Children's home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Preston

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 sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A stable, experienced and dedicated team has ensured that young people remain happy, settled and safe in the home. Young people are wholly supported by their staff and continue to make measurable progress in all aspects of their lives and development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff thoroughly understand each young person’s individual needs, personality and strengths. Staff’s expertise in communicating with young people who have complex needs is ensuring that young people’s wishes and feelings are heard and fully understood. However, young people’s views are not reflected in the home’s placement plans, to demonstrate that they are routinely involved in making decisions about their care and future. Furthermore, placement plans do not reflect the positive work undertaken by staff to ascertain young people’s views.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Bespoke placement plans, which are personalised to young people’s specific needs, are helping staff to provide consistent care and support. A particular strength of the service is staff’s partnership working with the in-house psychologist. Staff have monthly consultations with the psychologist and therefore receive expert guidance on promoting young people’s emotional health. However, this exceptional practice is not reflected in the home’s records. For example, young people’s health plans do not identify strategies for supporting them through difficult times, such as bereavement and loss. The registered manager acknowledges this recording shortfall and intends to revise these plans to ensure that they address young people’s holistic needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from having opportunities to participate in a range of activities, both individually and as a group. They enjoy going out for meals as a group, and trips to the cinema with their staff. The manager has plans to take each young person on a holiday to the Lake District, and he has bought them tickets for a pop concert. Young people are provided with many opportunities to have fun, try new experiences like their peers, and enhance their confidence and social skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from being well prepared for adulthood. Staff support them to develop essential skills including personal care, shopping, cooking and managing their money. Some young people have gained qualifications in life skills, such as the ASDAN award, and are working towards a diploma in independence. Staff’s unwavering commitment and support has enabled young people to move onto adult life successfully.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have forged strong working relationships with schools, social workers and the local police. These effective partnerships are ensuring that all professionals are working together to promote young people’s welfare and safety. Professionals consistently commend staff’s communication and support. A social worker said, ‘Staff are really good. I have seen huge improvements; she is more independent, very settled, and happy. Communication is very good with me and with her school.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Similarly, staff work closely with parents and fully support family contact. This is reflected in a parent’s comments, ‘The staff are lovely and show lots of humour and compassion. I can’t fault them.’ Parents, grandparents and siblings are regularly welcomed into the home, and this enables young people to keep in touch with important people. Contact has increased for some young people because of staff’s diligent support and partnership working with parents. Additionally, staff supported a young person to visit her family home for the first time in three years. This is a significant achievement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff understand how to safeguard young people and receive regular training in this area. Young people do not go missing, which is down to high staffing ratios and staff’s effective supervision. Comprehensive risk assessments and behaviour support plans are in place, which help staff to keep young people safe. Behaviour is managed well using praise, reward and distraction. As a result, physical intervention is extremely rare. However, the recording of restraints can improve to ensure that they detail the young person’s views, and are evaluated by the registered manager or an authorised person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Regular internal and external monitoring of the home is supporting the service to develop and progress. Furthermore, the manager’s monitoring reports have improved. They provide an evaluation of the care and protection provided in the home and the manager’s plan for driving the service forward.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to be managed by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. Without a doubt, young people’s welfare is his priority, and he was observed interacting with young people in a calm, sensitive and nurturing manner.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have learning disabilities. It operates under a contractual agreement with a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/12/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2015 Full Requires improvement 23/02/2015 Interim Improved 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

 Each child is provided with support to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6) In particular, contributing to all aspects of their placement plan.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records of restraint are kept, and 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. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraphs 9.59 and 9.60)

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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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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