Children's home run by Teen-Works Care Limited in Liverpool

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Some care plans are not current, some statutory reviews have not taken place and there have been delays in getting vaccinations and health assessments undertaken. Leaders do not sufficiently challenge the responsible authority to ensure that care and health plans are up to date, appropriately reviewed and implemented.

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because:

 Staff do not always report significant safeguarding information to social workers, the police and Ofsted.  Staff do not evaluate or record all behaviour management measures used within the home.  There is not a sufficient number of staff to cover staff leave and sickness. This impacts on the manager‘s capacity to effectively lead, monitor and develop the service.  Some staff supervisions have not occurred.  The Statement of Purpose does not give details of who to contact in the event of a complaint or the qualifications and training of staff employed at the home.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people profit from having trusting relationships with a committed team of staff.  Staff have a good understanding of young people‘s needs and vulnerabilities and have their welfare at the heart of their practice.  Partnership working is effective.  Staff work hard to ensure that barriers to young people‘s education are identified and addressed.

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met In order to meet the engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met standard, the registered person must-

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Requirement Due date

(c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‘s or a relevant person‘s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‘s needs are met in accordance with the child‘s relevant plans. 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a)(vi)) that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‘s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

With particular regard to informing relevant safeguarding parties, such as the placing authority and the police, on new or additional information in respect all safeguarding matters. 14/08/2015

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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 (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‘s statement of purpose; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 14/08/2015 14: The care planning standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that children –

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Requirement Due date

(1) (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‘s home; (2) (b) (ii) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home. 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‘s home a statement (―the statement of purpose‖) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1; in particular the details of who to contact if a person has a complaint about the home and how that person can access the home‘s complaints policy; and the details of the experience and qualifications of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or health care (Regulation 16 Schedule 1 (6)(9)) 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake practice related supervision by a person with the appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year (Regulation 33 (4) (b) (c)) 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made (Regulation 35 (3)(a)) 14/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 14/08/2015

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Information about this children's home

This children's home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/02/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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requires improvement

Staff work hard to develop warm trusting relationships with young people in their care. They show a genuine interest and understanding of their likes, interests, wishes and feelings. For example, one young person has a keen interest in hair and beauty and is considering this as a future career. During inspection, staff spent time curling her hair and using this time to talk to her about possible training options. This demonstrates staff‘s ability to effectively engage with young people, and their commitment to supporting them with making important decisions.

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requires improvement

Staff successfully engage young people in activities, for example horse riding and trips to the cinema. The home has a consistent staff team that provide young people with a sense of stability.

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requires improvement

The home‘s placement plans are comprehensive, providing a distinct picture of each young person‘s background and life. Staff know young people well and have in-depth knowledge of their individual needs and vulnerabilities. Despite this, young people do not always benefit from having their statutory care plans regularly reviewed and updated. When placement arrangements change, these changes are not consistently endorsed through the official care planning process. This is because care plan reviews are not being held in line with statutory requirements. Furthermore, on such occasions, the provider has not robustly challenged the responsible authority regarding delays in care planning.

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requires improvement

In the main, staff promote young people‘s physical and emotional health. For example, staff ensure that their routine dentist and optician appointments are attended; they are encouraged to attend therapy sessions, and medication is administered safely and as prescribed. Nevertheless, young people‘s health plans are not always adhered to. For example, some young people‘s annual health assessments and vaccinations have not been undertaken.

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requires improvement

One young person is doing very well at school and staff have worked diligently to ensure he has good routines and excellent school attendance. Despite the long distance between the home and school, he has remained in his usual school. This has prevented disruption and enhanced continuity in his learning and development.

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requires improvement

Staff value education and try hard to address any barriers to learning. When young people are excluded from school or placed on a reduced time-table, staff work closely with education providers to identify need and achievable solutions. They are not complacent when barriers to learning arise. Effective partnership working with social worker‘s, schools and alternative providers improves young people‘s learning opportunities.

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requires improvement

The home is well presented and maintained to a high standard. Staff have established a genuine ‗family‘ atmosphere within the home.

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requires improvement

Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. When young people go missing from home, staff follow missing protocols well and provide detailed records of the event and their actions. They escalate more serious concerns to multi-disciplinary strategy meetings. This ensures that all relevant professionals are aware of the level of concern and are working together.

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requires improvement

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant increase in incidents of young people going missing. While missing they have been at risk of sexual exploitation and offending behaviour. Despite staff‘s efforts to prevent this, young people continue to put themselves in danger because they do not understand how vulnerable they are.

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requires improvement

Although allegations against staff and child protection concerns are, on the whole, managed well. Staff have failed to share information with relevant safeguarding bodies such as, the police and placing social worker. Additionally, staff do not always notify Ofsted of serious concerns as required. This jeopardises the thoroughness of child protection enquiries and external auditing of the home‘s safeguarding practice.

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requires improvement

A particular strength was in the home‘s behaviour management plans that provide staff with effective guidance on how to respond to challenging situations. Consequently, young people are learning how to manage their emotions more appropriately. This was reflected in a teacher‘s comments, ‗since moving to the home he has been much calmer. They are doing a good job and have given him the stability that he needs.‘

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requires improvement

Restraints are rare and when recorded they provide a clear evaluation of the event and the methods used. This helps staff to reflect on their interventions and enables objective scrutiny of the home‘s behaviour management strategies. Furthermore, it provides young people with the opportunity to discuss and raise any concerns regarding the incident with the manager. However, on one occasion seen during this inspection a restraint had not been fully recorded as such, although it was recorded elsewhere. Following a complaint by the young person the incident was appropriately recorded and investigated.

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requires improvement

The service is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced Registered Manager. Without doubt, she has the welfare of young people at the heart of her practice. She is very ‗hands-on‘ and has nurtured warm, caring relationships within the home. She has high aspirations for young people and the service. She acknowledges shortfalls and has plans in place to address them.

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requires improvement

The manager has forged strong links with a range of relevant services that provide on-going support and guidance to young people and staff. As a result, young people are effectively supported through a range of specialist teams, including sexual health, emotional well-being, and keeping safe services. All professionals consulted with spoke highly of staff‘s practice and partnership working.

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requires improvement

At present, the service does not employ a suitable number of people to cover staff sickness and annual leave. This is compounded by difficulties in the company recruiting suitable staff. This is being addressed by an on-going recruitment drive and staff, including the manager, covering additional shifts, which is maintaining continuity in care.

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requires improvement

Nonetheless, staff shortages are impacting on the team. In particular, the manager‘s time to manage and support staff is restricted because she is covering shifts. Consequently, staff supervisions and team meetings have been missed. Staff are not therefore being given the time, guidance and support, as set out in the home‘s Statement of Purpose, to reflect upon and develop their practice.

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requires improvement

The home‘s statement of purpose does not meet the Children‘s Home‘s Regulations 2015. It does not give details of who to contact in the event of a complaint or the qualifications and training of staff employed at the home.

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requires improvement

Some previous requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have not been met. Staff are still not receiving appropriate supervision, all restraints are not being recorded, and placement plans are not being followed by staff.

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requires improvement

Monitoring by the manager has improved but it is not yet sufficiently effective. Independent visitor reports are now more rigorous.

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requires improvement

The home has recently been redecorated and the accommodation is welcoming and ‗homely‘. It is maintained to a high standard and the manager ensures that all health and safety checks are routinely undertaken. All of which, makes the home a more caring and safer place to live.

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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

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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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