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Social care · Children's home inspection (SCCIF)

Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Inspected 21 Jan 2016 · published 24 Mar 2016 · URN SC022464

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Alicea Churchward

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    21 Jan 2016

  • Inspectors verified

    Alicea Churchward

  • Helped and protected verified

    Outstanding

  • URN verified

    SC022464

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • Helped and protectedOutstanding

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+27Mostly positivemore positive than 50% of reports of this type
OutstandingGoodRIInadequate

In line with other reports of this type.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praiseexcellenthighly effectiveexceptionalconsistentlyimprovedeffectiveoutstandingstrongly
Criticismat riskinadequateweaknessesharmnot sufficientlyconcernrequires improvementnot yet

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsWhat needs to improveAbout the inspection positive critical
  • Findings177w+89
  • What needs to improve681w−5

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

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Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
11
Words of findings
848
shorter than usual (typical 1387)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 45, typical 50
Average sentence
20 words
Next steps
8
typical 4
Hedged sentences
2%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 10%What needs to improve 38%About the inspection 53%

Full report text

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The young person in this home is making exceptional progress in all areas of their welfare and development.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The management and staff are working very closely with this young person in respect of their care plans.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The young person is settled in this home and has lived here for a long time.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Equality and diversity feature very strongly in this home. Staff have a great deal of respect for individuality which has resulted in excellent practice and support for the young person.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Shortfalls are identified in respect of documentary information in respect of the effectiveness of the organisation. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in the welfare of the young person not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The home has had a very positive impact upon the young person’s welfare and development.

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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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

improve the degree of analysis and evaluation in the regulation 44 reports in order to promote improvement in the provision of care (Regulation 44) 31/03/16

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

ensure that a report of the quality of care allows for the report to be generated at least once every six months. The generated report should be sent to Ofsted and the placing local authority of all children in the home who are looked-after children. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 65, paragraph 15.3)

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Recommendations

ensure that young people have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered for one child in the category of Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (EBD). The home is privately owned and has a number of other homes in the area.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Outstanding

There are detailed placement and care plans in place, which clearly link to direct work undertaken by staff with the young person which is well recorded. Excellent planning has taken place to ensure that the young person is enabled to develop their self-esteem and build upon their resilience and confidence. The educational achievement is exceptional, taking into account both the young person’s attainment and their progress from their starting point at the time of placement. Staff ensure that they attend education reviews and maintain close links with professionals; this helps ensure that they are kept fully up to date with any developments. There is a first-rate approach to promoting the physical and emotional wellbeing of the young person. They benefit from access to a range of agencies and services to meet their assessed needs. Staff provide good role models to the young person; they ensure that they understand the importance of maintaining good health; they

p.6

Outstanding

also encourage healthy eating and a healthy life style. Equality and diversity feature very strongly in this home. Staff have a great deal of respect for individuality which has resulted in excellent practice and support for the young person. It is clear throughout the inspection that the young person had developed trusted and secure relationships with the staff in the home.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the young person’s needs; which are very well met indeed. Young people talk openly with staff about any worries or concerns and there is an open complaints policy. A complaint has been made about the lack of access to a computer and the internet in the home; the organisation are in the process of addressing this matter.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff receive safeguarding training that is regularly refreshed, and they fully understand their duties in promoting young people's welfare. Staff are fully conversant with the processes and protocols involved in the event of a young person making a disclosure and demonstrate a thorough knowledge of key issues such as child sexual exploitation and the indicators to be aware should this be a risk to young people placed

p.6

Outstanding

Young people feel safe and staff work with them individually to address any vulnerabilities and risks. Placement plans, behaviour management plans and risk assessment reports all provide a sound mechanism for responding to young people's changing needs for safety and protection.

p.7

Outstanding

Respectful and warm relationships between staff and young people, combined with consistent boundaries, provide the basis for managing behaviour effectively. Positive behaviour is promoted. Staff receive regular updates to their behaviour management training, they prefer to try and diffuse situations wherever possible and there has been no need to use restraints at the home.

p.7

Outstanding

Their engagement in the process ensures that sanctions are clearly understood and this assists young people to accept responsibility for their actions. Young people are encouraged to behave appropriately; and incidents of young people missing from home have considerably reduced. Risks are very well understood and managed. There are excellent plans that give staff the information they need to reduce any known risks further and which provide good guidance for them to follow.

p.7

Outstanding

The home has had a very positive impact upon the young person’s welfare and development.

p.7

Requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post for several years within the organisation and has extensive experience. He holds NVQ 3 Children and Young People and NVQ 4 in Leadership and Management. A stable experienced staff team have provided consistency and stability for the young person who has thrived during their time in this home; receiving excellent support. They have made consistently excellent progress; this is because staff, leaders and the Registered Manager prioritise the young person’s needs very effectively. They understand their plans and outcome areas for care and safety and the young person’s needs are comprehensively understood. The senior leadership team understand the strengths and weaknesses of the service; current shortfalls are in respect of the organisation and it is acknowledged that there are further improvements in this area. Notably, independent monitoring visits are not sufficiently robust. The reports lack

p.7

Requires improvement

sufficient evaluation of findings in order to further improve the service and in some sections they are repeated across a number of visits. Quality assurance monitoring and reports have been sent into the organisation by the Registered Manager; they have been late in their submission to Ofsted.

p.8

Requires improvement

There are a sufficient number of staff they hold the required qualifications and there is a lot of experience within the team. Staff are well supported and managed, they receive regular recorded supervision and can discuss any matters with the management of the home as they are accessible and provide an on call duty manager system. Staff also have good access to training and the organisation provide opportunities to those who wish to further their professional development.

p.8

Requires improvement

All significant events are notified to Ofsted and effective action is taken to address any areas of concern.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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