Children's home run by New Start in Sefton

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and his staff team provide a good level of care to young people. There are positive relationships between young people and the staff team, and as a result young people are making progress in all areas of their lives, including their education, health, risk levels and relationships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement and recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed, showing the registered manager’s commitment to continued improvements in the home. As a consequence, recruitment procedures have been strengthened, which ensures that any gaps in employment for staff are fully explored. There are now clear procedures in place to prevent young people from having unauthorised access to the office, and risk assessments have been updated to clearly reflect levels of risk for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two young people have moved into the home. When planning new admissions, the registered manager secures relevant information about the young people prior to their moving in so that careful consideration can be given to their compatibility with other young people already living in the home. Young people are also provided with information about the home and are encouraged to visit so that they can meet the staff and young people prior to moving in. However, the home does not have records to show this process for the two young people that have moved in since the last inspection. Therefore, although the planning and preparation for young people moving into the home are good, the records within the home do not demonstrate this good work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is proactive in identifying the most appropriate education provision to meet the educational needs of the young people. Young people are well supported to attend and engage in their education. Currently, three of the four young people living in the home have appropriate education provision in place. One young person has changed school due to some difficulties they were experiencing, which were impacting on their level of engagement and progress. However, since starting their new education provision they are more motivated, are engaging well and presenting with more positive behaviours. As a result, they are making good progress. Another young person who had not been in education for three years has identified, with staff support, a college course which they are looking forward to starting very soon. Another young person who had also not been in education for some time prior to moving into the home is now attending sessions with a tutor

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

until appropriate education provision is in place for him. Although this is below the minimum expectation of 25 hours per week, the home has tirelessly liaised with both the placing authority and host authority to ensure that the appropriate provision is found.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The health and well-being of young people are strongly promoted in the home. They are supported and encouraged to attend health appointments, including optician and dentist appointments and statutory health assessments. The home has developed good relationships with the nurses responsible for children looked after, who offer good support and guidance on health-related issues for young people living in the home. Furthermore, the home has been proactive in engaging with the community health development team, which provides extensive information and training about promoting healthier lifestyles. This is shared among the staff and young people, and has resulted in young people making more sensible meal choices as well as becoming involved in preparing and cooking some of the recipes provided by the community health development team. This means that young people are developing their independence skills in food planning and preparation,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

as well as benefiting from a healthier diet.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people feel safe in the home, and know that staff will do whatever is necessary to keep them safe and reduce any risks that they may face. A young person said, ‘I know staff do all they can to keep me safe and are doing their best to stop me from going missing from the home.’ Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to identify risk levels and determine how these risks are to be managed. Missing from home records are detailed and clearly set out the efforts that staff make to locate young people and to encourage their prompt, safe return. Young people are welcomed home by staff who talk with young people about the risks and dangers of going missing. In addition, they receive an independent return interview in line with statutory guidance. This assists in gathering information that can help protect young people from going missing again, as well as establishing what, if any, risks they may have been exposed to while being missing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s staff take all safeguarding incidents very seriously and take appropriate action. They have been proactive in involving other professionals to enable a multi- agency coordinated approach to safeguarding issues that arise. Generally, they inform Ofsted of any significant incidents in line with regulation. However, there has been one significant safeguarding incident in the home that Ofsted were not notified of.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management in the home continues to be a real strength. Staff and young people understand the expectations and consequences of negative behaviour as well as the rewards for positive behaviour. This is supported by robust behaviour management plans. The young people have responded very well to the privilege and incentive scheme, which was introduced just prior to the last inspection. This has resulted in continued positive behaviour and regular rewards for young people. There have been no complaints from neighbours since the last inspection due to the improved approaches to behaviour management and the greater emphasis on the privilege and incentive scheme. There has been one incident of physical intervention since the last inspection that the record shows was unavoidable and dealt with appropriately. The young person was spoken to following the intervention and his views were recorded. Furthermore, the manager

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

has taken action in response to the young person’s views, wishes and feelings about this that should help to avoid any further physical interventions in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has recently been a complaint made by a young person living in the home in relation to CCTV that is in place in the home. This was discussed in great detail with him, with staff explaining the reasons why the home has CCTV in certain communal areas. Although the young person continued to say that he is not happy that the CCTV is in place, he understood that this was a safeguarding measure. The record outlined the young person’s complaint but did not reflect the discussion that took place in relation to this. The registered manager updated the complaint record during the inspection to include the key work session that took place in response to the complaint.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working supports the registered manager and staff to ensure that the needs of the young people they care for are met. They have worked collaboratively with professionals in the host local authority and placing local authorities to ensure that appropriate support and intervention are in place for young people based on their individual needs. This includes social workers, local authority designated officers, virtual headteachers, the nurses responsible for children looked after, the community health development team and the police. Professionals share information regularly to ensure that the appropriate support and intervention are in place. This helps to develop a consistent approach towards supporting young people in all areas of their development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and review systems at the home continue to support the manager in identifying the strengths and weaknesses in the home and to take appropriate action to address any shortfalls identified. Weekly performance monitoring means that the registered manager has a clear overview of young people’s outcomes and achievements. This in turn helps him to evaluate young people’s progress, identify any changes in need and improve outcomes for them. For example, weekly monitoring identified a lack of engagement in key work sessions by young people, so the registered manager, staff and young people agreed a change around in key workers to improve the level of engagement. The monitoring and review systems in place ensure that young people continually receive a good quality of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the change in staffing at the home. The manager proudly reported that he feels he has a strong, committed staff team that works well together in the best interests of the young people. He feels that this has supported the young people to make progress, in particular in relation to: reducing the number of times and length of time that they are missing from home, the reduction in the use of sanctions and physical interventions, improved family relationships and contact, and better engagement in education.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of three owned and managed by a private company. The home is registered to care for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/10/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/11/2015 Full Good 05/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person notifies Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in Regulation 40(4) (a)–(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13) In particular, the complaint records should clearly demonstrate that the complaint has been addressed and that there is an outcome.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the children’s home works closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home. Staff should understand, for each child, what the placing authority has recorded in the relevant plan as an appropriate level of contact with family and friends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3) In particular, staff should ensure that contact arrangements are recorded in the child’s records.

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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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