Children's Home run by Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd 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:

 A particular strength of the home is the stability of the staff team. This supports young people to build and develop positive, nurturing and trusting relationships with staff who they value, respect and trust.  A young person said that their life has improved since their arrival into the home and confirmed that they feel happy, safe and protected as a result of the care and support that they receive from the staff.  The manager and staff advocate for young people well and they support them sufficiently. This ensures that young people‟s wishes and views are heard and that they receive the services and support that they require.  Young people receive a good level of care and support because the visible, experienced and dedicated manager leads and supports her staff team well.  Parents, and the majority of professionals, are pleased with the care and support that the manager and staff provide to young people. Parents

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The children’s home provision is good because:

confirm that they are fully updated on their children‟s progress and are confident that the staff do everything that they can to support their children to engage with all aspects of their care plan.  Good internal and external monitoring of the home, which incorporates the views of all relevant parties, ensures that the home continues to develop and improve the experiences and progress of young people.  Areas for improvement relate to the statement of purpose, dating physical intervention records, maintaining supervision records and undertaking annual staff appraisals.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. This is with particular reference to ensuring that the experience, qualifications and supervision arrangements of all staff, including the clinical psychologist, are included within this document. (Regulation 16 (1)) 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 06/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept. ('Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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Recommendations

 All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practicable, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year. 'Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Recommendations

 Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. ('Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2015 Full Outstanding 24/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/06/2014 Full Good

p.5

Good

The stable and consistent staff team provides a relaxed home environment in which young people report that they feel safe, supported and at ease. Most young people maintain positive relationships with the adults around them and attribute their progress to the care and support that the staff team provides. As such, most young people‟s well-being is promoted and most make good progress in relation to their starting points across many aspects of their lives. One young person said, „I have got better at controlling my anger. The staff reflect on my behaviour with me so I know what I am doing wrong and can improve it.‟ They went on to add, „I feel that my behaviour is improving.‟ Another young person confirmed this and said, „The staff listen to you. I get really angry and shout but they stay calm and eventually I calm down. They don‟t get cross and argue with me like they did at home. I am getting better at managing my temper now.‟

p.6

Good

Young people confirm that they sustain positive and nurturing relationships with the established staff team. Staff have high aspirations for young people and advocate strongly for them. They actively pursue and challenge other agencies to ensure that young people receive the care and services that they require. In addition, the manager and staff support young people to make their own independent complaints when they are unhappy about the services that are being offered. This proactive response ensures that young people receive the correct level of support and services from health and education providers.

p.6

Good

Staff support and encourage young people to maintain a good standard of personal care and make their own choices and decisions about their health, treatment and lifestyles. Staff are aware of and follow young people‟s individual healthcare plans. Staff quickly support young people to access any additional support or services when young people choose to engage in behaviours which are harmful to their own or others‟ health. They seek out additional support and services, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and they support and enable young people to attend these appointments when they have been reluctant to do so.

p.6

Good

Staff value meaningful education for young people and are proactive in seeking suitable education provisions that match young people‟s needs. When young people are reluctant to engage with education, staff support and encourage them appropriately. Staff use incentives and rewards to encourage school attendance and continue in their attempts to reiterate the importance of a good education on later life chances through individual key-work sessions. Staff complete work in the home to enhance and develop young people‟s opportunities for learning, and support young people to access home tuition to further develop their identified talents. The manager has a good understanding of what provisions will best meet young people‟s needs, and she challenges education providers appropriately and professionally when unsuitable packages of care are offered. That said, despite the best efforts of the manager and staff, two young people are not fully accessing a

p.6

Good

Young people report that the staff listen to them and take seriously any issues or concerns that they raise. They confirm that they are supported and encouraged to share their views and opinions on all aspects of their care. Young people say that they attend weekly resident meetings, have regular planned key-work sessions, undertake reflective sessions after any significant event, and are constantly engaged in informal discussions with staff. This provides young people with good opportunities to influence their care as well as the day-to-day running of the home.

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Good

Young people fully understand and will confidently use the home‟s complaints process when they are unhappy with decisions or actions that affect them. When complaints are made, the manager fully investigates these and young people confirm that suitable outcomes are achieved.

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Good

Young people develop the knowledge and life skills associated with running a home through their regular participation in the day-to-day running of the home. Young people confirm that they are able to plan and prepare meals, budget their weekly allowances, complete household chores and use appliances. This goes some way to helping young people prepare for adulthood.

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Good

Young people share positive relationships with staff, and young people confirm that the staff make them feel safe. These constructive relationships underpin all aspects of practice and are used to encourage socially acceptable behaviour through positive role modelling and agreed behaviour management strategies. This practice was observed throughout the inspection, when staff were seen to manage one young person‟s heightened anxieties in a calm and managed way. This supported the young people to manage their emotions and feelings more appropriately, and they later apologised for their outburst. One professional confirmed that a young person had benefited from this way of working and said, „[Name] has positive relationships with all the staff because they all work in the same way. I have never heard anyone raise their voice. They are very calm and challenge her well. They went on to add, „[Name] has made a lot of progress in managing their anger.‟

p.7

Good

Staff are clear that they will only physically restrain young people when there is a need to do this to keep young people or others safe. Staff report that they use their relationships with young people to de-escalate any problematic situations before there is a need to physically intervene. On the rare occasions that young people have been restrained they and the staff are offered an opportunity to discuss their experiences and comment upon these. Staff encourage young people to reflect on the situation and their actions so that they can identify more suitable strategies to manage their emotions more effectively in the future. Although the manager reviews and evaluates these incidents, it is not clear to the reader as to when this review occurred. This is because the manager does not systematically date these records.

p.7

Good

Staff have a good understanding of young people‟s specific vulnerabilities. They are suitably trained in safeguarding and are clear about their roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe. Well-thought-out, risk-assessed interventions are effective in helping young people to manage their unsafe behaviour. These plans are understood and implemented by all staff consistently. There is good evidence of multi-agency working involving the police, safeguarding professionals, some social workers, education colleagues and health professionals. Collectively, they provide young people with the right level of support and guidance which enables them to develop an understanding of their own behaviour. These extensive and cohesive working relationships, which have been fully embedded into practice, have assisted some young people in making better choices about keeping themselves safe. One example of this is the reduction in missing-from-home

p.8

Good

Staff work well with all agencies to manage and support young people in times of crisis. They are aware of young people‟s triggers to some behaviours and respond to these in line with their individual risk management plans. Staff are acutely aware of the risks associated with young people being away from the home and make every effort to discourage this. When young people do go missing from the home, professionals confirm that the staff follow the correct protocols and inform all agencies quickly. A professional said, „The staff know about their kids. They do all they can to find and locate them. The staff follow the correct protocols and make the necessary referrals if there are any child sexual exploitation concerns. They support Catch 22 to complete the keep safe work with young people and this work has been passed onto staff for them to complete‟.

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Good

Young people live in a large, safe home. Health and safety arrangements for the home are thorough and include weekly checks to ensure that any hazards are detected and addressed swiftly. Areas for improvement and repair are identified and addressed quickly. Consequently, the physical environment is maintained to an acceptable standard and everyone‟s physical well-being is promoted. Judgement grade

p.8

Good

Young people live in a home that is effectively managed by an experienced and suitably qualified manager. She has been registered with Ofsted since March 2007. The registered manager is supported in her management tasks by an experienced and knowledgeable assistant manager and additional manager who share her aspirations and motivation to deliver a good standard of care. The registered manager provides clear leadership and has an inclusive working style which enables staff to use their initiative and develop well in their roles.

p.9

Good

There are a suitable number of competent, experienced and qualified staff to ensure that each young person‟s needs are appropriately met. All the staff team members have the required childcare qualification and are committed to making a positive difference to young people‟s lives. The established staff team is trained and supported to deliver a good standard of care. Staff training is closely monitored by the leadership team to ensure that all staff are up to date with their mandatory training. This is complemented by opportunities to complete in-house training during team meetings and team development days, in which issues pertinent to the home are shared, discussed and developed. Additional needs-led training, such as child sexual exploitation, internet safety in children‟s homes, managing bullying behaviours and substance misuse training, ensures that staff have the relevant knowledge and skills to look after young people well. Although

p.9

Good

the manager and staff receive regular supervision, some records of these sessions were not available to view during the inspection and one member of staff has not received their annual appraisal.

p.9

Good

The registered manager has a clear understanding of the strengths and needs of the home. She regularly reviews the home‟s development plan, which identifies realistic targets and goals, and this supports her with the continued development of the service. The manager shows good learning from monitoring and inspection activity and ensures that any noted shortfalls are quickly addressed. For example, she has taken suitable action to address the two requirements and one recommendation from the previous inspection. Subsequently, young people‟s welfare and safety is enhanced as independent scrutiny and challenge is now being completed by an external person. In addition, young people‟s safety is further promoted as the manager complies with the health and safety regulations and maintains operational fire doors, while ensuring that the home maintains a good state of repair in the kitchen and dining area.

p.9

Good

The manager ensures that placement planning is cohesive, detailed and thorough. Clear and detailed placement plans set out how the home contributes to meeting the individual needs of young people. Young people are fully involved in developing their plans with the staff and are involved in completing their own person-centred placement plan and weekly reviews. These plans convey the young person‟s characteristics, interests, likes and dislikes, and they link to individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans. Staff are familiar with the plans and they know each young person well. This means that young people receive consistent care from a team of staff who understand their needs well.

p.9

Good

Young people, parents and placing authorities are informed about the services and support that is on offer. This is because they are provided with the statement of purpose, which is reviewed and updated regularly by the manager. This, the children‟s guide, and parent‟s guide ensure that all parties are clear about the services and support that is provided. Although the manager ensures that the staff work within the ethos and aims of these documents, the manager has yet to include the qualifications and supervision arrangements for the clinical health staff within the statement of purpose, and has not shared this with Ofsted within the required timescale.

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Good

Parents and most professionals speak highly of the service. Parents confirm that the staff support them well in keeping in contact with their children and that the quality of their contact with their children has improved. Parents feel that their only link to their child‟s progress is maintained through the positive and effective communication links that the manager and staff maintain with them. One parent said, „I would not know anything if it was not for them. They contact me all the time and send me weekly updates so I know what is happening.‟ Most professionals are complimentary about the level of services and support that the manager and staff offer, with one professional stating, „The staff are great and I would recommend this home to anyone.‟ However, other professionals have not been as positive about the quality of care that staff provide. One professional said, „[Name] has not made any progress at all. Their behaviour has got worse recently

p.10

Good

and they are not in school.‟ However, they did go on to say, „The staff have really fought hard for her education and advocated well for her for this, and they have pushed for the assessment for CAMHS in the local area which they have now attended.‟

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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

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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