Children's home run by Cherry Cottage Limited in Wigan

Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 1 SC361129 Registered provider: Cherry Cottage 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 children’s home is one of two homes operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 December 2017

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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 requires improvement to be 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: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some young people have benefited greatly from a stable and permanent placement, which enables them to make great progress across many areas of Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 2 their lives. Young people who are new to the home are provided with a warm welcome; they are supported to settle in quickly and make good progress from their starting points.  Staff support young people extremely well during significant points in their lives.  Detailed and thorough referral processes ensure that the manager and staff are fully aware of young people’s needs. As a result, young people’s individual needs are consistently met as staff are fully supported and trained.  Staff understand young people extremely well. They are passionate about improving young people’s experiences, and confirm that they enjoy spending time with young people and watching them grow and flourish.  Parents and professionals recognise the good progress that young people make.

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Key findings from this inspection

They are highly complimentary about the care and support that young people receive from the staff.  The senior leaders remain vigilant in their monitoring of the management of this home. They quickly identify and address any identified shortfalls.

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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

 The manager has missed an opportunity to ensure that young people’s known risks are identified in their individual risk assessments as their needs and vulnerabilities change.  The manager has not consistently run the home in line with the commitments identified in the home’s statement of purpose.  The manager’s internal monitoring does not take account of the wishes and views of young people living in the home, nor does it identify a plan for continuous development.  The management team should ensure that young people are provided with a well-kept home which provides them with the experiences of living in a family home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/12/2016 Full Outstanding 29/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 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

The protection of children standard. In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that children are protected from harm. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. This is with particular regards to ensuring that risk management plans are updated promptly following any significant incident or event, to inform future risk management decisions. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard requires the registered person to enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)(2)(a)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. In doing this the registered person must ensure that they seek feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive, and identify any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 31/01/2018

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Recommendations

 The manager must provide young people with a homely environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 4 paragraph 3.9). In particular, they must ensure that the home is well maintained and decorated and contains all the essential items, such as providing a suitable dining table and chairs, and addressing the maintenance of the bathroom, which requires painting and tiles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people enjoy a sustained and prolonged period of stability because of living in this home. They have benefited greatly from the close and supportive family environment that staff provide. Young people have developed effective and trusting relationships with the committed and dedicated staff team. Young people have received support to maintain close and positive relationships with each other and staff. This sense of belonging has enabled some young people to make good progress with their education and improve their independent living skills, and has assisted them greatly with moving on into their future homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who are new to the home are warmly welcomed, and are cared for by a supportive staff team. The manager works well with all the necessary agencies to ensure that young people’s transitions into the home are thoughtfully planned and coordinated. Young people’s specific health needs are understood at the point of their admission. This is because the staff and manager have maintained effective working relationships with wider agencies, such as specialist nurse practitioners. Detailed care and placement plans, which have been devised and shared with health specialists and social workers, and bespoke training prior to young people arriving in the home, ensure that young people’s health needs are identified immediately, and are continually met. This enables young people to benefit from improved health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value education. However, young people’s education attainment is varied. Some young people do very well and make great education progress, while other young people are reluctant to engage in their education programme. Staff work hard with teachers and virtual schools to ensure that young people receive an appropriate education. Young people are encouraged and enabled to attend school, and incentives are offered to encourage those who are reluctant to attend. Although this has worked well for some young people in supporting them to return to full-time education, for others this has not proven to be as successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled at building trusting and supportive relationships with young people, which enables young people to make good, and in some cases significant, progress. Staff speak affectionately of all young people, and genuinely want them to succeed. Young people acknowledge and feel this, and speak kindly of the staff, confirming that they can rely on them at times of difficulty.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported well by the staff to maintain positive relationships with their family members. Staff are very aware of the fluid family dynamics that some young people share with those who are important to them. Staff offer young people support Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 5 and guidance in developing and maintaining these relationships, and offer a good level of emotional support and assistance when these relationships become strained. Consequently, young people’s sense of identity is strengthened, and they maintain a good level of contact with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team successfully enhances young people’s enjoyment of life by encouraging their positive engagement in activities. All activities are tailored to meet the young people’s individual likes and needs. Over the school holidays, most young people have enjoyed holidays abroad, with those new to the home enjoying activities of their choice. Young people are encouraged to pursue their own individual interests and hobbies. Some of the young people participate in regular community-based activities such as ‘free running’, while others are enabled to continue their involvement in established groups or youth clubs. These opportunities enable the young people to develop their skills and abilities, and increase their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment provides young people with a safe place to relax and unwind. However, some areas of the home require further attention. For example, the bathroom requires improvement. Furthermore, a dining table and chairs are needed to allow all young people and staff the opportunity to sit and enjoy their meals together, and share their experiences of their day. This will ensure that young people continue to be provided with a well-kept home which provides them with the experiences of living in a family home.

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

Staff support young people to maintain safe and positive relationships with their peers in the home. Staff are aware of young people’s personalities and behaviours, and remain vigilant to these. Staff address any issues or concerns of a bullying nature, whether these occur inside or outside of the home. Staff spend time with young people and discuss the importance of treating one another with respect and understanding, so that these issues can be resolved quickly and effectively. Young people spoken with during the inspection confirmed that bullying is not an issue in this home, and they said they were confident about alerting staff if this happened.

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

Staff manage young people’s challenging behaviour well. They provide clear and consistent boundaries, and respond confidently and effectively to young people’s rising anxieties. Following a recommendation made at the last inspection, the manager now reviews the sanctions imposed on young people in a timely way. Sanctions are now proving to be more effective in improving young people’s unwanted or challenging behaviour. This is because young people know what is expected of them and the consequences for poor behaviour, and so reduce their challenging behaviour as they settle into good routines in this nurturing environment.

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

Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep young people or others safe. When physical intervention has been used, suitably qualified staff do it appropriately. Records relating to physical interventions and incidents clearly describe the young person’s behaviour. The records indicate that young people have had an opportunity to Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 6 reflect on their behaviour, Records also show that the manager, or someone independent if the manager herself has been involved, has debriefed the staff involved, and reviewed and evaluated the incident appropriately. This clear and effective oversight ensures that the safety and well-being of young people are promoted.

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

Some young people continue to go missing from home, while others have reduced this particular behaviour. Staff are acutely aware of the risks for young people associated with going missing from care, and respond appropriately when the pull for some young people remains too strong. Staff consistently follow the missing-from-home protocols that are in place and actively search for young people. Staff stay in contact with young people when possible, work closely with other agencies, parents and friends, and warmly welcome young people home on their return. As well as having independent return interviews, young people have the opportunity to talk to a trusted member of staff about why they went missing, so that they understand that staff are genuinely worried and care about them.

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

The management team manages significant events, complaints, and allegations well. Young people are supported sensitively and appropriately during these times to ensure that their safety and well-being is maintained. Close and effective relationships with the police, designated officer, and the placing authorities ensure that all agencies are aware of any concerns, so a thorough multi-agency response is delivered. This enhances and promotes the safety and well-being of young people.

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

The provider takes the safety of its young people seriously. Safe recruitment practice and close support for new staff ensure that only those who are deemed safe and suitable work with vulnerable young people. The management team makes good use of effective probation systems, and supports staff well through their early employment. All staff, including the newer members of the team, receive regular supervision, close support, and sufficient and bespoke training to meet the individual needs of each young person. This ensures that young people receive good, safe care and support from a committed, trained and supported staff team.

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

Young people are provided with a safe living environment. All necessary health and safety risk assessments are completed. Fire equipment and electrical and gas appliances in the home are checked for safety within the required timescales. Staff are aware of the evacuation fire drills and undertake these regularly with young people. This promotes the physical safety of staff and young people as they all know how to respond should an emergency occur.

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

Staff support young people to become increasingly safe, and parents and professionals responsible for young people’s safety recognise this. Following a recommendation made at the last inspection, careful consideration is now given to each young person’s safety needs, and the possible effects of these needs on other young people living in this home. Improved impact risk assessments are now routinely undertaken before a young person is placed.

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

The manager ensures that young people’s individual risk assessments are completed Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 7 prior to their stays. However, the manager did not fully consider all the risks, or follow the direction of her senior manager, when allowing one new young person to undertake an unknown activity. Furthermore, the manager did not ensure that the risk assessments pertaining to this particular activity were updated quickly following a significant incident. This poor decision-making resulted in one young person being physically assaulted by an unknown peer while doing this particular activity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The senior leaders have highlighted areas of concern during their internal scrutiny, which have resulted in the registered manager’s suspension without prejudice. These areas relate to the safeguarding arrangements for young people, failing to follow senior managers’ instructions, and failure to manage the service effectively. The provider has arrangements in place as an interim measure, to enable a further investigation into the registered manager’s practice and to identify areas of improvement or change that may be required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The aims of the provision are clearly stated, for parents and placing authorities, in the home’s statement of purpose. The manager had ensured that the document was updated to reflect any changes in the home. When the senior leaders felt that the manager and staff had failed to deliver on the aims and objectives set out in this document, they were quick to identify this and respond with actions required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Although young people’s views are sought regularly to inform and direct their day-to-day opportunities, the manager has missed an opportunity to seek young people’s feedback within her internal manager’s monitoring systems. Furthermore, this monitoring provides little analysis of the impact that the staff and manager are having on improving the progress and experience for young people. Nor does it make clear what the future areas for development are, and how improvements will be achieved within these areas. This limits the manager’s ability to shape and develop the service further in a managed and timely way, based on the feedback of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are child focused and ambitious. Staff advocate for young people well, and ensure that they receive the best possible care and support. This ensures that young people benefit from positive and enjoyable experiences in this home, and that they continue to progress in all areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Following a requirement made at the last inspection, staff now receive sufficient training to meet young people’s specific and individual health needs. They confirm that their supervision and appraisals enable them to carry out their work with young people well, and safely. All but one member of staff have the required childcare qualification to do their job well, and suitable plans are in place to ensure that this member of staff completes their qualification in the required time frame. While staff report that they have felt disempowered and unable to fulfil their roles previously, confirming that morale was low among the team, they now feel able to highlight their worries and concerns with the senior management team and are pleased that this situation is now improving. This creates a happier workforce, and has improved the home environment for young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 8

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Partnership working is strong. The manager and staff embrace a multi-agency approach to young people’s care. Professionals in social care and education, and parents, all report that the manager and staff provide regular information, and that staff are extremely good at advocating on behalf of young people to ensure that they get the best possible all-round support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people’s records are well maintained. Records are detailed and well written, and are presented in a way that is helpful to young people both now and in the future. Information is recorded in a positive way that reflects the high esteem in which staff hold young people. Young people’s records provide a good oversight of the work that is undertaken by staff with young people, to provide a detailed overview of young people’s journey, experiences, and progress made while in this home.

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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 differences 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: SC361129 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherry Cottage Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 28 Finch Mill Avenue, Appley Bridge, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 9DF

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC361129 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 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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