Children's Home run by Continuum Support - Care Services Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 1 SC473375 Registered provider: Continuum Support – Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and manages this children‘s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and 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 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

Date of last inspection: 12 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 enjoy a positive and emotionally warm environment, with consistent boundaries that help them to feel safe and secure.  Young people are confident enough to talk to staff about how they are feeling Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 2 and to devise strategies, with the support of staff, to manage their feelings in a more productive manner.  Good safeguarding practice protects the young person from harm. Young people feel safe. Well-established and effective partnerships with the local police and social workers ensure that when risks to the young person are identified they are managed safely.  The incidents of young people being missing from care have been dramatically reduced. A young person says that they do not need to do this anymore.  Staff are strong advocates for young people‘s education. Staff strive to ensure that young people are engaged in education or training. They work closely with

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Key findings from this inspection

external agencies to help young people to make positive decisions about their futures.  Young people are well prepared for moving on to the next stage of their lives. They are confident, articulate and believe in what they can achieve.  Staff provide effective support to the young people‘s families. This means that the young people are able to see their family on a regular basis.  Staff work well together and are committed to improving the outcomes and life opportunities of each young person.  The home is led by a committed registered manager who has built a strong staff team.

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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

 Record keeping in the home is not yet robust, and it is the main area for development.  The manager‘s monitoring of the home has not identified the shortfalls from this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/01/2017 Interim Not judged 08/06/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‘s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) 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)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the recording of safeguarding concerns and any action taken is detailed. 22/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‘s home a statement (―the statement of purpose‖) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) 22/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes: the effectiveness and consequence of the measure and that within 48 hours of the use of the measure the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (the ―authorised person‖) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)) 22/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that placement plans, healthcare plans, risk assessments and safeguarding records are up to date. 22/01/2018 Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the staff are familiar with the home‘s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual young people in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about young people should always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to them now or in the future. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 62, paragraphs 14.4 and 14.5) In particular, ensure that the home‘s records for each young person represent a significant contribution to their life history, and that inappropriate terminology, such as ‗absconding‘, is not used.  Ensure that the registered manager undertakes a review that focuses on the care provided, the experiences of the children living there and the impact the care is having on the outcomes and improvements for the children. (‗Guide to the

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Recommendations

children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 65, paragraph 15.2)  Ensure that as set out in regulation‘s 31–33 the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that the checking of any gaps in an applicant‘s employment history is thorough.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from consistent care which enables them to reflect on their past and to develop positive coping and social skills. This has meant that, for the young person currently living at the home, missing from care episodes have been significantly reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good, supportive relationships between the young person and staff mean that he is confident to talk to staff about any concerns or worries that he has. Staff and managers demonstrate both perseverance and determination to work through challenging times with the young person. Staff listen to him and provide encouragement and guidance. The young person says that he reduced his negative behaviours not only because he is now away from his home area, but also because of the guidance and advice provided by staff. He says that he is making better decisions, and said ‗I decided I needed to change and I am‘.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are optimistic and talk freely about the qualities and strengths of the young people Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 5 whom they care for. A youth offending team (YOT) worker says that the young person is making much better decisions due to the care and support of the staff. They say that he has a good relationship with the staff and feels safe with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‘s healthcare needs are supported well. The young person has an increased understanding of their own health and those factors that are detrimental to this, for example using cannabis. Since living at the home, the incidents of this have decreased. The young person is confident to talk to staff about any issues that are concerning him. This has helped to reduce his anxieties, and ultimately his anger towards others at the home. Staff say that he is a polite, caring young man at the home, but still has some issues when out with friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has a wide range of independence skills. He is fastidious about keeping his room and bathroom clean. Staff say that he has occasionally challenged them about the state of their office. He is confidently building upon the range of meals and snacks that he can cook, and is enjoying this. Staff are now introducing ideas around further budgeting, such as how to pay household bills. This is helping him to build upon his current skill set in preparation for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is confident to spend time at the house with his friends and he makes sure that his friends are respectful to staff and that they adhere to the house rules.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person enjoys spending time with staff. He loves to go-karting and tree trekking. He is instrumental in planning his activities and deciding whom he would like to go with him. He feels valued, as his views are listened to and are acted upon. For example, he wanted to spend more time with his family. Staff spoke to him and his family about the barriers to this. As a result, staff purchased a child car seat so that they could collect his mother and his brother and bring them to the home, as public transport was an issue. The young person‘s mother said, ‗This was great, as I now get to see him more often‘. She went onto say that, as a direct result of the support from staff, she now feels more confident about her son living at the home. She said, ‗I know he is safe and that staff care about him‘.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a very good understanding of the young person. They are proud of his achievements and are eager to share these with others. However, this is not consistently reflected within his plans and records. Consequently, records such as care plans, healthcare plan and risk assessments do not demonstrate the support provided to help the young person to make these changes and to reflect what he has achieved. This is a recording issue. Professionals working with the young person are very complimentary about the home and the action that staff take to ensure that the young person receives the right help and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff robustly challenged the local authority about the young person‘s education, or lack thereof. They worked with YOT, the social worker and the local authority lead for looked after children‘s education to ensure that suitable arrangements were in place so that he could continue his education while under certain restrictions. YOT workers say that the registered manager and staff consistently Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 6 challenged other professionals at the meetings about the lack of suitable education provision for the young person. This is now in place. A professional said, ‗They (staff) are a fabulous team and he (young person) is very fortunate to live here‘. Staff know and understand the young person very well. Another professional said, ‗They know how to plant the seed and let it take root‘. This approach gives the young person a real sense of ownership about what is happening around him.

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

Safeguarding is a priority for the staff at the home. Staff are trained in child protection and safeguarding. They are clear on the action to take should they have a concern about the young person, and this helps to keep the young person safe.

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

The young person says that he feels safe at the home. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues and consistently review safe working practices to help them to meet the individual young person‘s needs. Staff are alert to the potential risks and encourage the young person to let them know if he has any worries or concerns. This has resulted in him not attending one educational placement, due to the risks associated with the area.

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

There has been a recent safeguarding incident. This was appropriately referred to the local authority‘s designated officer. This was investigated and no further action was needed. However, there is no clear chronology of the incident, such as the action taken by staff, and some records/information have not been signed or dated. This does not provide a comprehensive record. The registered manager took immediate action to gather all of the missing information. Overall, staff took swift and decisive action to keep the young person safe.

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

The young person living at the home has dramatically reduced the number of occasions of being missing from care. This is acknowledged by numerous professionals. They say that there has been a significant change in his behaviour and outlook on life since living at this home. The young person said, ‗I don‘t need to do this anymore‘. This is because the staff and young person have worked together to come to acceptable arrangements about when he can see his friends. Staff are also willing to collect him from friends‘ houses so that he is home on time. This has also helped the young person to reduce his offending behaviour. The young person is provided with appropriate adults when talking to the police. The registered manager and deputy take the lead on this so that he has consistent support. This means that he is able to meet any conditions placed upon him.

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

Clear boundaries are in place to manage challenging and risky behaviour. Staff work well together as a team. Their consistent approach helps the young person to understand the home‘s rules and why these are in place. The young person does struggle with his emotions at times and can become argumentative. However, in recent months he has grown in confidence. He is now more able to remove himself from situations and think about his actions before they escalate. There has been one physical intervention since the last inspection. The physical intervention record does not make clear whom the initials in the record belong to. This is confusing, as a young person and a member of Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 7 staff share the same initials. The staff‘s debriefing is not included in the record. Consequently, this is not a comprehensive record of the incident.

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

Young people live in a warm, welcoming family-style home. The young person currently living at the home has been instrumental in choosing the new colour schemes and the soft furnishings for the home. There is plenty of space in which young people can spend time alone or with others. For example, the young person enjoyed playing pool in the games room and football in the garden with his brother.

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

A qualified, experienced and enthusiastic registered manager leads the home. She is well supported by her deputy. Both she and the deputy are supernumerary. The registered manager, deputy and several other staff either hold or are working towards their level 5 diploma in leadership. Other staff are appropriately qualified and experienced. This provides good support to the young people.

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

The staffing arrangements ensure that there are sufficient knowledgeable and experienced staff available to meet the young person‘s needs. The young person has a strong say in what happens at the home. He is instrumental in planning for his future. As a result, the young person feels valued.

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

Record keeping is not consistently robust. There are shortfalls in several records, as they contain conflicting information, and not the most up-to-date information. Staff do not routinely sign and date records. Some of the language used is not appropriate, such as the word ‗absconding‘ to describe when a young people goes missing. This does not provide clarity in the records and leaves them open to interpretation. However, these are recording issues and do not currently have an impact on the care provided. This is because the staff work well together and know the young person exceptionally well.

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

Monitoring by the registered manager is not yet robust. She has not identified that within one staff file a gap in employment history appears not to have been checked. This was addressed during the inspection. The statement of purpose is regularly reviewed, but information pertaining to accessing specific policies, such as the complaints policy, is not included. The registered manager is monitoring the service on a daily basis and takes immediate action to address issues as they arise, but this is not always recorded. This means that she is unable to evaluate effectively any emerging patterns or trends. Monitoring by the independent person provides insight into what the home does well and the areas for improvement. Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 8

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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: SC473375 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC473375 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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