Children's Home run by My3 Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 1 Registered provider: My3 Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care and support for a maximum of four young people who have a learning disability, for example autism, and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable as this is the first inspection after registration

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is good because  Young people are safe and feel safe here. Incidents of going missing have been significantly reduced. A young person said that they do not need to go missing anymore, and this is because of the quality of the staff.  Young people have a very positive relationship with staff. As a result, they are much more able to talk about their feelings and to manage these in a more productive manner.  Young people are at the very core of everything that the home does. Highly personalised and detailed recording means that the voice of the child is clearly heard. The activities are tailored to the young people‟s interests and hobbies, and they are encouraged to try new activities, such as kickboxing.  Staff manage transitions to the home effectively. This enables young people to move confidently into the home, knowing that staff are there to support them.  Young people are able to build and sustain positive relationships with those

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Key findings from this inspection

people who are important to them. A family friend said: „It‟s nice to see that she is very happy. She visits me and I visit her. She is doing really well. She loves it here.‟  Highly effective multi-agency working is evident at the home. A social worker said: „A particular note of good and innovative practice is that, during the weekly multi-agency care planning meetings, the young person is involved as much as is possible. She has access to a screen during the meeting and uses YouTube videos to express how she is feeling, when she would otherwise not be involved or feel able to contribute.  The registered manager and staff are highly committed to ensuring that young people‟s needs are heard and acted upon. They are creating a warm, welcoming family home.  Extensive training opportunities are provided to all staff. The registered manager assesses staff‟s competency effectively and regularly reviews training.

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Key findings from this inspection

Young people are actively encouraged to undertake training alongside staff. This has supported their confidence and self-esteem, and has enabled them to consider their own actions.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development  Enhance further the monitoring of records to identify shortfalls concerning first aid records, healthcare plans, education records and risk assessments.  Enhance the safety of young people and staff in relation to the obscured view from the driveway.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home meets the children‟s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, address the obscured view from the driveway that can present a risk by being unable to see road traffic.  Further enhance the monitoring of the home, so that the review by the registered person focuses on the quality of care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.2) In particular, ensure the monitoring identifies minor shortfalls in records such as healthcare plans, risk assessments, first aid records and monitoring of young people‟s education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from highly personalised care and support. Staff are intuitive and know the young people well. For example, they have constructed documents using a young person‟s favourite Marvel characters. Staff design the support around each young person, taking into careful consideration each young person‟s thoughts and wishes. As a result, young people enjoy very positive relationships with staff. A child sexual exploitation and emotional literacy worker said that, as a direct result of these positive relationships, a young person was now able to work with her and come to terms with past issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person was compelled to tell the inspector that this is not a good home – it is outstanding! She said: „They (staff) have done everything for me. They help to keep me safe, I don‟t get as angry, they listen to me and are there for me.‟ The young person has a strong sense of ownership and belonging, and said that this was because „staff care about me‟. Another young person who moved into the home during the inspection said „It was nice‟, that „staff really talk to me‟ and that she „felt wanted here‟.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff work collaboratively with other professionals, family members and friends of the young people. They value their insight into each young person as this enables them to build a solid profile of them. This was central to the decision to admit another young person to the home. Young people who are new are warmly welcomed and presented with a welcome gift based on their interests, for example a fitness tracker and gym wear. The registered manager and young people Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 4 write to the young person prior to them coming here to tell them a bit about themselves and the home. One young person wrote, „Hello (young person), my name is (young person) and I understand that it can be very scary moving, and I am really looking forward to helping you to settle in.‟ The new young person‟s social worker said the transition and initial support for the young person were very good and that she was

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s healthcare needs are managed well. Young people have a clear understanding of their specific needs and are increasing in confidence to talk to staff about this. Healthcare plans are detailed, but do not fully clarify any issues around self- harm. Similarly, there is not always a robust record of any first aid provided. These are recording issues and do not affect the care provided to the young person. The occupational therapist said that the inclusion of a young person in staff training on autism provided the opportunity for the young person to look at her own needs. As such, she was able to identify things that affected her and is now more able to work with the occupational therapist, something that she had previously refused to do. Consequently, she is now developing strategies to help herself to move forward.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know that staff listen to them. Staff are creative in helping young people to put forward their views and reasons why something should happen. One young person was asked to explain why she thought that it would be a good idea to „loan (borrow) a horse‟. She wrote to staff, carefully detailing the cost implications and why it would be beneficial to her health, but most of all because she loves horses. This request is being carefully considered by the home. This creative thinking by staff enabled the young person to put her points across and supported her educational development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is still awaiting confirmation that their on-site school is registered. In the interim, the headteacher is providing educational support to one young person following the principles of the „elective home education guidelines for local authority‟ by the Department for Education and its personal education plan. A 24-hour curriculum, which encompasses a wide range of activities, is available to support her education. However, the systems for monitoring the time spent in education are not yet robust. This was immediately actioned by the registered manager to provide a clear audit trail of educational progress for the young person. The social worker said, „I feel that they are working well with her education.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are much more confident in their own abilities. Young people enjoy an extensive range of self-chosen activities. They happily regale visitors with reports about their water fights with staff and how staff are a „rubbish shot‟. They love the opportunities to go horse riding and to work at the stables as part of their educational provision. They are keen to try out new things such as kickboxing, but say that this was not for them. Young people are keen to explain how staff take them and their brothers and sisters swimming each week, and how much this means to them. Young people new to the home are keen to go horse riding and to the gym, and said that the staff are sorting this out for them. A social worker said, „Nothing is too much trouble for staff‟. She admires their very positive „can-do‟ attitude to make things happen for young people. Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 5 Young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible. They are encouraged to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

undertake age-appropriate jobs, such as cleaning their bedrooms. Some young people are very good at saving their money for larger items and relish the opportunity to count it with staff. They are rightly proud of their achievements. They have chosen their own bedrooms and decor, which means that the bedrooms are highly personalised and reflect the uniqueness of each young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s complex contact arrangements are managed well by the home. The young person new to the home is reassured that she will be able to see family members on a regular basis and is happy that she can spend time in the family room with them. The home supports contact well, for example arranging hotel accommodation for families so that they can spend extended periods of time with the young people. The registered manager and staff value the support of family members and carefully consider the best ways in which to communicate with them, such as face-to-face or via telephone. Family members feel very involved and are consulted effectively on all aspects of the young people‟s care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding is given the highest priority by staff. Staff have a thorough understanding of the young people in their care. They carefully consider the potential risks facing young people and put effective measures in place to reduce these. However, risk assessments do not make clear the level of risk for each young person. This is a recording issue and does not affect the care provided. Young people are encouraged to take reasonable level of risks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

One young person carefully negotiated with staff how she could safely attend a teenage nightclub event with friends. Staff effectively assessed the risks and, in consultation, put a comprehensive plan in place which included talking to the organisers, staff sitting in a public house close to the venue and the young person checking in with staff on a regular basis. Consequently, the young person had a wonderful time and was the last out of the venue. She thanked the staff for the opportunity „to be like any other teenager‟. Her social worker said that this is something that she would not have been able to do prior to living at the home. She felt that this was because of „the consistency of staff and the consistent messages that they give her.‟

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The significant reduction in incidents of going missing from care is a result of young people feeling actively listened to. The young person said that she no longer needs to go missing, as staff support her to see her friends. The young person knows that staff are in the local area and that they keep a discreet distance from her and her friend, but are there if she needs them. The young person‟s social worker said: „Staff have gone “above and beyond” to support the young person in the community. Staff only report her missing when it is absolutely necessary and all other avenues have been exhausted, including the appropriateness of some friendships. Staff provide effective, sensitive support to young people. Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 6 The registered manager said, „(Name of young person) is making great strides in being able to look more objectively at friendships and is showing signs of trying to assess if

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

they are positive or not. (Name of young person) is showing more appropriate greetings and hugs when meeting friends, but at times may divulge personal business to friends which can leave her vulnerable to bullying.‟ Young people are made aware of various forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They have undertaken online safety training and this resulted in a young person reporting some concerns to staff. This enabled staff to take swift, decisive action to help to keep the young person safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

A young person acknowledged that she is much more able to manage her own feelings and anxieties. She said that she can now walk away from stressful or challenging situations rather than being confrontational, but admits that she can still become angry sometimes, and that staff will talk with her about this. Staff provide consistent messages to young people, and this helps them to understand what they are doing and how this is affecting them and others. As a result, there has been a significant decrease in the number of physical interventions. Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques, and this helps to prevent situations from escalating, such as changing the staff who are dealing with the situation to see if this helps the young people to settle. A social worker said: „Staff manage her difficult behaviours really well. Staff go beyond following her when she has gone missing. They have provided her with the space to grow.‟

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are safeguarded by the robust recruitment and vetting procedures of visitors to the home. Risk assessments at the home are secure, and cover all areas of the home and grounds. The home has placed signage on the driveway warning drivers of young people crossing. However, they have not considered the impact of the obscured view from the driveway and the potential risk to young people and staff. Immediate action was taken to resolve this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led and managed by a highly committed and experienced registered manager. She holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management, and has a good record of accomplishment in providing outstanding results for children and young people. She leads by example and inspires her staff effectively to do their utmost for the young people in their care. This is typified by their determination to support a young person in her desire to attend college in September, something that her social worker said „would not have been considered prior to living at the home‟. Staff are very complimentary about the registered manager, as are family members and social workers. They said that the registered manager is „crazy‟, and will do anything for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and staff have a clear vision for the service, and this is outlined in their detailed development plan. They have high aspirations for young people and want them to achieve the best possible outcomes personally and educationally. Young people are making good and steady progress across all areas of their development, in particular in increased emotional resilience, awareness of their own safety and a reduction in risk-taking behaviour such as going missing. This is because the home Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 7 works collaboratively with other agencies such as child sexual exploitation support workers, police, occupational therapists, social workers and schools.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is meeting the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose and young person‟s guide. A social worker said that the information in the documents helped her to make the decision to place a young person here. Young people are fully aware of their rights and house rules, and say that these are fair.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said they are well supported and have regular supervision with the registered manager or their appointed team leader. Staff said that this is an improvement on their previous places of work and that they are part of a team. Consequently, staff are confident in their roles, including those with designated responsibilities such as the health and well-being officer, schools liaison and activities coordinator. High staffing ratios mean that each young person has ample time to spend with staff and can engage in activities of their choice. The registered manager and staff make every effort to utilise the local community. This includes the stables for horse-riding lessons, gyms and other clubs. This enables young people to develop a sense of belonging and to feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring of the home is evolving. The independent person for the organisation compiles a detailed report outlining what is going well and areas for improvement. The registered manager‟s monitoring has identified the shortfalls in some records, and swift action was taken during the inspection to begin to address these.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the „Social care common inspection framework‟, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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‟. Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West House, King Cross Road, West Yorkshire, West Yorkshire HX1 1EB

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1246331 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children‟s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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