Children's home run by Seashell Trust

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

Young people at the home continue to make good progress. Since moving into the new accommodation, they have continued to be involved in personalising their bedrooms and communal areas to help individualise the houses, making them feel homely and welcoming. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the individual needs of young people and provide support to enable them to make progress and flourish. Positive feedback has been received by parents who have responded to the recent survey sent out by the organisation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection, the organisation has undertaken a recruitment drive to make sure that the staffing levels are suitable and support continuity for the young people. New staff receive detailed induction and training to provide them with an understanding of their role and responsibilities prior to working a number of shadow shifts alongside established members of staff. This further provides them with support and guidance as well as enabling the young people to start to develop relationships with them. The recruitment of new staff has minimised the need to use agency staff and created a more consistent level of support for the young people. With the addition of a permanent staff team the disruption to activities has, in the main, been addressed. This is beneficial to the young people, who enjoy taking part in activities within the community as well as within the home. The registered manager continues to monitor to make sure that staffing

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

levels are meeting the needs of the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people attend education, with the vast majority attending the organisation’s school, which is on the same site. The manager, along with the senior management team, has reviewed the mechanisms in place for ensuring that there is clear and effective communication between school, care and other on-site professionals. This includes communication books, electronic communication and face-to-face discussion. This ensures that all those providing support to each young person have the required current information about the young person. This also enables the home to provide a consistent level of information to parents in relation to their child’s day.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s health care needs are met well. The organisation has occupational, speech and language, and physiotherapy professionals on-site. A nurse and mental health practitioner are also employed by the trust to help address specific health care needs. Staff receive training in supporting health care needs. Where a child requires specific health support, this training is provided by the relevant health care practitioner to enable staff to gain the skills and knowledge to undertake this care. This training is reviewed and updated as required to address any changes to health needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has a designated short-break service, which is being further developed to meet the need for this service. Staff recruitment is ongoing, and there are plans to increase the number of places provided once the additional staff are recruited and have received training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has completed a full and detailed development plan for the service. This gives a clear overview of the service. Regular monitoring enables the manager to complete a detailed overview, which is included within the manager’s bi-annual report provided to the regulator.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the newly registered manager has addressed the requirements and recommendations made. Recruitment of staff to provide continuity of care has minimised the need to use agency staff, therefore young people receive support from staff who know and understand the young people’s needs. The registered manager has taken appropriate action to challenge placing authorities when there has been a delay in paperwork being received. The statement of purpose has been updated and provides current information about the home, the aims and objectives and the staffing provided. The independent visitor completes a full appraisal of all of the houses within the registration. This means that the manager is provided with clear, independent monitoring to support her within her role. Young people’s plans set out the delegated authority, enabling staff to understand who holds authorisation for all aspects of a young person’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement and recommendation have been made at this inspection regarding children’s case records, to make sure that all care plans are completed fully and that essential information sheets are up to date and in each young person’s file.

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 28 children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. The home consists of seven houses, with occupancy of no more than four children in each house. It is owned and run by a charitable organisation that also has a school, college and adult residential accommodation on the same site. It is also registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/09/2016 CH – Full (aligned) Good 28/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/09/2015 Full Good 09/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which contain all the information identified in schedule 3 in relation to each child and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1) (a) (b)) 30/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This is in relation to ensuring that essential information sheets are kept up to date and reflect appropriate contact points. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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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