Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited in Knowsley

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

The conditions of registration have been varied since the last inspection. The home has increased its capacity and its staff team to enable it to look after four children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have continued to receive very good, individualised care that supports them to make excellent progress in their lives. Some children have made extremely positive changes and are significantly safer as a result of the good work staff do, in partnership with other agencies. Children who have been at risk of significant harm, including harm from going missing and child sexual exploitation before moving to the home, have made immensely good progress. They have radically reduced and eliminated their dangerous risk-taking behaviour and show a much greater awareness of how to stay safe from grooming and exploitation. They have re-engaged with education and this is greatly enhancing their future life chances. With support from staff, they have rebuilt damaged relationships with their families. One child’s progress has continued to be more erratic. However, the home has demonstrated commitment and resilience in working with children who present

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

challenging behaviour. By continually reviewing their behaviour management strategies and working closely with other agencies, the home is beginning to have small successes in helping a child who has been frequently missing to reduce their drug misuse, criminality and missing behaviour. The child’s engagement in education is also improving. Two children have left the home since the last inspection. One had a very well planned transition home following an extremely successful placement. This was all the more remarkable as the child had suffered 13 placement breakdowns before being admitted to this home. The other child had been admitted as an emergency placement following the breakdown of his previous placement. After two months, the home discharged him with immediate notice. During that time, the home had appropriately sought support for the child from other agencies, including the child and adolescent mental health service. However, delays in allocating these services

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

meant he did not receive the support he needed from other agencies before he left the home and the area. The child’s unpredictable and volatile behaviour had resulted in a number of serious assaults on staff and his behaviour had begun to impact on other children. The manager requested a safeguarding strategy meeting, but the child’s level of violence escalated to dangerous levels before a meeting could be held. The manager has reflected on this placement with the staff team and lessons learned include the necessity to fully explore and check pre-placement information before agreeing to a child’s admission. Two children have been admitted to the home within the last month. One had an exceedingly well-planned transition which included meetings with responsible professionals and the previous placement, a careful interrogation of pre-placement information and several visits to the child. The manager shared information with

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the child about the home and successfully built rapport with him before his admission. This significantly reduced the child’s anxieties about moving and he has settled into the home very well. Good partnership working with education and youth offending services has meant that arrangements for the child to access local services have been set up quickly. The other child was admitted in an emergency. There is good evidence of the home working extremely well with other agencies, including the police and safeguarding agencies. This was successful in ensuring the child’s safe and smooth transition. Although it is early days, initial signs are that the child is settling well. Children report they feel very safe and well cared for in the home and describe the support they get as ‘amazing’. One said, ‘They’ve helped me so much. I can’t praise them enough. I’ve been through so much but I’ve really turned things

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

around.’ The manager monitors the quality of care well. He regularly supervises staff through team meetings and one to one supervision meetings. This ensures staff reflect regularly on the children’s needs and their own skills and behaviour management strategies. He challenges staff to research current issues in children’s social care and the difficulties faced by the children they look after. This helps staff to improve their understanding of children’s needs and how to support them. The manager quickly addresses shortfalls in practice raised by the home’s independent visitor. The visitor’s reports are evaluative, with a clear focus on the quality of records, children’s progress and safeguarding. Actions raised help the manager to improve practice. The manager seeks continuous feedback from children, social workers and parents which he uses aptly to inform the development of the service and ensure person-centred care for each child. Quality

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

assurance reports by commissioners recognise the good care the home provides. The comprehensive development plan for the year up to 31 March 2016 has been very well met. This shows the home has continued to improve and has met its own targets. For example, children’s meetings have been set up so that children can have an input into the running of the home and several children have participated in an organisational children’s forum. Improvements to the premises continue. New windows have been fitted to the front of the house and window restrainers have been fitted in response to a child going missing from home by climbing through a basement window. All the required improvements raised at the last inspection have been implemented so the premises are more homely and safe. The manager has in-depth knowledge of each child’s placement plan, their progress and their presenting difficulties. He works tirelessly with the staff team

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and other agencies to ensure children get the best possible support. He often challenges other professionals to improve when delays or inaction impact negatively on children’s welfare. The manager makes effective contributions to placement planning and safeguarding meetings. He is knowledgeable, well- informed and passionate about improving the lives of the children living in the home. He has gained the respect of other professionals, parents, children and staff. His enthusiasm and high aspirations inspire others to deliver a high quality service and help children to believe in themselves. A child explained: ‘Daren is the best. He really cares about us and helps us. I’m going to school now and I see the counsellor and that’s helping.’ Two children have made such good progress that one is now involved with a support agency in developing a mentoring scheme to support other children at risk. Another child has made a significant contribution to developing the local authority’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

young people’s advisory service by interviewing new staff. The children have grown in confidence and are making a difference to the lives of other children as well as their own. In most circumstances, the home works effectively with partner agencies. A professional who provides a service to a child said: ‘The home is really supportive and the child’s engagement has been fantastic. His is making great progress towards his own personal goals. Staff are really approachable and keep me updated with any concerns. Multi-agency work can be challenging when there are so many agencies involved but they are open to information-sharing and working together.’ There has been one complaint from a child since the last inspection. It was responded to quickly and effectively and the child was satisfied with the outcome. Serious incidents are routinely notified to relevant agencies, including Ofsted. The quality of these notifications is not consistently good. For example, staff do not

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

always pay sufficient attention to detail so that factual information is not reliable. Additionally, notifications do not always show that robust action has been taken to protect children following an incident, although on further exploration, in most instances, the home has responded appropriately. Missing from care records do not demonstrate that staff routinely contact or visit known addresses where a child may be staying. The home has not built a strong and influential rapport with parents of children’s friends. Consequently, they are not working effectively with others who may be able to influence and advise children about staying safe. The local arrangements for conducting return interviews with children who have been missing are not strong. Children receive a visit following every four missing episodes. This does not protect them well and is not helpful or successful in reducing children’s missing behaviour. The manager has not challenged this

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

practice with the relevant local authority. Nor did he raise a concern with the police when they waited four days before responding to his request to interview a child who reported he had witnessed a serious crime while missing from care. The child then refused to speak with police and an opportunity to protect this and other children was lost. Staff have completed a 4 day training course in behaviour management and restraint so that all staff are now trained in the home’s approved restraint practice. Three new members of staff have not yet been enrolled on this training, which is part of their induction to the home. Records of restraints are regularly monitored by the manager and the independent visitor. They show that restraint is used appropriately to prevent serious harm to a person or serious damage to property.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children’s home that is registered for four children presenting emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home caters for three children in the main part of the house and one child in the basement annexe which is designed to support children who are preparing for independent living.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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 that notifications of serious events include a description of the action taken by the home's staff in response to the event and the outcome of any resulting investigation. Ensure also that notifications are factually accurate (The Guide, page 63, para 14.13)  Ensure that the home connects with and is part of the wider support system for each child in their care. Ensure also that the home establishes and maintains a close working partnership with all those who play a role in protecting and caring for the child. Specifically, build rapport with the parents of children's friends when it is known that such people play an important and influential role in the child's life. (The Guide, page 11, para 2.3)  Ensure the home proactively advocates for the child to ensure others play their

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Recommendations

role and deliver the high quality support that is needed. In particular, advocate for children to receive an independent return interview after each missing incident and advocate with the police to promote a swift response to serious concerns raised by children on their return from being missing (The Guide, page 11, para 2.4)  Ensure that all staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint and any restraint techniques appropriate to the needs of the children that the home is set up to care for. (The Guide, page 49, para 9.57)

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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

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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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