Children's Home run by Essandore Limited in St Helens

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 improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has successfully met the two requirements and two recommendations made at the previous inspection. As a result, transition plans for young people are now very good. Since the previous inspection, one young person has left. Staff worked hard to prepare the young person for leaving, with social stories, celebrations and planning meetings. The transition plan included staff from the new home working directly with the young person and their current staff team. They were able to share examples of good working practices and day-to-day routines for the young person. This ensured a very smooth transition and a positive experience for the young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are proactive in supporting the transition process to adult services for those young people moving on. They ensure young people receive independent advocacy when required. An example of this includes the excellent work by the staff and managers in negotiating meetings between two local authorities’ who each have a young person preparing to move into adult services. The result of these meetings has meant that the young people, who have lived together for a significant period of time, are appropriately supported to move into a new adult provision together, with ongoing support from adult services.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All staff have now received safeguarding training, this includes domestic staff. This ensures that all staff are equipped with the knowledge on how to continue to safeguard and protect the young people in their care. The young people’s guide has been updated and recruitment procedures are now robust.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s care planning process includes arrangements to identify and address potential individualised risks posed to young people in their day-to-day care and activities. This includes excellent links with the schools that young people attend to work together to minimise risk. An example of this includes staff from the home and school sharing two-way ‘body maps’ for a young person who self-harms. This enables professionals working with this young person to identify triggers and patterns to his self-harming behaviour and informs his risk assessments.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have created photograph journals for all young people; these show activities, day to day achievements and celebrations that young people have attended. The journals are not only a lasting memory for the young people but are also used very effectively to show progress young people have made. An example of this includes a young person who struggled to join other young people in her day to day living arrangements, enjoying the home’s Christmas party dancing with other young people with a huge smile on her face. Social workers commented ‘her social life has bloomed’, ‘the home work in collaboration with all professionals’ and ‘the results for the young people are phenomenal.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have effectively continued to include parents and carers in the day to day care of the young people. A parent commented ‘the staff invited us to an Autism training conference and I found this excellent’, ‘staff really involve us they put on a mother’s day party and it was great to see all the other families there and the young people really enjoying themselves.’ This ensures that significant people continue to play an important part in young people’s lives.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff working in the home are of a high calibre. They are child centred, well trained in caring for young people with complex needs. They are supported well to carry out their caring tasks through training, supervision and annual appraisals. Staff commented ‘we are a close team and work well together’, ‘ we now talk about individual young people for half an hour each at every team meeting to make sure we are all working the same way.’ This ensures that staff are consistent and provided a continuity of care to young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has effective monitoring systems in place. The manager continues to monitor and review areas for development and the young people’s progress. Regulation 44 and 45 reports and the recently reviewed statement of purpose are submitted in a timely manner and provide a very good level of detail and analysis. The manager uses a range of templates and tools to effectively review patterns and trends related to the young people’s progress. Since the previous inspection there have been no incidents of physical intervention, young people do not go missing and there have been only a very small number of serious and reportable incidents. Those that have been of concern are reported and shared with all professionals and family members in a timely manner.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff ensure the home is well maintained and decorated to a good standard. All the young people are included in the planning and re-decoration of their home. The display of young people’s memorabilia throughout the home creates a homely, relaxed environment for the young people.

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Information about this children's home

The home offers accommodation for up to 5 young people who have learning disabilities and who may also have physical disabilities. The home is owned by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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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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