Children's home run by Crossway Services Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report children's home: SC064573 1 SC064573 Registered provider: Crossway Services 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

This privately run children’s home can accommodate one young person who has 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: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person has made progress in all areas of his life since moving into the home. He benefits from having positive experiences while living in the Inspection report children's home: SC064573 2 home.  The young person has made significant progress in his education. Before moving into the home, he had not attended education regularly for some time. His attendance at school is now 100%. The home maintains regular contact with school staff and fully support the young person with his education.  The young person’s health needs are met well. He is up to date with health and development checks, including reviews of his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, children looked after health assessment and dental and optical checks. An up-to-date detailed healthcare plan is in place for the young person that clearly outlines the young person’s health needs and how these are met.  The young person is safeguarded in the home. Robust risk assessments are in

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Key findings from this inspection

place, which demonstrate how the home is keeping the young person safe and promoting his well-being.  Relationships between the young person and staff are good. The young person has 1-to-1 care, so spends a considerable amount of time with staff who talk to and listen to him. The young person’s views are central to the care provided to him.  The home fully supports the young person to maintain regular contact with people who are important to him. A robust contact plan is in place that clearly demonstrates the arrangements for contact. Furthermore, detailed records are completed following all contact sessions, which are read by all staff members to ensure that they are aware of any issues raised during contact.  The registered manager and staff are passionate about their work and the young person. They strive to ensure that the young person has positive experiences, makes progress and outcomes are improved for him.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The communication between the members of the staff team in the home is good. Daily handovers are detailed and relevant information is shared across the team. In addition, team meetings regularly take place, which allows staff to reflect on their practice and ensure a consistent approach to the care provided in the home.  Partnership working is well established in the home. This ensures that the young person receives the best possible care, support and intervention to meet his needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 There continue to be shortfalls in the training of staff. Records in the home do not demonstrate that the staff team receives regular training and development opportunities. This does not support the continuous professional development of staff. Furthermore, it does not demonstrate that the staff are fully equipped with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to provide a good quality of care to meet the needs of the young person and keep him safe. Inspection report children's home: SC064573 3  The supervision of staff does not take place in line with the frequency outlined in the home’s supervision policy. This does not demonstrate that staff regularly review and reflect on young people’s progress and needs, their own performance and professional development, the running of the home and how best to develop and improve the standard of care and support.  Some records and plans in the home are not signed by all staff to demonstrate

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Key findings from this inspection

that they have read and understood them. Therefore, staff may not always be clear on the current circumstances and plans for the young person.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 03/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC064573 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professionals development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 28/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Case records must be kept up to date, signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ , page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has made progress in all areas of his life since his starting point when he moved into the home. He receives a good quality of care that is contributing to the progress he is making. The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the young person’s needs and they work effectively with other professionals to ensure that his needs are met. The staff follow his placement plan and ensure that he receives good support and guidance. They work well with a range of professionals, including social workers, safeguarding professionals, and education and health professionals to make sure the young person receives the right support from the right services at the right time. Consequently, the young person’s needs are met well and he is making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is making exceptional progress in education. The home has strived to ensure that suitable education provision is in place for the young person. The registered Inspection report children's home: SC064573 5 manager has challenged professionals appropriately due to the delay in identifying a school to meet his needs. This caused delay in his personal education plan and his education and healthcare plan being in place. The young person now attends full-time education and has 100% attendance. This is a remarkable achievement for the young person, given his previous sporadic attendance at school. Furthermore, the young person is making much more progress academically than education professionals expected. An education professional said, ‘He is getting there quickly and making a lot progress, more than we expected. He wants to learn and is doing fantastically.’ The young person is working towards his GCSEs, which is something education professionals felt would not be

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

an option for him. A detailed education plan is in place for the young person. The home fully supports the young person’s education. Staff transport him to and from school, which is a fair distance from the home, and support him to do his homework. Regular communication takes place between the home and school to share information about the young person’s day, so that staff can offer appropriate support. The young person’s behaviour in school is good and he has a positive attitude towards his education. Consequently, the young person’s education needs are now fully met to a high standard and he is making remarkable progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person’s health needs are known and understood by staff. The healthcare plan is detailed and clearly outlines the young person’s health needs and how these are being met. The young person is supported to attend health appointments, including medication reviews, children looked after health assessments, dental and optical checks. Furthermore, the young person’s parent is also encouraged to attend appointments with him and staff. A review of the young person’s medication took place on the day of the inspection and arrangements are in place for medication to be reduced. This demonstrates that health professionals feel the young person is in a safe and settled environment where he will receive appropriate support through the reduction.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is supported to maintain regular contact with his family members. A detailed contact plan is in place, which clearly outlines the arrangements in place for contact between the young person and his family. He has regular contact with his parents and siblings, and the staff support and promote this. Some contact is supervised by the staff team whose members complete detailed reports of the sessions. The home interacts with the young person’s family during sessions, provide his siblings with games to play, and pens and colouring books to complete with the young person during contact sessions. Regular telephone contact is also promoted between the young person and his family. An older sibling of the young person lives out of the area so the staff team regularly takes the young person to visit his sibling. Furthermore, the home maintains regular contact with the young person’s family to ensure that they are regularly updated

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

on the young person’s progress and achievements. The arrangements and support in place for contact for the young person enable him to have regular, safe, quality contact with people who are important to him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person benefits from a wide range of social and recreational opportunities. These include watching television and going to the cinema and the park. He has recently joined an indoor climbing club and is enrolled on a course where he will receive a national certificate when he completes the course. He also has the opportunity to do Inspection report children's home: SC064573 6 walking in various parts of the country each week with his school. The young person spoke about how excited he is to be going on a summer holiday with staff. Arrangements are in place for him to go on holiday for a week with the staff team and manager, each spending some time with him during the holiday. The wide range of opportunities has supported the young person in building his social interaction, confidence and self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regular consultations take place between the young person and staff on specific issues relating to him. Records demonstrate that staff ascertain the young person’s views, wishes and feelings and respond to these appropriately. Furthermore, they offer the young person sensitive and professional advice and guidance on issues specifically relating to him. For example, records demonstrate the support he received in relation to a recent court case he was involved in. Furthermore, the registered manager took it upon herself to provide the court with a letter of support for the young person. The young person is also given the opportunity to provide his agenda for staff team meetings and attend these when possible. The young person said, ‘It is great living here, it is quiet and I get lots of help from the staff; they help me with everything.’ This demonstrates that the young person’s views, wishes and feelings are central to the practice in the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

home, and that he is provided with appropriate support, advice and guidance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is happy living in the home. This is evident in the consistently positive behaviour he displays and the good relationships he has with staff. The young person receive lots of praise and rewards from staff, which promote his positive attitude and behaviour in and out of the home. The young person is able to choose rewards and, in addition, the manager regularly buys him surprise presents. A member of staff said, ‘The young person is fantastic and it is fun to spend time with him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and offers the young person a safe, secure and nurturing environment. Improvements in the home’s decor and furnishings are currently taking place. This includes new carpets, furniture and decoration. The young person is fully involved in choosing new items and colour schemes for the home. He proudly showed me the kitchen wall he painted with support from staff. His bedroom is clean and tidy and he has a desk, which he can complete his homework on. He has a restrictor fitted on his bedroom window for safety but he would prefer it if this was removed so he can open his window fully to let more fresh air into his bedroom. However, he understands that if this cannot be removed it is for his own safety and well-being.

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

The safeguarding practice in the home is robust, which results in the young person being safe from harm. The young person feels safe and protected in the home because of the strategies and support in place at the home. Risk assessments are detailed and clearly outline the risks to the young person and others, and how these are managed. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated and are signed to demonstrate that all staff have read and understood them.

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

The behaviour management plan for the young person is brief. This is by no means a Inspection report children's home: SC064573 7 criticism but demonstrates the excellent behaviour from him. The young person has not had any incidents of concern in the home. His behaviour is excellent, so he has received lots of rewards and no consequences for negative behaviour. There have been no incidents of him being missing from the home; however, there is a robust missing from home risk assessment in place in the event that this happens in the future. The young person does not have any issues relating to self-harm or substance misuse and no physical interventions or room searches have taken place. This demonstrates that the home is settled in the home and clear behaviour management strategies are in place should behaviour become an issue.

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

The young person receives support and intervention from the youth offending service (YOS). The home has liaised with the YOS worker to ensure that all safeguarding information is shared and understood by all professionals, the young person and his family. Arrangements are in place for regular communication to take place between the home and the YOS to ensure that information is shared in relation to the young person’s progress and that specific issues are addressed at sessions. This enables the home to continue some of the work at the home and support the young person following potentially difficult and sensitive sessions.

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

The registered manager of the home is proactive in ensuring that all safeguards are in place for the young person and others. She has liaised with the young person’s school effectively to ensure that it is aware of the risks. Consequently, the school has a risk assessment in place and safeguards to ensure that the young person and others in the school are safeguarded.

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

To safeguard the young person at the present time he receives 1-to-1 care and is supervised at all times. This is in agreement with the young person, his family, the social worker, the youth offending worker and other professionals. The registered manager and staff acknowledge that the young person is not subject to any legal order that means he should not be allowed out unsupervised. The current arrangements are in plans in full agreement with the young person, to ensure that he and others are safeguarded. A clear plan is in place to support the young person to build his independence and understanding of risk so he and others have the confidence for him to be able to have free time in the community. Furthermore, he is due to be provided with a mobile telephone with safeguards in place to support his independence. Consequently, the home, the young person, his family and other professionals have worked together to

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

support the young person to take small steps in building his independence to ensure that he and others are safeguarded.

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

The health and safety practices in the home are good. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks, including fire drills to ensure that the premises are safe and young people are able to respond in an emergency. Medication is stored securely and records demonstrate that medication is administered in line with the young person’s prescription. Records are clear and accurate. The robust health and safety practices in the home ensure that the young person’s safety and well-being are paramount.

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

There is a review of the home’s location in place, which clearly addresses all known risks Inspection report children's home: SC064573 8 within the community, such as the close transport links, dangers from railways, bridges and waterways, a bar/restaurant and taxi rank. There is also an evaluation of the information provided by safeguarding professionals in the area. This includes information relating to crime, drugs and child sexual exploitation. The location risk assessment clearly demonstrates that the staff have a good understanding of the risks in the community. Consequently, they are able to safeguard the young person from these.

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

Recruitment records for the new member of staff in the home are safe and demonstrate that all checks and references are completed and followed up before staff are appointed. This helps to prevent any unsuitable people working in the home and having contact with the young person. Therefore, the young person is cared for by suitable staff who do not pose a risk to him.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home continues to be led and managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. She is an enthusiastic, motivated and committed manager who has high aspirations for the young person. Furthermore, she supports the staff team to provide a good quality of care to the young person. A member of staff said, ‘The manager is supportive and listens to the opinions of staff. Everything she does is about the young person.’ The manager has now taken over the responsibility of managing another children’s home for the same company. However, this does not appear to have had an impact on this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring systems are in place that allow the manager to review the quality of care provided and the outcomes for the young person. This includes evidence of actions taken following the monthly visits from the independent person. The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and has a clear action plan in place to ensure continuous improvements in the home. She spends time in the home and has a good relationship with the young person. She proudly spoke about the young person during the inspection and showed genuine happiness and excitement about things she has done and plans to do with him. Her active involvement in the home and with the young person enables her to monitor everyday practice in the home as she works alongside the staff and young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been one new member of staff in the home since the last inspection. The company has a good induction process for new staff so the new member of staff is currently going through this process, which provides her with opportunities to work towards her NVQ qualification in health and social care. Once the new member of staff has completed her induction, she will be enrolled on the course to complete her qualification. The home is now fully staffed and rotas demonstrate that there is a consistent staff team in place, which provides consistency for the young person. Changes to the staff rota are clearly recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have effective communication systems in place to share information across the staff team. As the home has a 1-to-1 placement, staff do not spend a lot of time together. However, handover records demonstrate robust handover Inspection report children's home: SC064573 9 practice, which allows staff to share detailed information relating to the young person and the home, such as in relation to his health, education, activities, menus and an evaluation of his day. Furthermore, regular team meetings take place, which all the staff attend. Records from team meetings are detailed and clearly demonstrate that the staff team discusses the young person in detail and reflects on practice. This supports the staff team to provide the young person with a consistent level of care. A member of staff said, ‘It is not just about coming to work. We are all passionate about the young person and we think the world of him.’ This demonstrates that the staff team cares a lot for the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

young person, share information and reflect on their practice to ensure that the young person receives the best quality of care, and outcomes are improved for him.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a key strength of the home. Relationships between the home, professionals and family members are good. Regular consultation takes place with the young person’s family, placing authority, school, health professionals and the YOS. Professionals share information about the young person to ensure that the appropriate support is in place to meet his needs. The manager challenges professionals when she feels they are not doing all they can for the young person. Consequently, the young person receives the highest levels of support and intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team receives supervision that is reflective in nature, which allows it to identify any areas for personal development and the impact their practice has on the young person. However, supervision logs do not demonstrate that this is completed regularly, in line with the company’s own supervision policy. The registered manager is now supported by a deputy manager who will support her to ensure that supervision takes place in line with the company’s own supervision policy. The home has now implemented the new company template for supervision, which is much improved and enables supervision to be more reflective and promotes the continuous professional development of staff. Supervision sessions now give staff the opportunity to consider how they incorporate the quality standards for children’s homes into their practice. Although staff supervision has not taken place regularly for all staff, appropriate support is now in place

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

for this to happen. Furthermore, with the introduction of the new supervision template, supervision is likely to be more effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has worked tirelessly to address the requirement made at the last inspection in relation to the training and development of staff. However, this continues to be a shortfall. Training records in the home do not demonstrate that the staff training is up to date. Furthermore, the staff training for ADHD, as outlined in the young person’s risk assessment, remains outstanding. Although this does not appear to have had a significant impact on the care provided by staff, the training will enhance staff practice and their understanding of the young person’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records and plans in the home are detailed and provide an insight into the young person’s life and journey through care. This enables the registered manager to measure progress and identify the effectiveness of the care, support and intervention provided. However, not all plans and records are signed to demonstrate that staff have read and understood them. Inspection report children's home: SC064573 10

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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 and 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.

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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: SC064573 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rouse House, 2 Wyther Lane, Leeds LS5 3BT

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Peter Byrne Sharon Joyce

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC064573 12 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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