Children's Home run by St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in St Helens

Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 1 SC035971 Registered provider: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides short-term breaks and respite care for children and young people who have learning disabilities, aged from seven to 17 years. The home is owned and managed by the local authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children‟s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children‟s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children enjoy their short breaks at the home due to the positive and rewarding experiences that they have. Some parents report that their children are able to experience things during their short breaks that they have not been able to experience previously.  Children and staff develop excellent relationships and spend quality time together, in and out of the home. The staff fully understand children‟s vulnerabilities and ensure that their needs are met exceptionally well.  Children make tremendous progress during their stays at the home. Parents and social workers comment on the positive difference that their stays at the home have on the children, both at home and in school.  The level of communication and consultation with the parents or carers of the children is excellent. Parents feel fully informed of their child‟s experience and progress at the home. Consequently, parents do not worry about their child

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Key findings from this inspection

when they are having short breaks at the home.  The care plans for children (home‟s profiles) have improved significantly and provide a detailed account of the child‟s needs and how the home is meeting them. Furthermore, they describe each child‟s personality extremely well. This demonstrates that the managers and staff know each child exceptionally well.  Care plans are developed in full consultation with parents or carers, social workers, other professionals involved with the child and, where possible, the children. They are regularly reviewed and updated in line with children‟s changing needs.  Planning for stays is extremely thorough and ensures that the children and their families get the most out of the short breaks.  Transition planning for children moving on is robust. The home fully supports children and their parents and/or carers with the transition process well in advance to ensure that any transitions are as smooth as possible.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are of high calibre and „go over and above‟ to ensure that children benefit greatly from the time that they spend at the home.  Partnership working is successful in ensuring that children are cared for exceedingly well. The managers actively challenge professionals and proactively share good practice between them to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the care provided to children.  Staff are fully supported by managers and receive regular reflective supervision, training and development opportunities and team meetings to support them in providing an excellent quality of care to children.  Leadership and management are inspirational and ambitious for children and the development of the service. Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 3 The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Although recording at the home has improved significantly, there continue to be some minor recording issues.  The home does not have a workforce development plan in place. However, the leaders and managers were able to provide this information verbally and it is available within other documentation at the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/09/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should be 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, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should have a workforce development plan, which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy exceptionally positive experiences in this nurturing, supportive and safe home. They receive an exceptional quality of care that is making an important difference to them and their families. Comments from parents about the home include, „It is fantastic, my daughter is absolutely delighted when she is going to stay there‟, „the care provided to the children is priceless‟ and „the home is outstanding‟. These comments demonstrate the high regard that parents have for the service and the positive difference that it is making to the lives of children and their parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Careful and structured introductions to the service mean that care plans are clear about how staff meet children‟s needs in a way that promotes their well-being and protects them. Robust transition processes ensure that the managers and staff know each child exceptionally well before they begin to spend time at the home. This ensures that they are able to provide individualised care to children at their starting point. A parent said, „The managers spent time with me and my son to gather as much information as possible, prior to him visiting the home for the first time. They asked questions that I would never have thought of to ensure that they had a full and detailed understanding of my son.‟ Children and parents are provided with a welcome pack that provides them with detailed information about what the home has to offer. This has recently been developed to include a DVD, which provides them with a informative, visual guide to the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

home. Once introductions start, children and their parents visit the home, and meet staff and other children, and their time at the home is gradually increased. Children visit the home alone or stay overnight only when they are ready for this. Consequently, children are happy and settle into their short stays very well from the beginning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care plans for all children who enjoy short stays at the home have recently been updated. They are extremely individualised and child focused. They clearly set out each child‟s needs and the strategies in place to ensure that their needs are met to a high standard. The home‟s care plans provide a very accurate reflection of each child‟s needs. Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 5 Children are described exceptionally well in their care plans. For example, one care plan described a child as „a happy young girl who is always smiling. She is very chatty and makes friends easily with her charming personality!‟ This describes her perfectly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Following the registered manager raising an issue about the lack of care planning meetings and statutory visits for children who use the service within the local authority, significant improvements have been made. These are now happening more frequently and in line with expectations. Furthermore, to ensure consistent practice, most of the children who use the service now have the same social workers. This has enabled a clear plan to be put in place to ensure that meetings and visits take place regularly and that positive relationships are built between social workers, managers, staff and children. A social worker said, „The new arrangements are working very well, and I have built excellent relationships with the managers and staff.‟ The home has also improved the way in which staff share information in care planning meetings with children, parents and other professionals in order to make the meetings more positive and pleasant. A

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

DVD of the child enjoying their time at the home is now shown at meetings. It highlights the progress that they are making and, when possible, includes the child‟s views about the care that they receive. A parent said, „The DVD of my son enjoying his time at the home is amazing and we all sit as a family, watching it over and over again.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The care provided to children is flexible and in line with their ever-changing needs. Furthermore, the home is flexible to accommodate short-term emergencies, such as parent illness, or longer stays for family holidays. In addition, the home offers families support, advice and guidance to support them to care for their children at home when difficulties arise. Staff and managers visit children and their parents at their own home to offer this support, when necessary. Very good communication with parents, via home link books, provides parents with a detailed summary of each stay that their child has at the home. Parents value this and feel that it helps them to relax when their child spends time away from them, as they know they are well looked after, happy, settled and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff spend considerable amounts of time talking and interacting with children. They use a wide range of communication systems effectively, which ensures that each child has a voice. One young person with communication difficulties receives support from a specialist team to support her communication needs, and the home arranged for a training session to be provided for all staff to familiarise themselves with this. The child‟s parent said, „The staff team is very committed to the children and I could not believe that they all came to the training session; even those who were off work that day attended. This confirms to me their commitment to ensuring that they are able to communicate effectively with my child‟. Regular consultation takes place with children and their families to ensure that the home has up-to-date information on the children‟s likes and dislikes. For example, consultation has taken place with regard to what toys,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

food and activities children enjoy. This enables the home to ensure that the children have all that they need to ensure that they thoroughly enjoy their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children engage in a wide range of social and recreational activities, both at the home and out in the community. Chosen activities are in line with children‟s individual interests and preferences. They include going to activity centres, the local café, the park, Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 6 specialist „autism‟ swimming events and even a residential trip to an activity centre. When the children are not out enjoying outside activities, they benefit from many activities at the home, including playing games, spending time in the sensory room, watching films, singing and dancing. During the inspection, the staff and children were enjoying making Christmas cards and singing Christmas songs. There was a lovely relaxed atmosphere, with a member of staff playing his guitar for the children, who were thoroughly enjoying singing along. The staff‟s sensitive and caring approach supports children‟s emotional and social well-being exceptionally well. It helps to build the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

children‟s confidence and provides opportunities that they may otherwise not have to socialise with friends while enjoying their chosen activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are provided with a range of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks, which are all freshly prepared to their specific requirements by the home‟s two cooks. A consultation exercise has recently taken place with children and their parents to ascertain specific dietary requirements, food and drink likes and dislikes, preferred meal and snack times, and whether children have any food allergies or intolerances. The cooks have this information and use it to plan the meals for children during their stay. The cooks prepare meals for the children arriving at the home from school and make freshly baked cakes and biscuits for dessert. There is always at least two main meals for children to choose from, based on their individual preferences, and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. One child has a special organic diet and the registered manager ensures that this is followed at all times. Staff have liaised with the child‟s dietician to ensure that they have a full

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

and detailed understanding of his dietary needs and how to cater for them. His mother said, „I did not think that the home would be able to meet his dietary needs, but it was not a problem for them; they always ensure that this is followed precisely and buy organic food for him. This built my trust and confidence in the home from the start.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Developing children‟s independence is a key feature at the home, in particular for the children preparing for their transition to adulthood. They are actively encouraged to be as independent as possible. This is done in a fun and rewarding way, so children enjoy being independent and are keen to develop their skills further. The more independent children are also encouraged to support their peers, where appropriate. For the first time at the home, the staff have been able to support a child to self-medicate, with support and supervision from staff. This has now developed so that he is also doing this at home. The progress that children make in their independence is recorded and shared with them and their families on a DVD. This innovative approach provides an important personal record of their time at the home that they can look back on in future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment provides children with a lovely place to stay. The decoration and furnishing are to a high standard and improvements are continually being made. The registered manager and staff ensure that children choose their bedding and other items at the home. Children are encouraged to bring personal items with them when they stay, to make them feel more at home. Furthermore, around the home there are many photographs of the children and staff, and even a television in the hallway continually playing a slideshow of children enjoying their time at the home. The staff ensure that children are nurtured and have their undivided attention when they stay. Consequently, the children settle, feel safe and thoroughly enjoy their time at the home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 7

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

Children are safe and protected at the home, because staff give the highest priority to their safety and well-being. All staff are trained in safeguarding children with complex needs. Children trust and feel confident with the staff team and enjoy spending time with them. The health and safety procedures and security systems at the home are robust and keep children safe. Parents are happy for their children to spend time away from them at the home, because they know that they will be well cared for and kept safe from harm.

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

Risk assessments are in place for children. They provide a detailed and evaluative record of their risks and the measures in place to safeguard them. In addition to the individual risk assessments for children, the home has detailed risk assessments in place for a range of other risks that the children and staff may be exposed to. This includes a risk assessment for the chickens that the home now has in the outside area and a risk assessment for a member of staff who is pregnant, as well as risk assessments for activities outside of the home. These risk assessments demonstrate the priority that the registered manager and staff place on safeguarding and the careful consideration given to a wide range of issues.

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

Children respond well to the simple verbal communication and prompting by staff, because they trust them to help them to feel better. Staff are trained in a positive approach to managing behaviour. They use planned ignoring or attention and simple redirection, such as a change of activity, to prevent young people from becoming upset. Staff are skilled in supporting children to reduce their anxieties and stress, which may lead to challenging behaviours. They use distraction effectively, such as taking children to the sensory room to allow them to relax. Rewards and praise are plentiful at the home, and children respond to this well. Sanctions are never used. Behaviour management plans demonstrate that the staff have a thorough understanding of the individual behaviours of children, and appropriate strategies are in place to manage their behaviour. The positive behaviour team members, who are working with one particular

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

child in school and at home, asked if they could visit the service to observe staff interacting with the child and to discuss the home‟s behaviour management approach. This allowed the staff to share their good practice with her parents and other professionals so that a consistent approach to managing her behaviour could be introduced. The positive behaviour team was impressed by the significant change in the child‟s behaviour since she has been having short stays at the home.

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

Physical intervention is rare and is only used as a last resort to safeguard children. For example, a child became upset and angry when an activity outside of the home finished. The staff used diversion techniques and offered her another activity, and gave her verbal reassurance and other distraction to try to calm her. However, her behaviour became increasingly dangerous, so staff used minimal physical intervention to remove her from danger. She soon settled and enjoyed the rest of her stay at the home. The staff‟s approach helped her to self-regulate and reduced the risk of further unsafe behaviour. The records of physical intervention are detailed and evaluative, and clearly outline the reason for the intervention. However, although they outline the duration of incidents, Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 8 they do not record the duration of the actual physical intervention. Therefore, the record

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

of physical interventions should be strengthened further with this accurate information.

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

Children do not go missing from the home, because of the constant supervision from staff and the security systems at the home. Staff are mindful of the potential risks, should children going missing when out on activities. However, risk assessments clearly demonstrate the strategies in place to prevent this from happening.

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

Due to the complex needs of the children, they often take prescribed medication. Robust systems are in place for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the home to ensure that the children are given their medication in line with their prescriptions. Records for medication are accurate and demonstrate that medication processes are always completed by two members of staff, one administering the medication and the other double-checking that it is correct. Furthermore, each child has a medication file of detailed information relating to their health conditions, medication and treatment. Consequently, the procedures in place demonstrate good safeguarding practice.

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

Since the last inspection, the home has continued to provide a safe and settled environment where children have enjoyed staying. There have been no incidents requiring notification to Ofsted.

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

The home‟s location assessment has been revised. It is detailed and evaluative, and includes plenty of photographs, which makes it visually appealing and accessible. It clearly outlines all known risks in the community and how these are managed by the home. The managers routinely consult safeguarding professionals to gather information that will assist in identifying all known risks in the area and the completion of the report. In addition, the home receives a safer area report from the police. As a result, the home is able to safeguard children effectively from risks in the community.

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

Staff recruitment practice is safe and ensures that only the most appropriate staff work at the home. This ensures that young people are safeguarded from unsuitable staff working in their home. Recruitment practice demonstrates that all relevant checks are undertaken, and the registered manager will only recruit staff of a high calibre. A member of staff said, „The manager does not want “average” staff working here – he wants the very best.‟ This demonstrates that the staff working at the home are suitable, do not pose a risk to the children and can safeguard the children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A suitable qualified and experienced registered manager who has worked at the home for many years leads the home. He is supported by a deputy manager and senior care worker, who are also suitably experienced and qualified. The management team is highly motivated and committed to ensuring that children who have short stays at the home enjoy their stays and receive the highest quality of care. Together, they provide extremely effective leadership that unmistakably prioritises children‟s welfare and focuses on improving their lives. Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 9 The managers and staff have high aspirations for every child and endeavour to provide them with the same opportunities and experiences as any other child. They ensure that each child‟s voice is heard so that children can influence decisions that affect their lives and obtain the best possible support to achieve improved outcomes. The managers have

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

excellent communication and relationships with children‟s families, social workers, health and education professionals and others. They actively and assertively challenge professionals to deliver the best possible support to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are very child centred, and are especially well trained in caring for children with complex needs. They are tremendously dedicated to ensuring that children get the most from their short stay. A parent said, „The staff team is passionate about what they do. I am so impressed by their professionalism, dedication and caring nature.‟ The staff provide children with a quality service, in line with the aims and objectives and ethos of the home, as outlined in its statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are supported by the management team and each other. Regular staff handovers, team meetings, supervision, and training and development opportunities contribute to the day-to-day support that the management team provides to the staff. A member of staff said, „I feel 100% supported by the managers and this means a lot. I feel that good management helps staff to work more effectively. The managers are approachable and flexible.‟ There have been some new members of staff since the last inspection. They have received a full induction and have felt fully supported by their managers and colleagues. Staff morale has improved significantly since new staff have been recruited as staff now have more time to focus on the important aspects of their role and are not having to work additional shifts.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training opportunities for staff are regular and diverse, and are aimed at improving the practice and the quality of care provided to children. Furthermore, the staff receive specific training related to the complex needs of the children whom they care for, for example training for gastro feeding, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and buccal midazolam. All staff receive regular professional supervision and have had annual appraisals. This allows the staff to reflect on their practice and to discuss their individual professional development to further enhance the work that they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The monitoring and review systems at the home enable the managers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Managers regularly review the quality of care provided to the children, and this helps them to drive up standards. Monitoring and review systems include rigorous monthly external monitoring by an independent person, six-monthly quality of care reviews by the registered manager and file audits. The managers use the information to push for the continuous development of the home. Consequently, the home has made significant improvement in all areas and is providing an outstanding quality of care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home does not currently have a workforce development plan that reflects the current staff, their experience and training and development needs, the home‟s arrangements for supervision or how poor performance is managed. However, this information is in other documents, so the impact of not having one at present is limited. Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 10

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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: SC035971 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children & Young People‟s Services, Atlas House, 2 Corporation Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA9 1LD

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC035971 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 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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