Children's home run by Footsteps Care Homes Limited

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 make steady progress. They acquire new skills to support their independence. A social worker said that a strength of the service is ‘staff getting the right balance between promoting independence and safeguarding children’.  Children experience stability. The majority live there long term and regard it as ‘their home’. They have positive, affectionate relationships with staff and the manager.  Staff are very tuned-in to children’s behaviour and how they may express their emotions and well-being. Staff pick up on non-verbal clues to help children who find it difficult to express themselves verbally or with other communication methods.  Children receive good quality care. They experience new things, go on holidays and live active lifestyles. Staff regard children’s education as important.  Staff meet quite complex health needs well, as a result of good support and training.

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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

(1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (2) In particular, the registered person must ensure that: (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(c)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

(3) The requirements are that (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. Specifically to ensuring references provide some information as to a person’s character and integrity and are about the person’s suitability to work with children. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI without delay of any serious notification made under this regulation. (Regulation 40(4)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

Failure without reasonable excuse to comply with the conditions of registration is an offence. (Section 24, Care Standards Act 2000) 31/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. Specifically, one member of staff should update their training. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12 )  Ensure that the home’s policies and procedures around the protection of children reflect any requirements of other relevant legislation. Specifically, that policies and documents refer to the ’Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’ and that staff understand and are working to these. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

44, paragraph 9.22)  Ensure that records of restraint enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this children's home

A private company owns this home. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children who have learning disabilities. Currently, one young adult and five children reside in the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Good 09/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/08/2014 Full Good

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Good

Children said they like the staff and feel safe in the home. In surveys a child describes the home as ‘great’ and agrees that staff help them to be independent and stop bullies.

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Good

Children benefit from warm personal relationships with the staff. Key work keeps the focus on children’s individual needs. This has been particularly useful in identifying holidays this summer for each individual child. Children enjoyed varied experiences when staying with staff away from the home in Manchester, Bognor Regis and Blackpool. Children enjoy a range of activities in the home such as board games, playing musical instruments and safe use of the computer. They have access to various activities in the local community such as trips to the cinema, shops and clubs where they can meet other children. Staff compile lovely books containing memorabilia of children’s time in the home so that the children have a keepsake when they move on from the home.

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Good

Communication skills improve. Some children use a greater repertoire of Makaton signs to express themselves. A few make progress in using more acceptable spoken language, which helps them to get on better with others. Some have improved listening skills and are better able to carry out simple instructions. Staff make sure that children ‘have a voice’, for example, by representing their views at review meetings when children do not wish to attend.

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Good

Children experience stability. Most have lived in the home for a number of years so are very familiar with the staff, routines and the building. They like their rooms, which staff have decorated to their individual preferences. They appear ‘at home’ and relaxed. A social worker said that staff understand their child’s needs and meet them well and are ‘absolutely brilliant with her’. Some children who have previously experienced placement breakdown have a more positive outcome as a result of living in this home. A social worker described a child as ‘happy, settled and emotionally more stable’ as a result. Children are able to better manage change. Through support, discussion and social stories, staff prepare children well for transitions such as starting a new college and learning to use public transport successfully. As a result, children’s anxiety, challenging behaviour and upset reduces and their well-being improves.

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Good

Children gain independence skills. Some make small but considerable achievements, such as taking their plate to the kitchen after meals, hanging up their own coat or helping with their personal care. They learn to be hospitable, for example by making visitors feel welcome by offering them a hot drink.

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Good

Education is highly regarded. Children attend education regularly and make progress. For example, one child is now able to spell their name.

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Good

Children live healthy lifestyles. Some increase their physical activity in order to maintain a more healthy weight and improve their general fitness. This includes activities like swimming, water aerobics and walking. They benefit from a varied diet with most evening meals prepared by a cook. Those with long-term health conditions receive appropriate support.

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Good

Children stay in touch with family where this is appropriate. They are encouraged not to display socially unacceptable behaviour, which may cause their rejection by peers. Developing friendships and relationships with others boosts their self-esteem and confidence.

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Requires improvement

The condition of registration is to admit children who have learning disabilities. Management have admitted one child who does not have learning difficulties. This was an emergency placement and intended for only a short period of time. The child is doing well and their social worker acknowledges the staff’s ‘exceptional commitment’ to her. Management is arranging training to help staff support some of her needs, for example selective mutism. However, the home’s primary focus is on meeting the needs of those who have learning disabilities.

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Requires improvement

Medication has been a focus for improvement during this inspection period. Improved systems are in place to monitor staff training to ensure that only those trained in the home’s procedures administer medication. Records are mostly sound but had not all been completed on one day, to evidence that a child had received their medication.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager notifies Ofsted of any serious incidents as required. There have only been two notifications this inspection year. However, the manager did not provide one notification in a timely manner so Ofsted was unable to assess if further enquiry or regulatory action was required .

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Requires improvement

Behaviour management is good. Children with challenging behaviour have fewer incidents. Staff use distraction and other techniques to support positive behaviour. Records of restraint are generally sound. However, staff do not always record methods of intervention in sufficient detail and the manager does not always sign off physical interventions.

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Requires improvement

Recruitment processes mostly help to ensure that only suitable people work at the home. For example, by exploring an applicant’s previous experience and making checks with the disclosure and barring service. References are mostly sound. In one case, references were not on file but were produced after the inspection. The company’s adult services obtained these references so they do not ascertain the person’s suitability to work with children. On another file, references confirm date and employment only and do not comment on the person’s character and integrity.

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Requires improvement

The majority of staff receive training to update their skills in current issues affecting children’s and adults’ safety. A trainer is ‘impressed with staff knowledge on child sexual exploitation and safeguarding generally’. In one case, there has not been any refresher training for some time so the staff member may not be up to date with current matters regarding safeguarding.

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Requires improvement

Some children who are able to express their view say that they feel safe in the home. They express that they do not experience bullying. It is commendable that no children have gone missing from the home or while out on activities during this period.

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Requires improvement

The building is clean and tidy. Safety checks and regular testing help to ensure that the building is a safe place for children to live.

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Good

The registered manager has been in post since 2009. She has an appropriate level 5 qualification and brings considerable experience to the role. Staff find her approachable and keen to listen to their ideas on how to improve the service. The independent visitor has helped the manager identify strengths and weaknesses in the service.

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Good

Management and the staff team are very child focused. They understand plans for the children and support their achievements. They advocate strongly for children and will challenge those whom they feel are not acting in the children’s best interests. They work to give children positive experiences and help them access activities and experiences despite their disabilities. Children enjoy taking part in fund-raising events to help other people, such as ‘Children in Need’ recently.

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Good

Five staff members have left since the last inspection. Recruitment is ongoing. The staff team has mostly covered vacancies, with some agency use, to minimise the effect on the children of staff changes. Staff describe morale as ‘better’ or ’good’ and feel the team is working more effectively recently.

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Good

A social worker is ‘very happy with the quality of care provided by the home’. They describe how staff went ‘above and beyond’ to support the child they have placed there and feel the key worker has a ‘fantastic relationship’ with her.

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Good

Staff describe a ‘good induction’, which helped them get to know the home’s routines. They feel well supported with regular supervision, team meetings and team days. Staff describe on-going training as ‘good’ and feel the company invests in their development. Training keeps staff up to date with current issues such as child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Staff are not so familiar with current legislation and guidance and some documents are out of date. For example, the induction programme refers to national minimum standards, which are now obsolete.

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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 looked after children 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 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 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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