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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home required improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . The young person living in this home has begun to invest in his placement. He is engaging in education, attending all his health appointments and making efforts to reduce the number of times he goes missing. Staff continue to show their commitment and dedication to the young person. They are tireless in their efforts to keep him safe and to support and encourage him to achieve positive outcomes in his life. Since the last inspection, there have been seven episodes when the young person has gone missing overnight. Staff follow procedures, informing safeguarding agencies, such as the police and placing authority. They search the local area and locations that he is known to visit. They keep in contact with him via telephone and encourage him to return home. A return home visit from an independent person

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

gives him an opportunity to talk about any issues he may have regarding his time spent away from the home. Staff arrange and attend regular strategy meetings. They work collaboratively with all professionals involved in the young person’s life to identify triggers to this behaviour and devise strategies to reduce the risk of his going missing from the home. This proactive approach has been successful in reducing the number of episodes and length of time that the young person has gone missing from the home. Staff have been successful in supporting and assisting the young person to work towards targets for his long-term future. They work with education professionals to help to promote his education, such as providing mathematics and English lessons with a tutor. The young person is engaging well in these sessions and is found to have a particular talent in mathematics. He has successfully gained part-time

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

employment with a builder and is enjoying learning new skills, for example, how to build a stud wall. He has recently been given extra responsibility and is learning how to work out quotations for jobs. This achievement has assisted the young person to increase in self-confidence. It is anticipated that his enthusiasm will give him the motivation to work towards securing a job for adulthood. A member of staff said, ‘He comes back from work and tells us what he has done. He is going to start doing quotes because he is really good at maths.’ Staff’s efforts to promote good health have been successful. They have supported the young person to attend appointments with the dentist, nurse and optician, and outstanding immunisations have been completed. The young person participates in choosing his meals and is taking a healthy-eating approach with guidance from staff. This means that the young person is achieving his health plans and is

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

supported by staff and medical professionals to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Staff promote and facilitate contact between the young person and his family. They support the young person’s family and help to build positive relationships. They communicate with the young person’s family, telling them about the progress that he is making. Some family members visit the home weekly and have tea with the young person. Staff promote community-based contact, such as playing a game of pool. This proactive approach has resulted in an increase in family contact and has strengthened relationships between the young person and his family. A member of staff said of the young person, ‘He’s building positive relationships with his family and this seems to be keeping him here.’ The majority of requirements made at the last inspection have been suitably met. The home now sources feedback from families, placing social workers and staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This assists the manager in reviewing and monitoring the quality of care afforded to the young person. Health appointments are up to date, and the young person is engaging in his education provision. The manager has escalated her concerns to the placing authority in relation to the number of times when the young person has been missing from the home. She has requested strategy meetings with agencies involved in the young person’s life to assist in developing methods to reduce the risks associated with his going missing from the home. The home has consulted with police in the local area, and other areas the young person is known to visit, to establish the risks in relation to child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. This information gives a clear indication of any potential risks in the area and enables staff to better safeguard the young person. The independent visitor’s report lacks detail and does not provide the manager with

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

information to enable her to effectively monitor and review the progress made by the young person. The home is keen to improve this and intends to assist the independent visitor in developing a strategy so that relevant information is provided. A requirement made at the last inspection has been raised at this inspection. The independent visitor’s report continues to lack clarity on whether the home promotes the young person’s well-being and whether he is suitably safeguarded. This requirement will be addressed by the home’s manager.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a limited company. It is registered to care for one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

31/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

27/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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 independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded, and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 16/05/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, 10.24)

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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 whom 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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