remains good. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each young person’s individual strengths and vulnerabilities and consistently implement children and young person’s individual risk assessments.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff use a range of methods to ensure that children and young people have a voice and remain central to their care planning. As well as using suitable communication aids, such as pictures, symbols and simple sign language, staff are receptive to children and young people’s changing needs through their non-verbal clues, such as their body language. This ensures that staff can respond effectively and support children and young people appropriately, especially during times of heightened anxiety.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have developed and embedded cohesive working relationships with parents and carers, and other agencies such as: social workers; schools; adult services; specialist nurses, and health professionals, such as physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. These positive working relationships ensure that children and young people continue to benefit from continuity of care, and receive comprehensive and consistent health and social care packages, whether this be at the family home, within the children’s home or at school. This child focused care practice and multi-agency support ensures that all children and young people make progress with their health, social and emotional development. These achievements are proudly shared and celebrated by family members and professionals. A parent said: ‘(Name) always enjoys his stays. He is much more sociable now and he has made more friends. The staff have supported me to help him increase his skills and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

his personal hygiene has improved.’ A social worker went on to add: ‘(Name) is doing well in school and the staff support this. The staff continue to support (name) to develop his personal hygiene and independence skills and offer different experiences to do this. He has made massive progress with this.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Thorough transition planning, which includes person centred planning for children and young people moving into adult services, ensures that their individual needs are considered and addressed throughout their transition. Children and families are supported well during their moves into the home, which are undertaken at their pace, by the manager and staff. A keyworker is appointed for each young person prior to the admission, to undertake detailed and comprehensive assessments alongside the management team. This ensures that children and young people’s individual needs are clearly understood at the point of their admission and staff provide a good level of care to ensure that these needs are consistently met. As a consequence children and young people benefit from a smooth and effective transition process.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people benefit from living in a clean, safe, and comfortable home environment. There is sufficient communal space for them to spend time together as well as spaces where they can take quiet time such as in their bedrooms, the sensory room, conservatory or the cinema room. Children and young people are encouraged and supported by staff to personalise their own rooms to reflect their individual taste and preferences. While there is a system in place to ensure that any repairs or damage is reported; when this work is completed is dependent on others. As a result, one young person’s bedroom requires re-painting and two young people’s bedrooms require new blinds.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On one occasion a young person has left the home unaccompanied despite the stringent safeguards in place to prevent this. Staff responded to this incident promptly, informing all agencies such as the police, social workers and carers, and ensured that the young person was located and returned to the home quickly and safely. While the actions of the staff were sufficient in raising the alarm to other agencies to ensure that the young person was returned home safe and well, the staff did not follow the home’s missing from home protocol, nor did they ensure a detailed and accurate individual record of the incident was made. As such the Registered Manager has not had the opportunity to evaluate the record to establish if the actions taken were sufficient, and what further actions could be taken to reduce further incidents. That said, the manager and staff have considered the incident fully, and after suitable discussions with the carers and placing local

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

authority, taken all reasonable steps to implement additional safeguarding strategies to prevent any further incidents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leadership and management arrangements remain effective. Staff are dedicated and committed to providing a high standard of care to all children and young people. Staff speak fondly of them and understand their needs and vulnerabilities well. Staff are positive about the support they receive from their managers and colleagues. They confirm that they receive regular supervision, are given good and relevant training opportunities, and have their fitness to perform appraised annually, which they confirm supports them to do their job well. The manager has high expectations for all children and young people and expects staff to consistently deliver a good standard of care. She and her staff team are clear about children and young people’s aims and objectives and have realistic plans in place to achieve them. While the internal quality assurance and monitoring systems are used well by the manager to ensure that she has a clear

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

understanding of the strengths and areas of continued development for the home; the external monitoring systems do not provide the manager with any support to continue to develop the service further.

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Information about this children's home

 The home provides short term breaks for up to four children and young people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairment. It is managed by a local authority and provides a service to children and young people from two other local authorities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 the home provides a comfortable and homely environment that is well maintained and decorated, with particular reference to painting the young people's bedrooms and providing young people with blinds for their bedrooms.(The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that records are kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home, and that an evaluation of missing incidents are undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.31)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home's policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the homes care, with particular regards to ensuring that the staff team are aware of, and implement fully the agreed procedures to be followed when a child is missing from the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home. (The Guide, page 65, para 15.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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