Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1247212 1 Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that is registered for four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home caters for three young people in the main part of the house and one young person in the attached apartment, which is designed to support a young person on a two-to-one staffing basis.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to be led and managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. She has taken effective action to address the requirement and recommendations made at the last inspection. Effective systems are now in place to ensure that all staff have a good knowledge and understanding of the home’s policies and procedures. The monitoring and review systems at the home have improved and now help the registered manager to identify and respond to any shortfalls in a timely manner. Clear procedures and processes are now in place in relation to safeguarding practice, which has resulted in young people being safeguarded effectively and reduced Inspection report children’s home: 1247212 2 risks for young people. Recording systems have improved, which means that young people’s plans and assessments now contain up-to-date information.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two more young people have come to live at the home, bringing the total of residents to four. Planning for new admissions is usually good. However, the compatibility risk assessment for one young person was only completed after the decision had been made for him to move into the home. Fortunately, the transition was positive. In another case, the placement broke down quite quickly and notice has been given to end the placement. The registered manager accepts that in hindsight she did not have enough detailed information at the point of referral. Consequently, the planning and preparation for new admissions to the home need to be strengthened.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person who has lived at the home for some time is due to move on. The registered manager and staff have worked with other professionals to ensure that appropriate support and intervention are in place to support her transition. Although, the registered manager was able to verbally share the transition plan, there was no written plan in place to confirm the arrangements. Furthermore, the young person was not fully aware of the arrangements to support her transition. Consequently, the arrangements in place to support young people moving on from the home need to be strengthened to ensure that young people have a clear, smooth and supportive transition.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s educational outcomes have improved. One young person has been out of mainstream education for some time, and the home has worked collaboratively with the placing and host authorities to secure suitable education provision where the young person will soon start. In the interim, the young person has been home-tutored with staff supporting the young person’s learning on a daily basis.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding practice in the home has improved. The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the individual risks young people face. Detailed risk assessments demonstrate how the individual risks are being managed and show the reduction in the level of risk to the young people. The frequency and length of time young people are missing from the home has reduced because of the robust procedures in place. However, the records relating to missing from home episodes do not demonstrate that independent return home interviews have taken place. The risks to a young person who was considered to be at a high risk of child sexual exploitation have now significantly reduced because of the support and intervention she has received from the home. The reduction in risks that young people are exposed to reflects the robust safeguarding practice at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management systems promote positive behaviour from the young people. Rewards and incentives promote positive behaviour rather than a reliance on sanctions to manage negative behaviours. Consequently, the behaviour of the young people at the home is generally good. There have been two incidents of physical intervention recently, which were appropriate and conducted in line with regulations for children’s homes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three out of the four young people’s bedrooms were untidy at the time of the Inspection report children’s home: 1247212 3 inspection. There were clothes and other belongings strewn across bedroom floors and beds were unmade. Clothes were not hung up in wardrobes and were piled up at the bottom. One young person had no doors on his wardrobe. One bedroom was cluttered with bags and boxes of belongings with very little space on the floor. There was no evidence to demonstrate that the staff regularly check young people’s bedrooms or encourage and support them to keep their bedrooms tidy. However, the rest of the home was clean and tidy and provided a more nurturing and comfortable environment for young people. Young people would benefit from this approach in their own bedrooms.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff work effectively with other professionals, such as social workers, independent reviewing officers, child and adolescent mental health services, the designated officer, the police and health and education professionals. Thus, young people are receiving the right support at the right time to meet their individual needs. Their needs are met well and outcomes are improving because of the effective partnership working at the home. This is having a positive impact on the lives of the young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The monitoring and review systems support the registered manager to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home, themes and trends and any shortfalls in practice. She takes prompt and appropriate action to address shortfalls in practice and to implement measures to improve on identified weaknesses. Furthermore, the monitoring systems enable the registered manager to regularly review the quality of care and experiences of the young people and to monitor the safeguarding practice. Consequently, the manager is able to identify the impact that the quality of care and safeguarding practice has on promoting the welfare of young people and the outcomes for them. The registered manager recognises that the monitoring and review systems in place help her to drive up standards for the young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is supportive of her staff team. There is a stable staff team in place, the members of which work well together and have the best interests of the young people at the heart of their practice. Daily handovers ensure that information about each young person is shared with the registered manager and staff team, which allows them to provide a consistent level of care. Staff benefit from effective supervision that reflects on their practice and the needs of the young people. Furthermore, their continuing professional development is supported through regular training and development opportunities. There have been some recent changes in the senior leadership team for the company, which the registered manager is trying to adjust to.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager, staff and young people have positive relationships with each other. The staff and young people spend time together, which contributes to the positive relationships that they have. One young person said, ‘This is the longest placement I have ever had. It is probably due to the manager and staff who support me. I get on well with them all.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1247212 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.)  Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care sets out the steps local authorities and their partners should take to prevent children from going missing and to protect them when they go missing. Children’s homes should have regard to the relevant aspects of this guidance. Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.25 and page 46, paragraph 9.31)  As well as longer-term support for children to move on from the home effectively (regulation 6 (2)(b)(vi)), the home has an important role in supporting each child

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Recommendations

leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)  Children’s homes should work closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3)

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1247212 5 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 147 Moss Delph Lane, Aughton, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 5BH

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1247212 6 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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