Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St. Helens

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last full inspection. Continued robust internal and external processes have ensured that again there are no regulatory shortfalls identified at this interim inspection. Furthermore, stringent scrutiny of all required documentation means that documents are all maintained at a particularly good standard and appropriately cross-reference with other relevant records. Children’s guides that are personalised and more child friendly have been produced since the last inspection. This means that they are now more meaningful documents and therefore ensure that all the young people fully understand the expectations of the home, their legal rights and the wider services that are available to them. These new guides also include the views of young people who have previously lived at this home. Examples include: ‘The adults really cared about me, not because they had to’; ‘They helped me with my temper’; ‘I didn’t want to leave. It

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

was like a family’; and, ‘The staff are easy to talk to and they listen.’ This home continues to be very well managed by a suitably qualified, experienced and child-focused individual who leads by example. Furthermore, this company has substantially invested in her continued development and retention. Consequently, the staff have all benefited from her clear direction, knowledge and expertise. She provides regular supervision, timely appraisals and ongoing support to her staff to continually improve practice. She also ensures that staff receive timely and ongoing training opportunities in order to meet organisational needs and individual young people’s needs and in order to further their own individual personal development. The staff confirm that this is a very good company to work for and that it provides opportunities for internal career progression. This is a strong motivator and consequently staff morale is high.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All the required external health and safety certificates are in place and internal checks are undertaken at the required frequencies to ensure that the home is a safe environment. An ongoing programme of redecoration ensures that this home is always maintained to a good standard throughout. Young people really like their bedrooms, which are highly personalised. This home excels at providing a warm, nurturing and homely environment, and the stable staff team has established open, honest and trusting relationships with the young people. There have been no admissions or discharges since the last inspection and both young people remain very happy and settled, and feel safe and secure, at this home. In fact, one young person was very clear about this when they said, ‘I want to stay here until I am at least 18.’ Another young person said, ‘I am very happy here and I do a lot of activities. I still go roller skating and have made friends

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

there, but I love trampolining now. I like my bedroom. I’ve just got new wallpaper, which I chose, and a new floor.’ Young people benefit from being well cared for by fully qualified and experienced staff who provide consistent care and clear routines and boundaries. This helps young people to feel safe and secure. Young people are also respected and treated as individuals in their own right, which makes them feel loved and valued. Moreover, this home ensures that all the young people enjoy constructive family contact in line with any legal restrictions and personal preferences. This positively promotes young people’s sense of identity. The most recent example of this is that one young person has been enabled to have regular contact with his brothers, who are in a new foster placement. He was particularly thrilled that staff arranged for them to share in his birthday celebrations. Comments from parents included: ‘I have no problems with any of the staff. They

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

are all friendly. I have visited the home and it is really nice inside. This is the best place my son has been to’; ‘My son is well cared for at this home’; and, ‘I am happy with the progress my son is making here and I am really pleased that he is now going to a mainstream school. Staff made it possible for us to have contact at Christmas and it was good.’ Both of the young people respond well to the home’s emphasis on positive reinforcement of good behaviours and effort, so the use of restraint is rare. When a physical intervention is deemed necessary, records clearly show that the least restrictive hold is used for the shortest period of time. Furthermore, young people and staff always have the opportunity to reflect on the incident so that practice can be constantly improved. As an example, one young person said, ‘I got angry because staff took the ball off me and the pool cue, but I did feel out of control

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and needed to be held to keep me safe. If I hadn’t been held I would have smashed the house up which I did lots of times before I came here.’ The appropriate use of reparation prevents the need for formal police intervention and actively encourages young people to accept responsibility for their behaviours. The use of incentives has the desired effect on behaviours. Consequently, since the last inspection, one young person has successfully gained new roller skates in recognition of his improved behaviours in school and is now working towards a new television for his bedroom. He said, ‘By being good I’ve already saved up £50.’ Another young person is working towards later bedtimes by his next birthday and has chosen to be on a long-term incentive because he wants to go on a holiday abroad. There is extensive evidence of frequent direct work with young people. During this work, highly relevant and sensitive issues are fully explored. Young people engage

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

extremely well and demonstrate reflection and progression. Young people are making demonstrable progress at this home. For example, one young person was admitted over 12 months ago with a significant history of violence towards carers and peers, and fire-setting. To his credit, at this home he has not exhibited any extreme behaviours. One young person, who has a history of multiple missing episodes, has had three – very brief – incidents at this home, which is also significant progress. Robust internal auditing systems have accurately identified a pattern of him running off as a reaction to sanctions being imposed. In response, focused work immediately commenced to address this. To date, it has proved to be effective and there have been no further incidents for nearly two months. The staff at this home are particularly strong and effective advocates for the young people. As a direct result, one young person has moved from a pupil referral unit

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

some distance from the home to a local mainstream school that has been judged outstanding by Ofsted. On his admission to the school, this young person struggled with change; yet, with the support of staff, he has made this major transition without any incidents. This demonstrates the significant progress that he has made at this home. One young person is a gifted and talented pupil academically, but struggles with his behaviours. In response, the manager has persisted in securing a full psychological assessment of the young person’s needs. This is to ensure that he receives any specialist support that he requires in order that he can reach his full educational potential. Young people’s wishes and feelings are central to the day-to-day running of the home. All reasonable requests receive a positively response if it is in the young person’s best interests. For example, staff recently arranged for one young person

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

to have family contact in the children’s home at his request. This demonstrates his sense of pride in his surroundings. It proved to be very positive experience for all concerned; there was lots of interaction and he made them a meal and baked a cake. Young people’s independence skills continue to develop. Consequently, they now routinely keep their bedrooms clean and tidy, wash and iron their own clothes and make the evening meals. They have also successfully completed an online food safety course since the last inspection. One young person said, ‘I enjoyed doing this and I learned a lot which will help me with my cooking and baking.’ Other comments from young people regarding their independence skills included: ‘I like to cook at least once a week. I have a good diet. I don’t like to eat breakfast, but I do eat it because I know it’s good for me. We went out for a meal on Sunday and I chose steak’; ‘I only get small amounts of money at a time, but I like that

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

because it lasts longer’; ‘I am now trusted to go to the shop on my own’; and, ‘I can now travel in the front seat in staff cars.’ Good health is actively promoted at this home. In particular, young people continue to benefit from homemade nutritious meals and regular physical exercise. Since the last inspection, the staff have also specifically ensured that both boys improved their dental hygiene. With staff support, one young person has also recently had some much-needed dental treatment, despite his genuine fear of needles. Both young people have significantly improved their personal hygiene while living at this home. They now take great pride in their appearance, which in turn has demonstrably boosted their self-esteem. They are always up in good time and well- prepared for school, and have maintained excellent attendance records. A key strength of this home has always been the frequency and range of the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

constructive activities that young people can engage in. In fact, the manager has purposefully reduced this for both boys, from seven to five a week, in order to stress the importance of them having some quality ‘down time’ with staff in the home. Consequently, they are now enjoying colouring activities and playing board games with staff. Individual interests and talents are actively encouraged and supported. This develops young people’s competencies and confidence effectively. Current examples include free running, roller skating and trampolining. This is good physical exercise and they have built up friendships with peers outside of the care system; in addition, their social skills have improved demonstrably. One young person is rightly proud of recently passing an assessment which means that he can now use the professional trampolines; he likes to show off his front flips to the staff. Both young people spent Christmas Day at the home and had a great time. They

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

were thrilled with their individual games consoles. At their request they had a full home-made roast dinner and invited a young person from another children’s home to share the day. The continued used of photographic ‘participation files’, which young people can take with them on discharge, has enabled them to capture all the positive experiences that they have enjoyed while living at this home. Placing authorities are consistently highly satisfied with the quality of care that is provided at this home. Recent comments included: ‘Staff provide me with all relevant updates in addition to monthly progress reports. We have a positive working relationship and my young person is happy and settled’; ‘This is a positive placement for my young person and he is coming on really well. The home does not look or feel like a children’s home, but a family home’; and, ‘This is the right home for my young person. The staff are responsive to his needs so he is happy

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/08/2016 Full Good

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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 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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