Children's Home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 1 SC485318 Registered provider: Inspire 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

This is a private children’s home registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people at any given time who are experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Inspection dates: 7 to 8 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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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 This home provides a warm and nurturing environment with clear routines and boundaries, which helps young people to feel secure.  Gradual and sensitive admission and discharge processes ensure smooth transitions effectively and enable young people to settle quickly into their new Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 2 placements.  Staff have developed sound trusting relationships with the young people that make them feel safe, loved and valued.  Good staffing ratios at all times ensure that young people benefit from highly individualised care.  All the young people have maintained excellent school attendance and are making good progress academically and behaviourally compared with their starting points.  There are a good range of opportunities for young people to influence their day- to-day lives positively and in the development of the company as a whole.  Young people benefit from frequently taking part in a wide range of stimulating

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Key findings from this inspection

and constructive activities, taking into account their individual interests and talents.  Staff have established effective partnership working with a range of stakeholders to safeguard all the young people and promote their welfare.  Staff ensure that relevant specialist services are provided in a timely manner to help meet young people’s more complex needs.  Individual risks are clearly understood and timely and relevant direct work undertaken to help them to stay safe.  This staff team manages some extremely challenging behaviours without the need to restrain young people.  The appropriate use of reparation avoids young people being unnecessarily criminalised.  This home is well managed by a child-focused individual who is very clear about the strengths of the service and the areas that still require developing.

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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

 Some serious events have not been notified to Ofsted in a timely manner or in sufficient detail for the regulator to assess that appropriate action is always taken in an effort to prevent a reoccurrence.  Recent organisational changes across the company as a whole, a high staff turnover and the vacancy of a deputy have resulted in some staff not being appraised at least once a year, limited evidence of actively chasing required children’s documents, and some records not being maintained to a consistently high standard.  The home does not adequately demonstrate that children’s religious beliefs are promoted and their individual educational targets are supported. Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/12/2016 Full Outstanding 29/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 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 notify HMCI without delay of any serious incident specified in the regulations. (Regulation 40(4)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once a year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure each child’s file includes all the required and up-to-date information and documents; and in particular, statutory review minutes (Regulation 36(1), Schedule 3(20)) 31/01/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are able to maintain and develop their religious beliefs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.22)  Demonstrate that the home takes account of the information provided by independent return interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Demonstrate that the staff have the knowledge and skills to understand, and that they actively support, each child’s educational targets. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)  Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62,

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Recommendations

paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home has established gradual and sensitive admission and discharge processes. This means that young people settle quickly into their new placements. Since the last inspection, one young person was appropriately moved in order to safeguard another young person effectively. Initially, staff stayed with her in a local rented apartment until a place became available in another of this company’s children’s homes. This was her expressed wish, as she knew and liked some of the staff who work at the home and the young person already living there. This process ensured effectively that she still benefited from continuity of care, maintained her school attendance and continued to enjoy frequent family contact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the young people enjoy regular family contact in line with any legal restrictions and personal preferences. This positively promotes young people’s sense of identity. Both young people currently living at the home were particularly excited that their families were visiting them in the children’s home on Christmas Eve and one young person was looking forward to an imminent sleepover with her friend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well with parents, valuing and respecting their views on key decisions about their child’s care. Comments from parents include, ‘I receive updates about how my daughter is doing. The staff are polite and helpful and the house is always clean and tidy. I have no concerns about her care,’ and, ‘I am happy with this placement. It is really good for my daughter and our contact is going really well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides a warm and nurturing environment with clear routines and boundaries, which helps young people to feel secure. As an example, one young person loves having her hair washed by staff and reading to them every night. In turn, this is demonstrably improving her reading abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good staffing ratios at all times ensure highly individualised care. Furthermore, this team has the proven ability to establish honest, trusting relationships with young people. Consequently, one young person who has only recently moved into the home said that she likes it here and feels safe. She said, ‘I didn’t like the food at my last place, but it’s nice here.’ She also said that she liked her personalised bedroom, which she described as ‘big and pink’. Her social worker said, ‘She seems happier here than in her last placement and likes living with another young person.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good arrangements in place to promote healthy lifestyles. Young people benefit from home-made healthy meals and plenty of physical exercise. They are also making small but significant changes to reduce their sugar intake. Most recently, they have replaced all fizzy drinks with flavoured waters. This is proving to be a real struggle for one young person who, prior to admission, had been drinking energy drinks to excess for four years. Another young person has maintained a 1 stone weight loss for 12 months in this home, which has markedly improved her self-esteem. Moreover, the previously poor dental hygiene of one young person has much improved since moving to Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 6 this home due to the patience and perseverance of the staff over a sustained period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three young people have maintained excellent school attendance and are making good progress academically and behaviourally compared with their starting points. One young person, for example, had an attendance record of 30% on admission 12 months ago. She left with 98%, completed all her examinations and was awarded ‘The most improved pupil’. Her school wrote, ‘The care staff appear to be firm and friendly whilst maintaining a consistent approach and encouraging good attendance and behaviour. Due to staff transporting her, we have also been able to uphold constant communication. This has given us the opportunity to ensure that she excels in and out of school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another young person regularly receives ‘Progress stars’ from teachers and her end-of- term report was very positive. An extract reads, ‘The staff communicate well with the school with open and honest conversations. This pupil has had a brilliant year, which is all credit to the consistent messages that she gets from the dedicated care staff.’ Consequently, she is now on target academically. Furthermore, she takes part in numerous after-school sports, including netball, football, rounders and basketball.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A key strength of this home is the frequency and range of constructive activities on offer. For example, one young person is going skiing with school in February. They attend several local clubs, which strengthens their sense of belonging. To her credit, one young person also completed a sponsored 15-mile coastal walk for charity and has performed in a dance show open to the public. Individual interests and talents are actively encouraged and supported, which strengthens self-esteem and competencies. Current examples include, art, drama and boxing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Recent comments from young people include, ‘I like the gym, trampolining and dance and seeing my mates. This home is very good and I am happy here,’ and, ‘It’s all very good here. I’m OK with everything and enjoying yoga. My new bedroom is cool and I like what’s on the menu.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to influence their day-to-day care positively and the progress of the company as a whole through the children’s council. This has notably resulted in changes to their allowances and most recently in choosing the venue and itinerary for the forthcoming Christmas disco.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

However, this home does not demonstrate that religious interests are actively promoted. This is despite one young person being extensively involved in lots of positive church activities prior to moving to this home. Moreover, another young person specifically asked to be christened.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good opportunities in place for all young people to develop age- and ability- appropriate practical and social skills to prepare them for future independence living. One young person particularly enjoys honing her cooking skills and is gradually creating her own recipe book. Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 7 Placing authorities are consistently highly satisfied with the quality of care provided at this home and the consequent progress that the young people are making. Recent comments include, ‘I am happy with the care my young person receives. She is well cared for by a friendly and informed staff team. They provide balanced feedback and are nurturing but firm with her,’ and, ‘My young person’s complex needs are met to a good standard at this home. The staff have a good, clear understanding of how she functions and therefore how best to manage her behaviours.’

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

One young person has only recently moved into this home, but is already feeling safe and comfortable. The other young person has lived at the home for over 12 months and is very happy and settled and secure in the knowledge that it is a long-term placement. She also now feels safe and is noticeably more relaxed since the discharge of one young person.

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

These two young people found it increasingly hard to live with each other. They were both extremely jealous of any attention given by certain members of staff towards the other, which resulted in some serious incidents. One social worker highlighted how impressed she was by the team’s perseverance over a sustained period of time to manage the young people’s ‘excessive competitiveness and aggression’.

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

A key strength of this home is the staff’s ability to manage consistently some extremely challenging behaviours without resorting to physical interventions. They are also strong and effective advocates in ensuring that a good range of relevant specialist services are provided in a timely manner to help meet young people’s more complex needs.

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

One young person was rightly rewarded whenever she did not get embroiled in the other young person’s threats and assaults on staff. However, over a two-month period in the summer there were three incidences of her going missing and shoplifting once. Both behaviours are completely out of character and were due to poor friendship choices outside the home and significant peer pressure at that specific time. Strong advocacy by the staff, and the young people involved paying back the cost of the goods, avoided criminalisation effectively. On reflection, the young person said, ‘I am really upset and embarrassed and knew straight away that I had done wrong. I’ve never done it before and I won’t do it again.’

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

Good evaluation by the manager shows that this deterioration in behaviours coincided with her feeling that anyone she cared about had left her. She described herself as feeling ‘abandoned’. Significant examples include: favoured members of staff leaving the company; her previous carers whom she called ‘Mum and Dad’ severing all ties; and an advocate she trusted moving away. In response, the staff successfully supported her to re-establish constructive contact with her birth family.

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

One member of staff said, ‘She was like a different person as soon as the other young person moved out. She also genuinely likes all the staff who work here now and the Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 8 young person who has just moved in, so we are now all enjoying another period of calm.’

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

Lessons were learned following a team review after this challenging period, and in particular, the importance of more robust matching. Consequently, an impact risk assessment was produced prior to the new admission. This considered the needs, risks and views of the young person already living in the home and that of the young person referred.

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

The appropriate use of reparation means that young people are not unnecessarily criminalised, but still understand that there are consequences to all behaviours. The records show good scrutiny by the manager of all sanctions imposed. They also show good, clear advice given to staff, when needed, to ensure that they are always fair, relevant and proportionate to the particular misdemeanour.

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

There are good systems in place to ensure that timely independent return interviews are always undertaken following a missing from home incident. However, the outcomes of these discussions are not shared with the home to help them to explore ways of preventing a reoccurrence. This is an important and basic safeguarding process, so a recommendation has been made to address this shortfall.

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

Individualised risk assessments are regularly reviewed and revised as necessary. Relevant and timely direct work is frequently undertaken to help young people to develop strategies to keep themselves safe online and in the community.

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

Good partnership working with other professionals safeguards young people effectively. For example, one adult male was served an abduction notice following inappropriate use of social media. The young person wrote to the staff saying, ‘I was really upset and angry at first because I had done nothing wrong but I now realise that you did the right thing. I understand why you called the police. It was to keep me safe. Thank you for looking out for me.’

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

A social worker wrote, ‘I have a positive working relationship with this staff team. They are honest and trustworthy. Boundaries are consistent and appropriate, resulting in the child feeling safe. The home is always well presented and clean. This is a good children’s home and the staff work well together, and with me, to carry out the plans for the looked after child.’

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

The registered manager of this home is suitably qualified and experienced. He is extremely child-focused and leads by example. He has an accurate understanding of the many strengths of his home and areas for continued development. This specifically includes ensuring consistently good quality paperwork by means of more stringent monitoring, training and disciplinary action when required.

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

At the last full inspection, this home was judged to be outstanding. This was in Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 9 recognition of the excellent outcomes for the two boys who had lived there for several years. After the initial challenges, the young people were relatively easy to work with and staff became complacent. The next two admissions proved to be much more challenging and over time the majority of the staff team left.

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

The home has been without a deputy for a period of time. A key responsibility of this role entails ensuring that all documentation is in order and maintained to a high standard. Consequently, on this occasion one child’s file did not contain statutory review minutes from February and there is limited evidence of staff chasing the placing authority for these.

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

Also, notifications of significant events in this period have not been consistently forwarded to Ofsted in a timely manner. Moreover, the limited detail in some notifications does not enable the inspector to assess whether appropriate action has been taken to try to prevent a reoccurrence.

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

Furthermore, the poor record of an incident which had not been scrutinised by a manager resulted in disciplinary action.

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

The high turnover of staff since the last inspection unsettled the young people and negatively impacted on their behaviours. One member of staff said, ‘There has been a lot of chopping and changing of staff recently, not just here but across the company. Since September, there have been no further changes.’

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

Some newly recruited staff struggled with the challenges that the role presents and resigned. In response, the management team strengthened the recruitment and selection processes to try to ensure that applicants are clear about what the role entails.

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

Since the last interim inspection in March, there has been a dip in the timeliness of appraisals afforded to some members of staff, including the manager. This is due in part to a recent organisational restructure. Ofsted acknowledges that new systems are in place to address this regulatory shortfall immediately.

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

Positive actions have been taken to address the four recommendations made at the last inspection. As a result, the independent monthly monitoring visits are now always unannounced. The detailed reports demonstrate a robust process informed and enriched with the views of young people and relevant stakeholders.

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

In September, a ‘Treat box’ was introduced to encourage the new staff to reward good behaviour and efforts more frequently. The box contains, for example, lip glosses, eyeliners, bath bombs, scrapbooks and pencils. To date, this is having the desired effect on young people’s behaviour.

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

Another recommendation made was for staff to demonstrate that young people are actively supported to reach their educational targets. In response, a financial incentive chart was put in place for one young person to improve her spelling and reading ability. However, up to her discharge there was limited engagement with this, so this system Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 10 was neither meaningful nor effective. Consequently, this recommendation is repeated.

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

The home environment has significantly improved since the last inspection to include a new kitchen, redecoration of the lounge and a new hall and stair carpet. This has modernised the home and created a much more homely ambience throughout.

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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: SC485318 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1GJ

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Inspector

Lynn O’Driscoll, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC485318 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 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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