Children's Home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St Helens

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:

 Young people enjoy positive and respectful relationships with staff for the majority of the time.  Social workers and family members speak positively of the home and the progress that young people are making.  Young people do not engage in risk-taking behaviours, such as going missing, offending, smoking or taking drugs.  Young people are learning to keep themselves healthy. This includes healthy eating and physical exercise.  Staff support young people to maintain contact with their families and friends.  Young people are learning socially acceptable behaviours and some have peer friendships in the local community.  Staff consult with young people regularly and the young people are clearly involved in the development of the home.  Staffing ratios are good, enabling staff to spend individual time with young people.  Staff support young people’s education attendance and monitor their progress.

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The children's home provision is good because:

Areas for improvement include the updating of young people’s risk assessments and placement plans and operating in line with these; challenge to other involved professionals when reports are incorrect or they have not taken action when required; and the failure to undertake an annual appraisal on the performance of the registered manager.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met The registered person must ensure that staff seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs and if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge them to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plan (Regulation 5 (b)(c)). 29 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard The registered person must ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (Regulation 12 (2) (a)(i)(v)). 29 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. This specifically relates to the appraisal of the registered manager (Regulation 33 (4)(c). 29 July 2016

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

27 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Living in this home has a positive impact on outcomes for young people. They receive consistent care, clear boundaries and follow good routines. In the main, positive and respectful relationships are evident between staff and young people. There is a range of experience and skills across the staff team. Young people utilise the specific skills and interests of staff in order to meet their needs. One young person said, ‘I really like the staff. This is a good place to live. It’s my home, not a children’s home.’ This consistency ensures that young people are confident in the standard of care that they will receive. This reduces their anxiety and they settle into the routines of the home. Staff are knowledgeable about the history and the needs of those they care for. They have remained committed to caring for young people despite some challenging behaviours. Young people’s personalised placement plans outline their

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Good

needs, routines and targets. However, the most up-to-date plan was not available on one young person’s file and it was not clear whether this had been agreed with the placing social worker or whether all the staff were aware of this. Young people’s attendance and attainment at school is varied. While one young person has made significant improvements and regularly receives awards for his progress, another young person is now only attending school on a part-time basis, following a number of exclusions. Staff liaise with the education providers and try to engage young people who have additional time at home in other constructive activities, for example, in learning independence skills, such as managing a budget and doing their own shopping. Young people also have access to the internet to support their learning. Young people are generally healthy. Staff provide them with information about a range of health-related issues, for example, information on the effects of alcohol,

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Good

drugs, and smoking, so that they can make their own informed choices. Young people are aware of the implications and do not engage in these risk-taking behaviours. However, staff have not effectively challenged other agencies when the information they have provided has been incorrect or when they have been responsible for following up referrals to other services. Consequently, this may have resulted in additional delay in the young person being able to access this support. In addition, procedures are unclear in relation to the administration of medication when young people have been on home contact, as staff do not engage family members in specific communication about what medication the young person has received. Both young people are being supported to manage their weight, and their ability to do this is slowly improving. Young people are learning about healthy eating and the importance of regular exercise to keep fit and healthy. Young people are

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Good

responding well to this and both engage in regular physical activity, such as swimming and playing rugby. One young person wears a device to record the number of steps he has walked each day. He receives a small incentive for reaching his targets. This motivates him to achieve. Similarly, young people are starting to take pride in their appearance. One young person’s parent commented, ‘It is good to see my son involved in more physical exercise and it is nice to see him take an interest in how he looks.’ Staff members ensure that young people are able to maintain contact with their families and friends. They appreciate the significance of maintaining these important connections. Young people are also learning about socially acceptable behaviour and are developing friendships in the local community. Staff enthusiastically support these, illustrating to young people that it is important to invest in these relationships.

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Good

Staff are keen to involve young people in decisions about the running of the home. Informal consultations take place daily, as well as more formalised young people’s meetings. This gives young people the opportunity to express their views. Records demonstrate that staff listen to what young people say and that they will consider implementing their suggestions. For example, they have purchased a paddling pool to use in the garden and plans are in place for one young person to have a pet rabbit. This helps young people to feel part of the decisions made in the home. Social workers are positive about young people’s experiences in the home. One commented, in feedback taken by the home, ‘At [Name]’s last review it was the view of all professionals that he is making positive progress in placement and school. I would like to thank the staff for their hard work and dedication.’

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Good

Young people say that they feel safe living in the home. Staff engage in safe, caring practice and are familiar with the organisation’s safeguarding procedures. This ensures that they are clear about their responsibilities in ensuring the safety and welfare of young people. Young people are learning to tolerate each other’s behaviours and can engage positively on occasions. Staff make it clear to young people that bullying behaviours are not acceptable and they foster an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance. Good staffing ratios ensure that they are alert to any conflict between the young people. If issues are identified or a complaint is made, staff work with the young people to help them to gain an understanding of the effects of their behaviours. Young people confirm that staff quickly address any issues that arise. Personalised risk assessments help to inform staff about the issues pertinent to

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Good

each young person and ensure that staff understand the most appropriate strategy to deal with them. These are subject to regular review. However, it is not always clear why a ‘risk rating’ has increased or reduced, as the specifics are not outlined in the risk assessment. This additional detail would help staff to understand whether this is a current concern and whether they need to be alert for particular behaviours. In addition, on one occasion, a young person’s mobile phone risk assessment had not been appropriately updated and did not reflect the current practice in the home. This could result in staff responding inconsistently and give rise to unnecessary conflict with the young person. Similarly, it is not always clear that placing social workers are aware of changes made to young people’s placement plans and that, as a result, the practice has changed in the home. Staff recruitment processes are thorough, preventing unsuitable adults from

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Good

gaining employment in the home. Any allegations made about staff are taken seriously. The registered manager consults appropriately with the designated officer when issues occur. Young people have access to an advocate if they need one and they have made good use of the advocacy service. Staff are clear about standards of acceptable behaviour in the home. All staff members receive training in behaviour management, including the safe use of restraint. However, staff are patient with young people and are good at de- escalating negative behaviours. Young people receive effective support from staff to develop their own coping mechanisms. Restraints are rarely required, but there has been a small increase since the last inspection, as staff have dealt with the challenges presented by one young person. The general ethos of the home is to reward good behaviour, rather than sanction poor behaviour. Young people

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Good

respond well to their individualised incentive programmes. Young people currently living in the home do not engage in risk-taking behaviour. They do not smoke, use drugs or drink alcohol. However, staff do complete key- working sessions with young people, providing them with information about these issues, so that they can make their own informed decisions. Young people learn how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and social networking. Similarly, young people do not put themselves at risk by going missing from the home. The home is physically safe and secure. Regular environmental safety checks are undertaken, and staff and young people routinely practise evacuating the home in an emergency. The manager ensures that new staff are involved in a fire drill while on induction in the home. This ensures that they are familiar with what action to take in the event of an emergency. Good-quality lone-working risk assessments

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Good

take into account the specific needs of the young people and the staff member. This ensures that the risks are given due consideration and that staff are not placed in a vulnerable position.

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Good

There is a suitably experienced manager in charge of the home. He has managed the home since September 2014, being formally registered with Ofsted in February 2015. He has recently completed a level 5 qualification in leadership and management, but is awaiting his formal certification. He also has management responsibility for another home in the organisation. A deputy manager works in this home to support him. He also began working in the home in September 2014 and is currently studying for a management qualification at level 3. Half of the staff team have the necessary minimum level 3 qualification and the remainder are currently working towards this. Concerns regarding the qualifications and skills of staff resulted in one requirement being made at the last interim inspection of the home in January 2016. In addition to the above, staff have completed a range of training, pertinent to meeting the needs of the young people living in the home, for example, in food hygiene,

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Good

bullying and child sexual exploitation. Senior staff have completed training in supervision skills and in the management of staff disciplinary and grievance processes. No concerns were identified in relation to staff training at this inspection. Staff are positive about the training that they receive and express confidence in the organisation providing training, should they identify anything specific that they need. They appreciate this investment in their development. The registered manager has a development plan in place, which is subject to regular review and update. He demonstrates a clear desire to drive forward improvement. Staff feel that their views about the development of the home are important and they are encouraged to voice their ideas and initiatives. Individual staff take responsibility to lead on some areas. This makes good use of the individual skills of staff members, and this ownership ensures the completion of

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Good

tasks in a timely way. Staff working in the home receive regular supervision and appraisal. This provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their practice and decision-making. Staff undertaking this task have had the necessary training to enable them to conduct this effectively. However, the registered manager has not had his performance formally appraised since he started to manage the home. It is over two years since he had an appraisal. The home is warm and welcoming. Young people have ample space to engage in communal activities but also opportunities for privacy. The home is located in a quiet residential area and is indistinguishable from other residential properties. Photographs of young people engaged in activities with staff adorn the walls in the home. It is a pleasant family environment. Professionals involved with the home comment on the good communication that they receive from the home and the positive partnership working. However, the

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Good

registered manager has not actively challenged the local authority when there has been a delay in referral to other agencies or challenged errors in reports, in order to ensure that the information held on the young person is correct.

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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 that 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’. 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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