Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

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 have been supported to re-engage with an education provision suitable for their individual needs. They achieve good attendance rates and professionals confirm that young people make good progress from their starting points.  Young people’s wishes and views are listened to and taken seriously. Young people are well supported by staff to be involved in the decisions that affect their lives. Staff advocate strongly for young people to ensure that they remain involved and central to their own care planning.  Professionals are extremely complimentary about the manager, and the care and support that young people receive from the dedicated and committed staff. One professional said, ‘The new manager is very creative in how he communicates with (name). He has introduced a suggestion box so they can verbalise their views. This supported them to be actively involved in their planning and review.’ They went on to add, ‘The staff are really good. They

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The children’s home provision is good because:

try to support (name) the best they can and we work together to make sure we get the best for them.’  The staff team shares the manager’s strongly child-centred ethos in their delivery of care for young people. Staff take their roles and responsibilities in enhancing young people’s progress seriously, and are dedicated to improving young people’s experiences.  The quality assurance structures used within the home provide a thorough and rigorous assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. These systems support the manager in driving improvements forward.  Two areas to improve practice have been identified. These relate to the statement of purpose and ensuring that robust independent oversight is undertaken in the evaluation of physical interventions when the manager has been involved in the incident.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The home’s statement of purpose should indicate how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the young people in their care. This is with particular regards to ensuring that any arrangements for the locking of young people's bedroom doors are made explicitly clear, and that the arrangements for the supervision of clinical therapeutic staff are identified. ('Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. This is with particular regards to ensuring that there are robust independent monitoring systems in place to scrutinise those incidents that the manager has been involved in. ('Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Information about this children’s home

 This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/07/2015 Full Good 30/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/01/2015 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people maintain positive and effective relationships with staff who provide a good level of individual care. The relaxed, homely environment ensures that young people feel at ease and safe, and make good progress against their individual targets and goals. Warm and nurturing relationships between the staff and young people were evident throughout the inspection and young people spoken with confirmed that they feel happy, settled and at home.

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Good

The staff ensure that young people remain central to their care planning and that their wishes and views are listened to, taken seriously and acted upon promptly. Staff advocate strongly and support young people to contribute to their looked after review meetings. During these meetings the manager and staff clearly demonstrate that they know young people extremely well. They can sense when young people feel unsettled and unhappy about decisions that are being made about their lives, and the manager and staff intervene appropriately and sensitively. The staff allow young people the time and space to consider what is being suggested and promote them to speak out about what they would like to happen, in a safe and supported way. This not only allows young people to be empowered and in control of the decision making, but it also supports more effective care planning. This is because young people are completely committed to

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Good

working with their care plans as they have been fully involved in devising them.

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Good

Young people access the education provision associated with this provider. Their attendance is good and each young person makes progress from their individual starting points. Young people take part in a range of activities which enhance their understanding around their own specific likes and interests. For example, one young person is undertaking a social enterprise and is making and selling bespoke clothing, and another has developed a deeper understanding about different faiths and religions.

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Good

Staff demonstrate a respectable understanding of young people’s past experiences and articulate well how these impact on their current behaviours, vulnerabilities and risks. The staff work well with other agencies to develop well thought-out clear strategies to support young people suitably. In addition, staff sensitively support and encourage young people to access and participate with the additional in-house therapy to further aid them in their journey to positive emotional well-being and happiness.

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Good

Young people’s experiences and opportunities have been enhanced as they have been provided with a range of interesting and exciting opportunities. Young people are actively involved in choosing the activities that they wish to pursue and explore, and staff facilitate and support this well. As a result, two of the three young people have enjoyed a short holiday, and others have enjoyed trips out to theme parks, local parks and eateries. These activities, alongside other trips out to the cinema and shopping centres, enable young people to develop positive relationships with each other, their local community and expand upon their previous experiences. This in turn enables and supports young people to build positive experiences of their time spent within the home.

p.6

Good

Staff work hard to ensure that young people maintain their positive experiences within the home so that they can share these experience with their friends and family when they move on. The staff work meticulously hard to capture young people’s experiences through photographs and, along with the young people, have presented these in colourful files. These files provide young people and their families with an overview of the varied and enjoyable experiences that they have enjoyed during their stay. This enables young people and their families to recapture these times and memories in the future.

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Good

The manager is committed and dedicated to maintaining positive links between young people and those who are important to them. The manager listens carefully to what young people want and advocates strongly for these arrangements to be put into place so that young people can remain in touch with their family members as often as is safe and suitable to do so. Staff support and facilitate contact arrangements sensitively with family members who live some distance from the home. Staff support young people thoughtfully during times of heightened anxiety or distress. Therefore, young people maintain their sense of identity and sustain positive relationships with those people who are important to them.

p.7

Good

Staff are clear about young people’s individual needs and work effectively with them to increase and develop their life skills satisfactorily. The independent living skills packs that staff complete with young people ensure that young people’s present knowledge and skills are captured. This supports the staff in identifying where young people need the most help so that the right support can be offered in these areas. Consequently, young people are developing their abilities in line with their age and capabilities, and are better equipped with the knowledge and skills that they require to support them into adulthood.

p.7

Good

Thought, care, good planning and a great deal of creativity and effort is provided by the manager to make sure young people’s transition into the home are safe, smooth and enjoyable for all young people. Suitable arrangements are in place to ensure that young people’s transitions out of the home are managed well. Two young people have moved on into other homes owned by the provider since the last inspection. The provider identifies and works effectively with partner agencies when young people’s placements cannot be maintained safely. Judgement grade

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Good

Young people report that they are safe and kept safe by the actions that staff take. Detailed risk assessments which identify young people’s individual risks and vulnerabilities are clearly understood by the staff team. Staff are fully aware of young people’s needs and plans are in place to support young people at times of difficulty. Staff are aware of the stresses that can be associated with group living and support young people to develop safe, supportive and respective relationships with each other well. Staff identify when relationships between young people are becoming fractious. Staff intervene, support young people sensitively and address these damaging behaviours suitably. Staff spend time with young people and encourage them to consider other people’s thoughts and feelings. This enables young people to improve their tolerance and acceptance of others and minimises the risk of bullying incidents from escalating.

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Good

Young people join the home with a history of concerning behaviours which include going missing from home, self-harm, assaults on staff or being at risk from child- sexual exploitation. Good risk management systems are in place to manage these risks suitably as the manager has recently reviewed and strengthened the risk assessments with the staff team. Any incidents of young people going missing from the home or being at risk of child-sexual exploitation are monitored and reviewed with the relevant agencies. Effective links with specialist teams, such as the child- sexual exploitation multi-agency team, ensure that an effective and cohesive responsive is delivered for young people when they are missing from the home. The staff make suitable efforts to locate young people and inform the police and relevant agencies within the identified timeframes during these times. Young people are provided with safe space following any significant events, where staff

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Good

spend time with young people in attempts to educate them of the risks associated with these behaviours. For some, this has been effective in reducing some risk- taking behaviours, and for others, more suitable placements have been identified as their risk-taking behaviours continued.

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Good

Good behaviour is promoted through positive role modelling, support, praise and incentives. Young people are aware of their individual goals and targets and agree that the sanctions used are fair. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements and commend and reward young people when they refrain from taking part in behaviours that other young people are involved in. Subsequently, some young people’s behaviours have improved.

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Good

Staff implement physical interventions as a last resort to safeguard young people when diversionary techniques have been proven to be unsuccessful. Physical interventions are used in a proportionate way by staff who are suitably trained. The manager uses the information from the staff and young people’s de-briefs well to inform future care practice. While the manager monitors and evaluates any physical intervention quickly and effectively, the management arrangements for ensuring that there is robust independent scrutiny of these activities when the manager has been involved are not vigorous enough.

p.8

Good

Safer recruitment practice promotes young people’s safety as the provider ensures that as much as possible is done to assure the suitability of people working in the home. Allegations against staff are adequately managed to provide protection for the young person and the person who is the subject of the allegation. Senior managers attend any safeguarding meetings and share relevant information so complete and thorough investigations can take place. The manager ensures that all these and other significant events relating to the protection of young people are shared with the appropriate agencies. Furthermore, effective communication in informing the host local authority of young people moving into the home, and these improved working relationships, ensure that young people receive a prompt and effective response from the safeguarding agencies when they engage in these risk-taking activities.

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Outstanding

The manager who was registered with Ofsted in April 2016 left his post in June 2016. Effective management arrangements are in place as a new, suitably qualified and experienced manager took over at this time. The manager who is committed and passionate about improving young people’s experiences and progress works tirelessly with young people and partner agencies to ensure that everything in his power is done to achieve this.

p.9

Outstanding

A real strength of this home is the child-centred approach that the manager and staff command. The young people are the heart of the home and the manager and staff do their upmost to advocate and include them within every aspect of the care planning.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff who are trained and supported well by their manager deliver a high standard of care. Some staff have the required qualifications while suitable plans are in place to ensure that others achieve this within the required time. The manager is proactive in seeking out specific training opportunities, such as supporting young people who self-harm, are diagnosed on the autistic spectrum disorder, or who have epilepsy. These additional training opportunities ensure that staff have the required level of skills and knowledge to provide a high-level of good quality care to all young people. The manager has recently introduced group supervision sessions and opportunities for staff to reflect meaningfully on their training experiences. These systems support staff to consider, discuss, evaluate and embed their learning so that this can be delivered consistently into their practice. The manager acknowledges that there has been a shortfall in providing consistent

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Outstanding

supervision arrangements to all staff. He has identified a suitable method to redress this and has been successful in ensuring that staff have now received regular supervision since July 2016. There are clear responsibilities and accountabilities and the staff have a sense of shared responsibility about their practice. Staff report that they are well led and managed and there is evidence to suggest that this is the case.

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Outstanding

The manager is committed to improving and developing the services that are provided to young people by the staff. The one requirement and two good practice recommendations have been suitably addressed and young people’s medical needs are now managed appropriately. The manager has a sound understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Action points are identified within the home’s recently reviewed and updated annual development plan, which is monitored and reviewed within the home’s internal monitoring systems. Following the last inspection, the external monthly monitoring has improved as required. The manager and leadership team acknowledged that there is still room for improvement within these visits and reports. The manager has identified that these reports do not fully evaluate the services provided by the home, and the provider continues to address this with the independent agency.

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Outstanding

Professionals and young people are extremely complimentary about the care and support that the manager and staff provide. One professional was full of praise for the manager and his efforts in ensuring that the transitional planning for one young person was undertaken in a smooth and managed way for both the young person and the young people living in the home. The professional confirmed that the manager would not agree to offer the young person a home until he was completely assured that he and his staff team could safely meet the needs of all the young people. An in-depth and detailed group living and impact assessment, shared with the staff prior to the move, identifies young people’s competing needs and identifies strategies to manage these effectively. Once the manager was satisfied that the move was in each young person’s best interests, he ensured that the staff and young people were fully involved in the young person’s transition in a

p.10

Outstanding

The manager used technology to assist with sharing information about the home with the young person before the young person agreed to move. This assisted in alleviating their fears about the home and was used as a way of introducing the young people to each other before the move. The young people within the home were actively involved in preparing the young person’s bedroom and a welcome meal for the young person’s arrival. The young person’s placing local authority confirmed that this exceptional practice had been disseminated through their team to demonstrate how successful transition planning should take place when a young person is unable to physically visit the home before they move. A professional said, ‘The manager is fantastic, he is great with the children and they really respond well to him. I would like to commend the staff on how well they have transitioned (name). They made unbelievable efforts to make it homely for (name). They did all

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Outstanding

they could. They have been brilliant. They provide a very homely environment and this has supported (name) to settle very quickly and make good relationships with the staff.’ The young person confirmed this by saying, ‘The manager is always there, he always makes himself available and he helps everyone. It’s great here. It’s the best care home that I have been in. It’s chilled here. It’s like home and I am doing well. My behaviour has got better, my life is better, I feel more chilled and it is good.’

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Outstanding

The manager ensures that the home operates in accordance with the assurances identified in the home’s statement of purpose. A young person confirmed that they were re-assured of what they could expect from the manager and staff on their arrival at the home. This is because the staff provide young people with the information before they join the home in creative and imaginative ways. While this practice and document provides young people, their families and local authorities with a clear and realistic description of the services and support that young people can expect to receive while at this home, the statement of purpose does not highlight that young people’s bedroom doors are locked, nor does it identify the supervision arrangements for the psychologist who provides regular support to the manager, staff and young people as required.

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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 ‘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 children looked after 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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