Children's Home run by Young Alliance Limited in Cheshire East

Unique reference number SC381531 Inspector Maria McGranaghan Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Young Alliance Limited Registered person address 60 School Lane Bamber Bridge Preston Lancashire PR5 6QE Responsible individual Andrew O'Reilly

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Registered manager

Date of last inspection 27/06/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 30/03/2015

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Registered manager

Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

At the last inspection on 27 June 2014 the home was judged as good with two good practice recommendations being made to further improve practice. The recommendations specifically related to the prompt referral to Ofsted of regulation 30 notifications and also a referral to the local authority designated officer (LADO) in the event of an allegation against staff.

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This inspection

Although Ofsted are now in receipt of regulation 30 notifications, referrals to LADO are not consistently made when allegations about staff working in the home take place. Two recent allegations had been managed by staff working in the home. Furthermore, records of allegations are not recorded as a significant incident and therefore information pertaining to any such allegation cannot be easily accessed. The acting manager was not aware that a referral to the LADO was necessary although this had been clearly stated in the last inspection report.

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This inspection

Education arrangements are not fully established for all young people. While some young people attend fulltime education or a staggered educational plan due to their complex needs, other young people have yet to be allocated a suitable educational provision. As a result, some young people do not have consistent day-to-day routine which includes the attendance of or taking part in, education. Therefore the structures and routines required to stabilise young people are not fully in place.

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This inspection

Young people living at the home have significant and complex mental health problems that frequently manifests as self-harm. The in-house psychology team work closely with young people and staff to ensure up-to-date risk assessments and daily living plans serve to help young people in their day-to-day lives. Although behaviours frequently fluctuate, young people do make progress and develop good working relationships with staff and their peers. 3 of 6 Since the last inspection there have been no young people, missing from the home; requiring a physical intervention or concerns regarding child sexual exploitation. While some young people may absent themselves from the home, this is for short periods of time. Staff work closely with external services such as the police and health authority and share vital information such as the multi-agency risk management plans. This ensures that young people are responded to in a way

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This inspection

which is helpful to their individual daily living and risk reduction plan. This has proved effective for some young people because acting out within the community have reduced.

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This inspection

Young people take part in various community activities such as attending the gym and going horse riding. There are also lots of in-house activities such as arts and crafts, looking after the homes pets, pamper nights and baking. Some young people have made friends in the community and will visit friend’s houses for tea or to listen to music. Therefore, young people are provided with suitable opportunities to take part in social activities building their self-esteem and confidence.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection there has been a change in the management structure of the organisation. The Registered Manager is currently on leave prior to his retirement ON 31 March 2015. A new manager has been appointed and is due to commence her role at the end of April 2015. A new responsible individual has also been recruited. The home is currently being overseen by an acting manager. However, arrangements for a formal handover from the previous manager are not in place and therefore the acting manager is not fully aware of the procedures to follow such as, informing the LADO when an allegation against a staff member is made.

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This inspection

Internal and external monitoring is consistently good with reports being forwarded to Ofsted in accordance with regulation. Reports provide a good overview of the progress young people make and a suitable analysis of the care provision within the home. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This home is a specialised children's home that is provided by a private residential childcare provider in partnership with an independent mental health community service. The service provides residential care for children and young people who have experienced moderate to serious mental health problems. The home is registered to care for five children at any one time.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/06/2014 Full good 15/01/2014 Full good 12/06/2013 Interim good progress 14/02/2013 Full good

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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 Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure a prompt referral to the local authority designated officer in whose area the children's home is situated, of any allegation of abuse or neglect affecting the child accommodated in the home and written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect and the actions taken in response to this(Regulation 16 (2)(b) (d)) 30/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure staff promote the educational attendance and achievement of children accommodated in the children's home (Regulation 18 (1)) 30/04/2015

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Recommendations

5 of 6 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 interim managers and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The level of delegation and responsibility of the interim manager and staff, and the lines of accountability, are clearly defined (NMS 21.4) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections 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

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The 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 relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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