Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited in Knowsley

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to offer young people a high quality of care that is making a significant difference to their lives. The registered manager and staff ensure that young people receive personalised support and intervention to meet their individual needs. Furthermore, relationships between the staff and young people continue to be positive. Young people know that staff care about them and that they want what is best for them. A young person said, ‘I love it here and want to stay here forever!’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is very supportive to his staff team and ensures that they receive regular supervision, training and development opportunities to further enhance their professional practice and the quality of care they provide to young people. Supervision records are detailed and demonstrate reflective practice that supports the continuous professional development of the staff. However, not all supervision records were signed by staff members. Team meetings take place regularly. The good team work supports young people’s progress. A staff member said, ‘This is a really good supportive staff team, a trainer has commented on this during a team training session.’ The strong leadership and team working in the home mean that young people receive a consistent level of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding practice in the home is robust due to the knowledge and experience of the registered manager and staff team. They are able to manage high-risk behaviours effectively. The home has responded well to issues relating to child sexual exploitation for young people and has taken appropriate action to safeguard young people from this. There has been one incident of a young person self- harming in the home since the last inspection. Records demonstrate that the staff responded to this very well and in a timely manner to ensure that the young person received the necessary medical attention and support. They have been instrumental in obtaining and sharing information to assist safeguarding professionals undertaking investigations relating to child sexual exploitation. The home has welcomed the police into the home to share information relating to new procedures in place relating to young people who go missing from home. The

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

robust safeguarding practice in the home means that young people feel safe and know that staff will safeguard them. Young people are supported and encouraged to engage in their education provision and they continue to make progress. Three young people attend education provision away from the home, and the manager and staff regularly communicate with education professionals to ensure that the young people’s education needs are fully met. The home is supporting one young person in continuing his education in his home town when he leaves the home in the near future. They have arranged a meeting with a local college to ensure a smooth transition for him in his education. One young person has home tuition, and the home has been proactive in liaising with the provider and young person in relation to the intervention. This has helped the young person to overcome barriers to learning and ensured that a good level of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

engagement is in place to allow the young person to make progress. Therefore, all young people in the home continue to make remarkable progress in education and have high aspirations for their future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, no young people have been admitted or discharged from the home. However, the registered manager and staff have worked effectively with a young person, his family and social workers to ensure that a robust rehabilitation plan home is in place to return home. This has supported the young person to build relationships with his family and have regular contact with them. Furthermore, the home has secured an agreement with the placing authority to offer outreach support for the young person and his family for six months after he returns home. The social worker said, ‘The rehabilitation home could never have happened unless it was for the support and intervention from the home since the young person came to live here. He has made remarkable progress. The home has worked hard to ensure a robust rehabilitation and support plan is in place for the young person.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are supported to build and maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Contact plans are in place that ensure that young people have regular meaningful contact with family members. This has led to young people having overnight stays and Christmas contact with family members. In addition to this, the home has supported a young person and his placing authority to trace his birth family. Checks and assessments are being undertaken to consider if it is appropriate for the young person to have contact with his family. The young person is being fully supported through this process and will continue to be supported if and when contact takes place. Consequently, young people are supported to build and have built relationships with their family that were previously strained.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management in the home continues to be good. The use of sanctions is rare, as the manager and staff believe that a more restorative approach to managing behaviour is effective. This approach has resulted in positive changes in the behaviour of young people in the home. Furthermore, it has supported the young people to improve relationships with each other. For example, following some negative, challenging behaviour from one young person in the home towards staff and young people, a complaint was made. This was dealt with extremely well, with a full investigation and resolution meeting with the young people. This resulted in a positive change in the behaviour of the young person and an improved and more trusting relationship between the young people. Young people regularly receive praise for their positive behaviour. This means that negative behaviour in the home has reduced, and it is a settled and happy environment for

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to have positive experiences, and the manager and staff are very proactive in ensuring that their experiences support their overall progress, development and social interaction. This includes the opportunity to engage in various social and recreational activities, such as attending the cadets, swimming and rock climbing. Furthermore, they are provided with opportunities to raise their awareness and understanding of making positive choices in life. For example, a project recently attended the home and presented a role play to the staff and young people relating to the consequences of involvement in crime. This was a very informative and thought-provoking experience that raised the awareness of the young people of making the right choices in life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working is well established and excellent. For example, there is regular contact with social workers and educational professionals working with the young people living in the home to ensure that these professionals are kept fully up to date on their progress. A social worker said, ‘The young person knows the home makes the day-to-day decisions about their care and they regularly update me on this.’ Furthermore, the home maintains regular contact with other professionals, including missing from home and child sexual exploitation coordinators, the police, the youth offending team and the local authority designated officer. This ensures that the most appropriate support and intervention is in place to meet young people’s needs and ensure that they are safeguarded and making progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and review systems in the home continue to be effective, and support the manager to identify strengths and weaknesses in the home. He quickly addresses shortfalls in professional practice raised by the home’s independent visitor. The independent visitor’s reports are evaluative, with a clear focus on the quality of records, young people’s progress and safeguarding, which are all very good. However, the independent visitor does not always send the completed report with the manager’s comments and response to recommendations for action from the visit to Ofsted in line with regulations. This means that the regulatory body is not always aware of how the home intends to make improvement to address any shortfalls.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A social worker described the manager as an ‘outstanding manager’. Due to his proven track record in managing this home, he has been promoted within the company to service manager. However, he will maintain a significant role in the management of this home to ensure that the high standards and quality of care continue. He will support the new registered manager by undertaking regular quality assurance, monitoring and review of systems and professional practice. Furthermore, he will support managers in other homes in the company to drive forward improvement. His deputy manager will take over as registered manager and is in the process of completing her application for Ofsted.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children’s home that is registered for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home caters for three young people in the main part of the house and one young person in the basement annex, which is designed to support young people who are preparing for independent living.

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Information about this children's home

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/09/2016 Full Outstanding 08/10/2015 Full Good

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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

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once a month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44(1) (7)(a)) 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:

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Recommendation

 Ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff that provides evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) In particular, supervision records should be signed by both the manager and member of staff.

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 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

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

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