Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations 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 home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for children and young people who are on the autistic spectrum, and who have complex learning difficulties and/or challenging behaviour. This home can accommodate up to 12 children or young people.

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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

Date of last inspection: 27 September 2016

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from a complete package of integrated care, which includes education and specialist health support. As a result, they make good progress in all areas of their development.  Young people enjoy a range of activities that improve their social skills and self- confidence. Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 2  Diversity is celebrated. As a result, young people’s identity develops along with their self-confidence.  Young people feel safe.  Young people’s care is individualised to meet their complex needs. Consequently, anxiety reduces and their behaviour improves.  The manager is dedicated to continuously improving the care for young people.  The staff team feel valued and are well supported by management.  The registered manager, responsible individual and a range of specialist professionals work closely together to make sure that they are meeting every aspect of young people’s needs.

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The children’s home’s areas for development:

 The service needs to develop and embed the use of alternative communications systems, such as sign language and the use of symbols.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 09/08/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 3

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Recommendations

 Children who cannot or choose not to verbalise, have the right to have their views, wishes and feelings heard and respected in the same way as other children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.24) With particular reference to ensuring that all staff receive training in alternative methods of communication, such as sign language and the use of symbols. This is to ensure that the use of these methods is fully understood and embedded in practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people benefit from individualised care. As a result, they make good progress in all areas of their development. One social worker commented: ‘We have seen loads of progress in every area of development in the last year, especially with personal hygiene and self-confidence.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy close relationships with staff, who understand their complex needs. Consequently, young people feel comfortable in the care of staff and some start to speak for the first time. This helps the young people to develop self-confidence and they start to build a sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people make good educational progress. Some of the young people who have been out of school for significant periods of time have successfully transitioned back into education. Others successfully gain a place on college courses. This helps them to prepare well for adulthood and improves their life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s health improves because they learn the importance of eating healthily and they benefit from opportunities to undertake physical activity. The young people who were reluctant to join in physical activities start to participate in sports days, swimming and trips to the local gym. This helps the young people to understand the importance of physical exercise and they achieve a healthier body weight.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive bespoke support from a range of specialist professionals, such as doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists. As a result, the young people’s emotional health improves. Staff liaise closely with specialist health professionals to manage individual complex physical and mental health needs. Consequently, some young people’s medication has stopped and for others it has reduced. This improves the young people’s quality of life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are strong advocates for the young people. They make sure that young people’s choices are at the centre of their care planning and daily running of the home. However, not all staff have had training in the use alternative methods of communication, such as Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 4 sign language and symbols. This potentially limits opportunities for some young people to communicate their views.

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

Staff members’ in-depth knowledge of the young people enables them to identify potential risks and manage situations positively. This keeps the young people safe while enabling them to enjoy as many activities as possible.

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

The young people do not go missing from this home. Should any young person go missing, staff have clear plans to follow, which involve immediate action to find the young person. Staff demonstrate an understanding of the wider risks that the young people could face, such as child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. This enables the staff to spot signs that the young people may be at risk.

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

Structured routines and individualised specialist support help to reduce the young people’s anxiety. As a result, outbursts of challenging behaviour decline and the young people start to engage in positive activities for the first time. There is a consistent focus on positive intervention and proactive behaviour management techniques. Physical intervention is a last resort.

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

The young people enjoy relationships with key workers. Individualised approaches, such as the ‘helping hand’ and ‘my balloon’, provide individuals with pictures of staff who can help the young people if they are upset. This helps the young people to feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered in June 2017. He is dedicated to providing individualised care that meets the very complex needs of each young person living in the home. He has successfully made positive improvements to the quality of care provided to the young people. He knows the strengths of the service and he is able to identify areas that he wishes to continue to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s new monitoring system provides good oversight of the young people’s progress and staff practice. He works closely with the responsible individual and a range of professionals, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist and a clinician. They form a strong team, which continuously reviews the young people’s care. They make changes where necessary to ensure that individuals are making progress and they are meeting their specific targets.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are confident in the registered manager and senior management team. Consequently, they are embracing change and they are happy in their work. One member of staff commented: ‘I like working here now. I smile coming in to work. I know we will be supported.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager builds positive relationships with all professionals involved in the young people’s lives. This ensures that the young people receive good support, which meets Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 5 their needs. He challenges others to make sure that the young people are receiving the care they deserve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is keen to ensure that young people’s views are at the centre of care practice. He promotes the young people’s participation in the running of the home. For example, he is currently using the young people’s artwork as a focal point of decoration. This is celebrating the young people’s achievement, helping them to feel a sense of value and belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is operating within its statement of purpose. It is delivering good care. It is providing the young people with a complete service, which includes education, health and clinical support.

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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 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: 1183911 6

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Head Office, Suite 1, 2nd Floor, Southwood House, Greenwood Business Centre, Regent Road, Salford M5 4QH

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 7 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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