Children's Home run by Crossway 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:

 Children and young people enjoy constructive relationships with staff. These relationships are built on mutual respect and trust.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff have a good understanding of the individual needs of children and young people. They work in partnership with other agencies, ensuring that there is consistent care and making sure that young people remain central to the ethos of the home and the support it provides.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The registered manager and staff support young people to manage their behaviours. Staff give young people recognition and praise for positive behaviour, and sanctions are imposed when their behaviour is inappropriate. When sanctions are applied, the registered manager robustly monitors these for effectiveness.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people are encouraged to share their views and express any concerns they have. They say staff listen and respond to them and that this contributes to their feelings of self-worth and increases their confidence.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff are committed to ensuring that young people attend education, have the opportunity to achieve and develop skills to enhance their future opportunities.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff fully understand the individual risks that are presented when young people are missing from home. Staff follow agreed risk procedures and multi-agency protocols to ensure that responses are robust and consistent.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Safe recruitment procedures are followed. Staff have clear inductions into their roles. They are able to access training in order to underpin their knowledge and skills. However, first aid training has not been completed by all staff working with young people on a one-to-one basis, as required. This could have a negative impact on the standard of care if there is a need for emergency first aid.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals to support their practice.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Placing authority social workers and independent reviewing officers report confidence in the service to provide a nurturing and supportive environment within which young people can develop.  The manager demonstrates strong and effective leadership of the staff team. Internal monitoring is robust. However, the children’s guide has not been updated to reflect the correct information regarding the Children’s Commissioner. The previous delay in the six-monthly review of the home has been addressed and the manager is making sure that the report is evaluative enough to demonstrate good oversight of the care provided and show the progress that young people make.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The home is welcoming and maintained to a good standard. However, the front door cannot be unlocked by the young person, which means that they do not have overall access to their home.

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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

The registered person must ensure at all times that at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31(2)(a)) 10/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The children’s guide should help children to understand how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. This is in reference to ensuring the current contact details for the Children’s Commissioner.(‘Guide to the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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Recommendations

 The locking of external doors, or doors to hazardous materials, may be acceptable as a security precaution, if applied in within the normal routine of the home. This is in relation to an appropriate lock on the front door to allow the home to be secured but the young person to be able to open the door. (‘Guide to the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.62)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for one young person who has emotional and or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/10/2015 Full Outstanding 17/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/10/2014 Full Good

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Good

Young people who live at the home receive good-quality care and support. The consistency in staffing and in one-to-one working enables young people to develop trusting and positive relationships. They are helped to develop confidence and self- esteem through encouragement from all staff. The young person currently at the home says staff have provided him with reassurance and have helped him to settle in well. The placing authority social worker said, ‘The home has provided excellent support and encouragement to the young person.’

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Good

Young people benefit from having well-planned admissions to the home. This, in turn, supports placement stability. This means young people’s needs are clearly identified and met because staff providing care have a strong understanding of the individual and work consistently to meet their needs. The placing social worker said, ‘Staff provide the young person with good levels of care, making time to understand how previous experiences have impacted on him. They work with him at his own pace and this is providing him with stability and support. They support his interests and encourage him to share his wishes and feelings for his future. This is enabling him to make positive choices and be involved in his future plans.’

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Good

Staff prioritise education and a strong emphasis is placed on ensuring that appropriate education placements are sought. This is included within the initial planning with the placing authority. When a young person does not initially have an educational placement, educational tutors attend the home to facilitate formal education. Staff also support this through a variety of educational based activities. Educational time is followed in line with the agreed 25 hours per week. This is to minimise disruption to the young person and prepare them to attend formal full- time education, once identified with the placing authority. As a result of this, young people have real aspirations about their future and understand the impact and importance of education in helping them to achieve their ambitions. Staff make sure education is reviewed and discussed to avoid any delay in identifying appropriate educational placements.

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Good

Staff ensure young people have the opportunity to take part in a range of activities both within the home and within the community. This helps young people to develop interests which they can pursue when they move on from the home. It also enables them to develop links with other young people, thus supporting opportunities to develop friendships.

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Good

Health is promoted and supported well. This enables young people to recognise the importance of good health. Staff ensure that young people are registered with community healthcare professionals, such as doctors, dentists and opticians, at the start of their placement. If additional healthcare needs are identified, staff support young people to attend appointments. Staff receive training on the promotion of healthcare. However, not all staff working on a one-to-one basis hold a first aid qualification, as required by regulations. This could impact on the initial response provided in the event that a young person requires first aid assistance.

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Good

Mealtimes are a social occasion and young people discuss and plan meals as part of the regular meetings and discussions. They are encouraged to try different foods and this helps them to expand their future choices and increase their understanding of nutrition, balanced with budgeting for and preparing meals. They are also involved in the general day-to-day tidying and maintaining of their home. This helps them to develop skills for their future independence as well as a sense of pride and belonging within the home. The home is well maintained and provides a homely environment which is welcoming and valued by the young people. Maintenance issues are addressed in a timely manner. However, the front door cannot be opened by the young person if it is locked. This means that the door is either kept unlocked, which can impact on security of the home, or the young person uses the back door to leave and enter the home.

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Good

Young people enjoy contact with their families. This is facilitated in accordance with agreed arrangements and ensures that important attachments are maintained.

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Good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding and protection of young people. This means that their safety and well-being are central to the practice and running of the home. Individual risk assessments are detailed, unambiguous and individualised. They remain as working documents that are kept under review to reflect the known and presenting risks. This enables staff to implement agreed strategies to minimise these risks and, as a consequence, young people feel safe. Staff discuss with young people issues around safety within everyday situations, such as using the internet, accessing community settings, and relationships with peers and others.

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Good

The home has good working relationships with a range of safeguarding agencies, including the police, the local children’s safeguarding board and the local authority designated officer. A placing social worker confirmed that open communication and prompt response to any safeguarding concern are strengths of the home. Although incidents of missing from home are low, clear procedures are followed to minimise the risk of prolonged absence. Staff make every effort to contact a young person if they have not returned home at the agreed time, as well as searching the local area and known areas where the young person may go. Staff notify the police and the placing authority emergency duty team and provide them with regular updates, which include letting them know when the young person has returned. Independent return home interviews provide young people with the opportunity to discuss factors which may have contributed to their absence. These interviews also

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Good

help the home to take preventative action as required. Staff discuss risks with young people and demonstrate that they have genuine care and concern for them. These measures enable young people to have a greater insight into potential risks and help them to make better-informed decisions.

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Good

Staff help young people to manage their behaviours well. This is achieved through positive reinforcement and encouragement from the staff, and is supported with a range of incentives. Consequences for negative behaviours are discussed with young people. The manager reviews records of these and makes comments on whether consequences are effective or not. These are discussed at staff meetings and also with the young person to gain their thoughts and views. Use of physical intervention is not used due to the level of staffing and agreed risk management strategies. Staff use a range of de-escalation techniques, including negotiation, guidance and allowing young people to have some space and time to reflect on their behaviour and actions. If these measures have had no impact and behaviours have resulted in safety being significantly compromised, staff will contact the police, but will undertake restorative work rather than criminalise young people

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Good

through prosecution. The home works closely with local police constable support officers to build positive relations with regard to the role of police with young people.

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Good

As the home is a single-placement home, no bullying takes place within it. However, staff spend time with the young person not only discussing what the young person should do if they feel they are being bullied but also talking about the importance of treating people with dignity and respect. The young person is confident about discussing or raising any concerns with staff.

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Outstanding

The manager is registered with Ofsted. She is suitably experienced, and holds relevant childcare and management qualifications. The manager provides strong, visible leadership and ensures that the home provides a nurturing, caring and supportive environment within which young people can feel safe and well-cared- for. This contributes to them gaining confidence in themselves and forming positive attachments.

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Outstanding

The manager is supported within her role by a consistent staff team. The staff have an excellent understanding of the needs of the young person they care for. They understand the impact that living within a children’s home has on young people, and strive to make it feel a homely, welcoming place that young people are confident and happy to call their home whilst they live there. Staff have high aspirations for young people. They act as strong advocates to support young people in accessing opportunities and experiences that will help them to achieve positive outcomes in all areas of their lives.

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Outstanding

The manager develops excellent relationships with placing social workers, but is constructively assertive in challenging them when their service is not providing young people with the necessary support. A placing social worker commented, ‘I know the manager and her staff team hold the best interests of the young person central to their care and practice. They provide comprehensive reports, attend meetings, as well as working in partnership to provide holistic support, which contributes to stability and progress.’

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Outstanding

As this is a single-occupancy home, staff work on a one-to-one basis with the young person, and suitable lone-working risk assessments are in place. Staff comment positively about the support they receive from the manager, including the fact that when she is not on duty they are able to contact her to clarify any issues. Comprehensive handovers support the consistency of practice. In addition, the staff team has monthly team meetings and individual supervision. This enables them to reflect both individually and as a team on their practice, and monitor the progress made by the young person.

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Outstanding

The manager undertakes robust quality assurance monitoring of the home, which enables her to have a good understanding of the strengths and the areas that need further improvement. She works with staff to address any shortfall in recording and through regular audits makes sure that all required documentation is in place to comply with regulations. Young people’s files are well maintained and they have full opportunity to access these files and contribute their views to them. A bi- annual monitoring report is undertaken by the manager. This report evaluates the home and the progress of placements. However, she had previously reported over a 10-month period of time, due to the change in placements. She is aware that this does not adhere to regulations and has taken appropriate steps to address this. She has responded to the previous inspection report and has addressed the requirements and the recommendation from the last inspection.

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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 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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