Children's home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last 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

Since the last inspection the home has supported a young person to move onto semi-independent living successfully. This was a planned move and staff enabled her to develop the necessary skills and confidence to make this move a positive experience. She remains in regular contact with the team, which demonstrates the good relationships established between young people and staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The two young people who remain living at the home continue to make steady progress. They both have full-time educational placements and their attendance from their starting points is improving. When issues arise, such as refusing to attend school on certain days, the manager monitors this and puts in place incentives to encourage them to attend. This is helping young people to overcome barriers to their learning and development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the past three weeks, two young people have moved into the home. They were both placed in an emergency and a distance from their families due to serious safeguarding concerns, including child sexual exploitation (CSE). One young person was moved from the home within two days of her being placed. She went missing and there were concerns that she was at risk of sexual exploitation. The placing authority identified the need for a secure provision to ensure her safety and the placement subsequently ended. Although staff made good efforts to keep this young person safe, including instigating missing from care procedures and liaising with family members to get information to help locate her. They did not inform Ofsted of this serious incident, which involved potential sexual exploitation, as required.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The second young person who recently moved into the home, although it is still early days, reports feeling settled, safe and ‘likes staff.’ Her social worker said, ‘this is her second week living at the home and already she is making progress; this is the longest period that she has not gone missing.’ The home tackles incidents of missing and CSE well. They consistently follow local protocols and work effectively with specialist missing and CSE teams who provide direct support to young people. As a result, incidents of missing and CSE risks reduce for most young people who move into the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Individual risk assessments have improved and now routinely assess young people’s drug and alcohol use. These assessments also identify strategies for supporting young people at risk of drug and alcohol misuse, such as, direct work with staff or, when necessary, referrals to specialist drug and alcohol services. In addition to this, staff are now monitoring what young people are ordering online and getting delivered to the home. As a result, opportunities for young people to bring harmful substances into the home, such as ‘legal highs’, have reduced.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are now receiving regular professional supervision and attending monthly team meetings. This supports the manager to highlight gaps in the teams practice and identify areas for further development and training. Staff have recently attended training on e-safety and this has enhanced their understanding of this specific safeguarding issues, which in turn, enables them to support young people to keep themselves safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

However, young people are still not being fully supported to understand the home’s rules and how their behaviour impacts on others. This is specifically in relation to some young people continuing to smoke inside the house despite the home’s no-smoking policy. Smoking in the home was evident during the inspection as one young person’s bedroom smelt of cigarette smoke and two of the bedrooms had cigarette burns on furniture and window ledges. Staff do not consistently challenge young people who smoke inside the home. For example, when a young person was found smoking in the home, it was unclear as to what action staff take to deter this harmful behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. He is registered for another home within the company and his application to register for this service is currently being processed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s monitoring of the home can further improve. Shortfalls were found in the home’s recording of consequences, including, the manager not commenting on the measure used or evaluating its effectiveness. Furthermore, the home’s Statement of Purpose, which was updated in June 2015, states that the company provide their own advocate/independent visitor for young people; this service is not in place. The Statement of Purpose does not, therefore, provide an accurate overview of the support provided by the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The company is taking steps to improve the monthly independent monitoring reports to ensure they provide a more rigorous assessment of the home. This is yet to be tested; however, managers acknowledge the need for these to improve to ensure continued service development.

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/01/2015 Interim sustained effectiveness

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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 positive relationships standard the registered person must ensure that staff –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(iii)(v) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, and, communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. Specifically in relation to young people smoking inside the home. 29/04/2016

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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

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure to keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)). 29/04/16

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure to notify Ofsted if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4) (a)- (d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, paragraph 14.10, page 63)

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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

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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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