Children's home run by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in Sefton

Good

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

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Children enjoy very positive experiences that enrich their lives and provide them with time and space away from the tensions at home. They are given the time and space to relax, think and start to talk about their experiences. They receive the personalised support that they need to help them to feel safe and start to deal with the difficulties that they may be facing at home, in school or out in the community.  The high quality of the support that children receive is helping them and their families to make progress and achieve better outcomes. Children’s emotional well-being, resilience and confidence improve. They enjoy better relationships with their families and do better at school. Staff help families to deal with their problems positively and to make sustained changes that reduce the likelihood of their children living away from home.  Exceptionally strong safe care practices and excellent partnership working

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The children’s home provision is good because:

protect these vulnerable children from harm and significantly reduce the risks that they previously faced. The very high standard of personalised support from skilled and compassionate staff is making a significant difference to the children’s lives. Children feel safe, and enjoy extremely warm and trusting relationships with the staff. Staff enable children to express their wishes and feelings, and to take part in different, interesting and meaningful activities.  Children’s stays are carefully planned in a very welcoming, supportive and safe environment. The registered manager and staff use positive relationships with the children, their parents and carers, social workers, schools and health professionals to ensure that each child receives the best possible support. Parents and carers feel extremely supported by the staff. They enjoy open and trusting relationships, and see the benefits of the support for the whole family.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Effective leadership and management ensure that children continue to receive a high quality of care that meets their needs. Managers understand what the service does well, and they continuously strive to make further improvements to develop the service in children’s best interests and to adapt to changing levels of demand.

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Statutory requirement

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

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must help the independent person, if they consent, to interview in private such of the children’s parents and relatives. (Regulation 44(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, seek parents’ and relatives’ views about the quality of care that the home is providing for their children. 28/02/2017

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that information about the child is always recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraphs 14.3, 14.4) In particular, provide a detailed account and evaluation of the child’s experiences and progress, and the support and guidance that they receive.

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides short breaks for up to four children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties, including children in need and children with a child protection plan. Its main function is to work with children and families to improve their relationships and welfare, to enable them to continue to live together permanently.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/02/2016 Full Good 28/10/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/02/2015 Full Good

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Good

Children and their families receive a high quality of support that is making a positive difference to their lives. This is playing a significant part in the local authority’s plans to work with families that are experiencing difficulties and with children who may be at risk of harm.

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Good

Children and their families are fully involved in the decision to use the service and in the identification of the issues that need addressing. Invariably, children and their families see it as a positive choice to help them to try to tackle their problems and they see the benefits of the support that they are receiving. A child said that staff: ‘Have given me a lot of support and given me more confidence. It is a wonderful place for children to share their thoughts.’

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Good

The service provides children with time and space away from the tensions in their lives. The staff ensure that children have the space and time, and the personalised support, that they need to think about and start to deal with the difficulties that they may be facing at home, in school or out in the community. Children feel able to talk to the friendly and caring staff, and they accept the advice and guidance available to them. A child said, ‘Staff are really good as they are funny, take us out and are very supportive.’ Parents commented on the differences that they had seen in their children, and one stated: ‘It has helped my family a lot. My daughter is happier, and getting the advice and help that she needs.’ Another parent said: ‘My daughter has space and time to clear her head and access much-needed support. I have a happier and calmer child.’

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Good

Time for children away from their family home also creates opportunities for work to be undertaken with the rest of the family to improve the situation. Staff, alongside other practitioners, offer advice and practical help to families, including parenting skills, guidance about improving relationships, support with health issues, housing and rights, and entitlements to financial support. A community adolescent practitioner said: ‘Feedback from the children and their mum is that the help has made improvements and things are now happier at home.’

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Good

The excellent support that children receive is contributing to significant progress in all areas of their development, in particular with regard to their physical health, emotional well-being and building resilience. Staff’s availability and commitment is enabling children to build positive relationships with trusted adults. Children have a voice, express their feelings openly, and talk about and understand their experiences and family situation. Children are able to relax and have fun, and, as a result, they are less anxious. Children noticeably develop their confidence and their self-esteem, and they appear happier. These positive changes are helping them to improve their relationships with their parents, brothers and sisters, and other important people in their lives.

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Good

Children’s participation and achievements at school are improving. A teacher reported: ‘There has been a noticeable difference with him, as he now speaks to us. His behaviour is excellent and, despite ongoing difficulties, he feels supported and safe. The provision has made a considerable difference to this young man’s life.’ The short stays provide children with opportunities to enjoy and achieve new skills, including arts and crafts, cooking, baking, shopping and managing money. This informal learning is helping children to build their confidence in their talents and life skills.

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Good

Children staying together usually get on extremely well. They have enough personal space in which to relax and reflect, as well as opportunities to spend time with other young people and staff, playing board and computer games or watching television and films. They enjoy meaningful activities outside the home, including going to the cinema and the theatre, museums, skate parks, out into the countryside and to the beach. Some of the activities are linked to helping them to talk about their feelings and lives through play, art and crafts. The staff give much thought to providing interesting and affordable activities that the children can continue at home with their parents. For example, a parent now routinely takes her children swimming.

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Good

Very good care planning and strong working relationships with social workers and other support services mean that children and their families receive the best possible support and guidance. Children and their families are involved in assessing the problems and planning the support that they feel they need. Their short-break plans include their views and a detailed picture of the objective, including what needs to be done to meet the young person’s needs and to tackle the identified problems. They set out clearly the specific work that staff should carry out with young people during their stay and the tools for completing it. For example, this includes using ‘teen talk’ exercises to communicate with them and explore their personal relationships or ways of managing their feelings and frustrations, and a ‘steps to independence’ programme to help them to build confidence in their life and personal care skills. The plans set out the roles and responsibilities of other

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Good

people working with the family, showing how the work fits together in a coherent plan.

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Good

Children’s plans are routinely reviewed every six weeks, or in line with their child protection plan, by children, staff, families and practitioners from the other services involved. This is to ensure that they continue to have the right support now and while planning for their future. Everyone involved, including the child, reflects on the progress and effectiveness of the plan, and thinks about what needs to happen next. These review meetings are a helpful means of evaluating progress and outcomes. Information is shared between the staff and their partners effectively and efficiently. This means that staff can be responsive to family crises, emerging needs and risks. It also means that staff can change the focus of their work to look at previously unrecognised issues. The review of children’s plans means that decisions can be made about when the service should be reduced or come to an end. This is always carefully considered and assessed to ensure that children

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Good

continue to have the support that they need, including ongoing support from other services, such as young carers or counselling services.

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Outstanding

The staff’s exceptionally safe care practices promote children’s welfare and make sure that they come to stay in a safe environment. Children feel safe because they know that the home is a safe place for them to stay when things are difficult. A child said, ‘It is a good place to come to get away from your problems.’ The warm and positive atmosphere helps children to feel comfortable and to develop trusting relationships with the staff. Children feel that staff are friendly and interested in their lives and want to help them. Another child told his teacher: ‘Staff are really good as they are funny, take us out and are very supportive. They give me a chance to be myself.’

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Outstanding

Children’s behaviour is excellent, and the insightful support that they receive is helping them to manage their feelings and control their behaviour better at home, school and in the community. The staff provide children with the chance, when they are ready, to talk about their worries and what is going on in their lives. Staff give them time, listen to what they have to say, always take it seriously and take action to help. They are always alert and use professional curiosity and their knowledge of individual children to recognise when a child may be having a problem. For example, a member of staff noticed that a child was quieter than usual when she picked him up from school, and sensitively gave him the time to talk about what was on his mind. When children are struggling, feeling upset, anxious or frustrated, staff make every effort to understand the problem and to provide them with the support and reassurance that they need. Staff help children

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Outstanding

to understand and deal with their parents’ health problems, providing them with reassurance that helps to reduce children’s level of anxiety. The staff help young people to develop the understanding and skills to manage and express their feelings constructively. This includes helping them to understand about socially acceptable behaviour, to see other people’s points of view, and to learn to negotiate and compromise with their parents, for example about pocket money and coming home times. The staff also have strong and trusting relationships with children’s families, even when some parents resist working with other services. They are able, as a result, to work together to try to improve things for the whole family. A parent said that the staff: ‘Help us to understand our children better and for the rest of the family to get along a little better.’ The staff understand and manage risks to children’s welfare exceptionally well.

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Outstanding

They staff have a detailed understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities, and their family circumstances. They recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, drug use and sexual exploitation. They are able to respond promptly to concerns about children’s safety. Staff use personalised written risk assessments, tailored to each child, that inform effective protection plans. Staff know the steps that they need to take to manage and reduce any assessed risks on a daily basis. They work collaboratively within the wider support network to help families to make sustained changes that reduce risk, promote children’s welfare and achieve better outcomes. Invariably, children are increasingly safe from abuse, neglect, aggression, self-harm and going missing from home. They are less likely to require a higher level of support to ensure that their needs are met and that they are safe. A social worker said: ‘The staff play a key role in the plan that has led to a

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Outstanding

significant improvement in a child’s life. He is now attending school, getting on better with his parents, and understands more about what makes him feel angry and that talking about his feelings helps him deal with them positively. He has different friends and is no longer involved in anti-social behaviour, crime, using cannabis or going missing from his home.’

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Good

The registered manager has been in charge of the home since July 2015. She is a vastly experienced manager and is suitably qualified, both as a social worker and in leadership and management. She has a strong track record of leading and managing children’s homes to a consistently good standard. She is an effective and insightful leader who ensures that the service is designed and delivered to meet the needs of individual children and their families. A strong culture of helping children and families to deal with their problems in an open and collaborative way is embedded throughout the service.

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Good

Experienced, qualified and highly competent staff provide children with an excellent quality of care. The staff’s skills, knowledge, commitment and personal qualities are tailored to the needs of the children whom they support. They are enthusiastic and keen to develop their skills to be able to help families in the best possible way. They work in a cohesive and well-organised way that ensures that children have a safe and enjoyable stay.

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Good

The registered manager and deputy managers ensure that staff are appropriately guided and supported on a daily basis. Staff receive excellent support with the emotional impact that their work may have on them as individuals. They also make sure that staff have opportunities through regular, one-to-one supervision to reflect on children’s progress, their performance and professional development. The managers and staff use the regular team meetings to consider effectively the children’s experiences, needs and progress. They also review staff practice and their development needs. Staff receive good-quality training that is relevant to the specific needs of the children and their roles, including social pedagogy, restorative approaches, communicating with children, understanding and identifying neglect, the issue of substance misuse and managing aggression. Their practice shows that they apply their learning to great effect in helping them to understand children’s

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Good

experiences and to identify how best to help them. Staff also have opportunities for professional development by completing higher qualifications, including at level 4 and 5, that is relevant to their roles.

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Good

The service’s role as part of an ‘innovation’ programme initiative to support children in the community is currently being reviewed. The registered manager’s systematic monitoring of the service’s performance is contributing to the review. Her continuous assessment of its effectiveness has enabled her to adapt, improve and deliver support to families in different ways that meet their needs, and reflect local demand and priorities.

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Good

The registered manager has a clear understanding of the service’s strengths and uses clear systems to measure the progress that children are making. The reviews of the quality of care provide a detailed picture of how the service is meeting quality standards. It also shows the impact that short breaks are having on outcomes and improvements for young people and their families. This information provides leaders and the local authority with a better understanding of the success of the short-breaks service in helping families to work through difficulties and stay together, and to reduce the likelihood of children living away from their parents.

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Good

The external monitoring of the service by an independent person does now provide an in-depth assessment of how well young people’s welfare is being promoted and safeguarded. Reports include detailed discussions with children about their experiences, observations of how they spend their time, a detailed review of the quality of children’s plans and an evaluation of the work that staff are doing with individual children. However, the reports still do not always include the views of parents and relatives on the quality and impact of the service. This is a missed opportunity to take into account how they experience the support provided in order to improve the service.

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Good

The registered and deputy managers are also very aware of the things that they need to develop. For example, they know that the children’s records still do not always provide a detailed account of their experiences and progress or the support and guidance that they receive, or evaluate the home’s effectiveness or the progress made against the desired outcome. The managers are taking action to address this by providing staff with training to use the electronic recording system more effectively and to learn how to upload documents to ensure that all the information about children is held and available in one place.

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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’. 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 looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference 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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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