Children's home run by Supporting Futures Limited in Sefton

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Good, supportive and nurturing relationships between staff and young people provide solid foundations from which young people make progress.  Young people are safe living in the home, resulting from staff working effectively to reduce risk-taking behaviours, including going missing from care.  Mutually respectful relationships between staff and young people ensure that behaviour is managed through discussion and negotiation.  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.  The registered manager and staff advocate for young people and work hard to ensure that they have access to the services that they need.  Relationships between the young people and their families are well maintained through good regular contact arrangements, which help to

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The children's home provision is good because:

sustain family ties.  The registered manager values staff members. He ensures that regular supervision and oversight of staff take place. Regular training and development opportunities are available to staff to ensure continued development of their practice.  Shortfalls identified from this inspection include: risk assessments are not being updated in a timely way to ensure that all staff are aware of the current risks for young people the children’s guide is not being updated to include language that all young people will be able to understand when young people are not fully participating in education, they are not engaged in suitable, structured activities.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps to be taken by the home to manage any assessed risk on a day-to-day basis. This is with particular regard to ensuring that the home's risk assessments consistently reflect the placing authority’s ( ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5).  Ensure that the children's guide is available to all children, when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency), and that it is age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child, to ensure that they understand it (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21).  Ensure that when children placed in the home are not fully participating in education they are engaged in suitable structured activities (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15).

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children’s home for four young people. It provides care and accommodation for young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

18 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

A supportive, nurturing and well-trained staff team cares for young people. During the inspection, the atmosphere in the home was very relaxed, and positive relationships were observed between young people and staff. Staff encourage young people to take ownership of their surroundings, and both young people and staff have been involved in jet washing and painting the back garden area, to improve its appearance. Young people are planning on growing new plants and have identified a space for a new barbecue and an outdoor table-tennis area. Staff have used this as an opportunity to teach young people new skills that they can continue to use as they progress into adulthood. Young people said ‘The staff are sound here and I like it’ and ‘It’s the first time I have ever used a paintbrush and it was actually fun.’

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Good

Staff work hard to ensure that young people are fit and healthy. They provide advice and guidance on healthy eating and healthy lifestyles, including the promotion of physical activities, for example, trips to the local gym or swimming pool. Young people are up to date with their routine health assessments, and staff support young people who are hesitant to attend their health appointments with incentives and appropriate guidance. The staff’s determination is showing young people that they genuinely care for them, as well as promoting their good health.

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Good

Staff have a good understanding of how certain behaviours can compromise young people’s emotional well-being, including substance misuse. The home has forged good links with local drug services and refers young people when necessary. One worker said, ‘Communication with staff is excellent. If they are not sure, they will always ask for advice. We recently completed training around legal highs as a direct request from the manager, to ensure the staff had the right knowledge and skills to manage situations effectively’. The staff’s direct one-to-one sessions with young people about their risk-taking behaviours complement this work, specifically when a young person refuses to engage directly with the service. This ensures that young people have the right advice and guidance when engaging in behaviours that may affect their general well-being.

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Good

Some young people are making good progress in their education settings. One young man received support to return to his school placement, to further his aspirations for his future working in the construction trade. Work experience placements are under consideration, and the young person is working towards achieving this opportunity, with an increase in his daily attendance and time keeping. Although there are ongoing difficulties in establishing a suitable placement for another young person, the manager and staff team have taken a proactive approach. They have been consulting on a regular basis with the education department and placing social worker, raising concerns about the ongoing delays with education and highlighting the detrimental effect to the young person’s life chances. The home commissioned an in-house tutor, in the interim period, to provide the young person with the same opportunities as his peer group.

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Good

However, despite staff’s efforts, he is not taking part in suitable structured activities, which would develop his skills and learning and prepare him for returning to school.

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Good

Staff encourage young people to engage in activities suited to their individual choices and interests. During the young people meetings, held weekly, staff talk to young people about a variety of new activities, including youth clubs and leisure and sporting events, to encourage their engagement. Not all young people enjoy structured activities and some prefer to meet with friends outside of the home. Others enjoy the company of staff and participate in activities with them. At the time of the inspection, young people were planning their first barbecue of the year and had the opportunity to invite their friends and families. The choice of activities enables young people to build their confidence and social skills.

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Good

Young people have appropriate, carefully assessed and supported contact with their families, friends and other people who are important to them. Relationships with appropriate friends are encouraged, including invitations to the home or to engage in activities. For young people who live a long distance from their families, staff continue to support and encourage regular and meaningful contact, in accordance with their local authority care plans. When issues about contact arise, including young people requesting additional time at home, staff liaise with the local authority and look at any changes that could improve the quality of contact arrangements. These changes might include longer time scales and, when appropriate, overnight stays. This has improved and sustained young people’s relationships with their families and others who are important to them. One young person said, ‘(Name: the manager), helped me get more time to see my friends as

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Good

well as my family when I go home. I can also stay, which is a bonus.’

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Good

Feedback from social workers, independent reviewing officers and family members, confirmed that communication from the home is very good. They receive regular and detailed updates from staff, including copies of individual monthly progress reports. This ensures that all involved are kept informed and updated and work together, to ensure that individual young people’s needs are met. The manager also includes a copy of the recently introduced in-house newsletter. This demonstrates the activities that young people have engaged in over the previous month, plans for the home for the forthcoming month and nominations by young people for the ‘staff member of the month.’ Parents said: ‘You can talk to any member of staff and they can all give you a detailed update. If they are not sure about anything they always ring you back and I think they are excellent’, ‘They have lots of patience with my son and are very good at keeping him safe. I am

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Good

really happy he went to live there.’ All social workers confirmed that communication with the home is ‘very good’, that there is ‘an excellent manager and consistent staff team’ and that they receive ‘regular and detailed updates’ on their individual young people.

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Good

Safeguarding is a priority of the staff team and central to practice. Managers and staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues and consistently review safe working practices, to help them to meet individual young people’s needs. They are alert to potential risks, and encourage young people to let them know if they have any worries or concerns. One young person said, ‘I am safe here and I can talk to staff if I’m upset. They help me to stay out of trouble.’

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Good

Young people demonstrate that they are confident to talk to staff and visitors about situations that may cause them harm, particularly about relationships and behaviour outside of the home. For example, they seek staff support if concerns arise in the community that they do not feel comfortable in dealing with. One young person said ‘I would come home and tell the staff if I’m not happy about anything. They help me.’ They trust staff to act promptly to help to keep them safe. Staff use their knowledge and understanding of how to protect young people from abuse, and foster good links with other child protection professionals.

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Good

Detailed risk assessments and behaviour management plans provide staff with clear practical guidance on keeping young people safe. However, some risk assessments had not been updated in a timely way, to reflect significant changes, nor had they been signed by all staff to show that they had read them. This did not impact directly on young people’s safety, as staff demonstrate in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of individual’s risks, and their interventions are consistent and effective. This was clearly a recording matter and, when brought to the attention of the manager, was immediately rectified.

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Good

Since the last inspection, there have been incidents of young people who have been missing from care. Staff are effective in working with the police and safeguarding agencies to ensure that young people are located and safely returned to the home. Any serious concerns are appropriately escalated to multi-disciplinary strategy meetings. This ensures that all safeguarding professionals are working together to assess and to minimise risk.

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Good

The home is aware of, and implements, the requirements of the statutory guidance for young people who are missing. They continually challenge the local authorities when they fail to arrange independent return home interviews. The manager has resourced a local provision to ensure that young people have the opportunity to speak to an independent person, following each missing episode. This is used as an opportunity for learning and for any risk factors to be carefully considered, recorded and acted on. This ensures that young people receive appropriate support. The staff respond in a supportive way to young people who are absent without authorisation and young people who are missing. They actively try to locate young people, searching local areas and contacting family and friends. A young person said, ‘They will knock on my mate’s doors, look for me and try and get me to come home. When I have my mobile, they keep ringing ‘til I come back.’

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Good

This demonstrates to young people that staff care about their well-being and safety.

p.9

Good

The staff team implements consistent and strong boundaries. Consequently, young people’s behaviour is well managed. When young people display behaviours that may be negative, sanctions are used and, conversely, good behaviour is rewarded. For example, one young person is working towards a new games console, while another young person is working towards a more expensive pair of training shoes. They are both clear about what they need to do to achieve their rewards. All incidents are regularly reviewed, recorded and closely monitored. This ensures that a consistent approach is used, which is not punitive but effective. The manager has a clear overview of all sanctions, and young people have a chance to share their views on what has happened. This provides young people with the opportunity to learn, reflect and improve their behaviour.

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Good

Staff members understand their roles and responsibilities in respect of keeping young people safe. They receive regular training in various aspects of safeguarding practice, including child sexual exploitation, e-safety and missing from home. Staff said: ‘I went on a CSE (child sexual exploitation) course and was surprised by how much I learnt. I had never really considered how easily young people can be groomed and then how difficult it is for them to get away from the offender. It’s scary but very helpful in making sure I’m more alert to the risks.’ ‘You think that you know everything about internet safety until you hear about what has happened to young people and how [easy] they can be groomed online. It’s certainly made me more aware.’ Staff understand what to do if they are concerned that a young person is at risk or being harmed in any way. The service has a full range of regularly reviewed and updated safeguarding policies and

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Good

procedures in place, in line with the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board procedures. These guide and enhance staff practice, which, in turn, helps to keep young people safe. Judgement grade

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Good

The impact and effectiveness of leadership and management ensure that the needs of young people remain the guiding principle of practice and development. The young people benefit from a suitably qualified registered manager who has held his position since 2015. He has considerable experience and a number of relevant qualifications, including the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. All staff spoken with during the inspection reported high levels of satisfaction at the management support that they receive. Staff said: ‘He is a very supportive manager, who is always willing to listen to our ideas and implement any changes that we agree as a team.’‘; ‘Both the manager and deputy are very supportive and available if we have a concern’ and ‘Could not ask for more supportive managers.’

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Good

The home’s statement of purpose is up to date and provides a defined level of information that confirms the services on offer and how they work in practice. The managers and staff have a clear understanding of the document. It was evident within team meetings minutes that discussions had taken place with staff about the ethos of the home, and about how they meet and support the individual needs of young people. The manager has updated the children’s guide to reflect the changes in the statement of purpose. However, some of the terminology used in the guide remains adult focused. This limits the opportunity for all young people to have a clear understanding of its content. The manager acknowledged this and plans to update the guide with the input of the young people.

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Good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision, which they feel enables them to reflect upon their practice and to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses. This takes place on a monthly basis. It clearly focuses on the needs of young people, the working practice of staff and any areas of personal and professional development. One staff member commented that supervision is ‘a chance to look at what we are doing well and anything that can be improved. We talk about any training courses we have been on and what we have learnt.’ Staff feel that the team members are mutually supportive and have the ability to reflect and learn from incidents. They use team meetings to review their practice and to evaluate the progress and experiences of young people. Each staff member has their own development plan with targets, to enhance their skills further. Annual appraisals promote critical examination of working practices, encouraging

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Good

staff to improve. There is a detailed training matrix in place, which includes mandatory training in safeguarding, first aid, medication and managing behaviours. All staff are required to attend all training programmes, and the managers evaluate staff members’ knowledge bases, through supervision and team meetings. Staff have completed, or are in the process of completing, the level 3 diploma for residential care. This ensures that all staff have the skills and knowledge to work effectively with young people. Good monitoring systems ensure that the registered manager and staff team have a detailed awareness of the home’s performance, including any areas of improvements, patterns or trends. Regular feedback from staff, young people and professionals informs the development and team plan, to improve practice. Managers consistently monitor the plans of young people, updating them in response to behaviours, to ensure that they reflect the care provided and show the

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Good

progress of young people. Young people live in a home that places their needs central to any service development. Committed and consistent staff have aspirations for young people, enjoy their company, and are proud to talk about the individual progress that they are making. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in the progress young people have made since moving into the home. Professionals say that they hold the service in high regard, because they can see the positive difference that the home makes to the lives of young people.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 whom 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’. procedures set out in 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

regulates and inspects to 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

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Information about this inspection

Policy Team, 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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