Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in Sefton

Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 1 SC040785 Registered provider: PIC Children’s 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

The home is owned and managed by a limited company. It is registered to provide care and support for two young people who 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

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not judged

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people experience care that focuses on their individual needs and builds on their strengths, talents and interests. Staff are attuned to the impact of previous life experiences on young people, and provide nurturing and holistic Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 2 care.  Staff are committed to the progress and welfare of young people, whatever the challenges that young people’s behaviours may bring. The young people are given positive and affirming messages about their self-worth and value to others.  Staff have an in-depth understanding of the barriers to education. They work closely with education professionals and never give up, despite the young person’s reluctance to attend education provisions.  Staff understand the importance of regular contact for young people and their families, and support this.  The staff team and managers work very collaboratively with placing authorities,

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Key findings from this inspection

parents and other agencies. All feedback gained during this inspection was very positive. Such positive multi-agency working has led to improvements in the emotional well-being, social skills and educational achievements of young people.  The staff team is highly motivated and committed to the young people. Staff and managers are fully focused on providing care that is reflective of young people’s needs and are flexible in its approach.

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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

 External monitoring and review of the quality of care in the home is not routinely carried out.  Some staff’s training has not been updated to meet the individual needs of young people, for example self-harm.  Internal monitoring of all documentation does not take place regularly.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2017 Interim Not judged 07/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/12/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 3

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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

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the provider should— Ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; Ensure that staff understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; Use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2)(c)(f)(g) In particular, ensure that all staff have self-harm training and ensure that an up-to-date training matrix is available in the home. 07/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— (a) if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and (b) to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. 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 whether the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (2)(b)(4)(a)(b)) 07/08/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to the children’s behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. In particular, ensure that young people’s bedrooms are kept clean and tidy. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good, supportive and nurturing relationships between young people and staff. The staff and managers demonstrate both perseverance and determination to work through challenging times with young people. They listen to young people and provide encouragement, positivity and guidance. Staff are optimistic and talk freely and passionately about the qualities and strengths of the young people they care for. A staff member commented, ‘She is a really nice kid. You know, sometimes people forget to say that.’ A social worker commented, ‘They have allowed her to develop, this is her home, not just a placement.’ The staff team demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of the young people. They understand the young people’s moods and behaviours, leading to an insightful and empathetic approach to care practice. Young people’s views are important to staff and are, therefore, listened to. A young person said, ‘They do listen to me.’ Young people

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

know how to complain and to make their feelings known to the registered manager and staff. The young people’s guide details the complaints procedure. Young people also have access to advocates, independent visitors and their social workers, which means that they have adults to turn to if they are worried or concerned. Care plans are detailed and regularly reviewed. They include smart targets and evidence of progress in these areas. This allows for key-work sessions to be identified from placement and care plans, which are targeted to the young people’s current and emerging needs. Staff have an in-depth understanding of the barriers to education. They work closely with education professionals and never give up, despite the young person’s reluctance to attend education provisions. For example, staff have included young people in important decisions in regard to the school setting they will be enrolled in. Staff have arranged

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

visits to schools to allow the young person to make an informed decision. A staff Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 5 member said, ‘We feel that if we involve the young person in the decision-making, then they will invest more in their education.’ Young people’s health and well-being is promoted in the home. Healthcare plans identify their individual health needs. Statutory health assessments have been completed and young people have attended all required medical appointments. Young people are encouraged to contribute to their plans and identify any areas that they may need additional support in. For example, a young person was particularly interested in healthy eating and, as a result, a healthy eating plan was devised by staff and the young person. A staff member said, ‘She eats well and meals are varied. It’s not all rubbish.’ In general, the home presents as a lived-in family home. It is warm, welcoming and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

comfortable. The quality of furniture and decoration is very good. However, young people’s bedrooms were unclean. There were clothes strewn across the floor and the remnants of food left lying on the floor. Staff indicated that young people are encouraged to clean bedrooms as part of their incentive charts. However, when young people fail to do this, staff should ensure that they encourage and support young people, as any good parent would, to develop their independence skills and enjoy a comfortable bedroom space.

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

Safeguarding young people is a priority of the staff team and central to practice. Young people are supported to keep safe. Sufficient levels of supervision both inside and outside of the home recognise their vulnerabilities. Staff understand their responsibilities and act within clear procedures when required. They have good links with the designated officer for the local authority, working closely with local authorities when concerns have arisen. Fellow professionals report excellent levels of communication between themselves and the home. This collaborative approach means that staff are working together to ensure that young people are kept safe. For example, the registered manager attends multi- agency child sexual exploitation (MACSE) strategy meetings, and she effectively implements the agreed safeguards to protect young people at risk. A local authority safeguarding manager said, ‘I couldn’t ask for better communication. The manager is

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

fully involved with our MACSE team and her contribution provides us with invaluable information to protect children.’ Furthermore, the staff are very skilful at using unique methods to engage with young people on the subject of exploitation. For example, staff have used a current storyline in a soap opera to open up discussions with young people about the risks involved in unsafe relationships. This, alongside the very good collaborative working, means that young people are safeguarded from potential exploitation. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of risk-taking behaviour, such as missing from home. Missing from home procedures are followed well and incidents of missing are reducing. When young people return, they are offered appropriate support and reassurance to ensure that they are safe and well. An independent person completes return home interviews, to see if anything can be learned from the event. The missing

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

from care co-ordinator commented, ‘I cannot fault them, they always ensure that I am Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 6 able to see young people in private when I do my interviews. They are also very proactive in sharing information with us.’ Bespoke and comprehensive individual risk assessments, including child sexual exploitation, child trafficking and self-harm, promote young people’s safety and well- being. Young people are encouraged to take appropriate risks in line with their age and development, such as meeting up with peers. For example, the staff from the home liaised with a neighbouring children’s home to compile a joint risk assessment for two young people who were planning to enjoy an evening meal in a local restaurant. This collaborative planning allows young people to enjoy the same experiences as their peers and helps build their confidence and resilience. Behaviour management strategies are effective. Incidents of challenging behaviours are

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

regularly reviewed by the registered manager to consider any trends, patterns or issues that may emerge. This information is reflected on and any learning gained is used to inform future practice. Young people are involved with choosing their rewards for good behaviour. This inclusivity promotes their confidence and encourages participation. The physical environment is safe and protects young people from accidental injury. Health and safety processes are robust. Each young person has a detailed individual risk assessment that staff understand. As a result, the home is able to take all necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of young people being at risk of harm. Environmental risk assessments accurately reflect identified risks and potential hazards. Young people and staff understand fire safety systems and know how to respond if emergencies occur. The safety of young people is promoted further through good environmental health and food

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A motivated and committed registered manager, who has high expectations and aspirations for young people, effectively leads the home. She is suitably experienced and qualified to undertake her responsibilities. Her qualifications include a degree in English, and an NVQ level 4 qualification in management. She leads by example and is actively involved in all of the home’s operations. This enables her to monitor everyday practice in the home as she works alongside colleagues and young people. Young people and staff speak highly of their manager. Staff attend regular team meetings and share views with managers. Staff feel listened to and valued. There is a sense of shared ownership in the team. Staff are empowered to make child-focused decisions and they advocate appropriately on the behalf of young people. A social worker commented, ‘Really impressed with staff, they give (name of young person) a sense of belonging. They strive to maintain attachments, regardless of

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

how challenging she is. They don’t take it personally and get her the appropriate help.’ Staff receive regular and effective supervision, which they feel enables them to reflect on their practice and recognise their own strengths and weaknesses. This takes place on a monthly basis. It clearly focuses on the needs of young people, the working practice of staff, and any areas of personal and professional development. One staff member commented that supervision is ‘held on a regular basis and informative. I’m someone that wants to learn more and supervision really helps.’ Staff also feel the team members Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 7 are mutually supportive and have the ability to reflect and learn from incidents. Staff use team meetings to review their practice and evaluate the progress and experiences of young people. A staff member said, ‘We really get on well as a team. Team meetings are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

a safe space and we are all able to take constructive criticism to improve our work.’ Staff receive refresher training on subjects such as safeguarding and behaviour management. Staff have also received training in radicalisation and the ‘prevent’ agenda. Staff are trained to recognise signs and maintain a sceptical outlook. Training has given staff the confidence to remain vigilant and work preventatively. However, some staff have not received training specific to individual young people’s needs, for example training in self-harming behaviour. Care planning documents are, in the main, of a very good quality and contain the wishes and feelings of young people. However, some documentation, for example room search forms, have not had the benefit of any management oversight. The service has established strong working relationships with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in young people’s care. Staff work closely with schools,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

colleges, social workers, health professionals and leading child protection agencies. Feedback from all stakeholders is positive, praising staff’s commitment, young people’s progress and effective communication with the manager and her team. Furthermore, there are good professional relationships between the manager, staff, and family members. This promotes good information sharing for the benefit of young people. A parent commented, ‘They keep me up to date with any issues.’ The independent monitoring of the home has been ineffective. The reports still do not provide a rigorous evaluation of the care and protection provided to young people living in the home. Furthermore, they do not take place on a monthly basis. As a result, action to improve the quality of care in the home has been impeded. The registered manager acknowledges this shortfall and has raised her concerns with the provider. The appropriate authorities are notified immediately following all significant incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the importance of making notifications regarding young people in a timely manner to agencies involved, and in taking appropriate action. Although some requirements and recommendations have been set at this inspection, these do not significantly undermine the good-quality, individualised care that the children receive.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 8 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: SC040785 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040785 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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