Children's Home run by New Start in Liverpool

Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 1 SC444411 Registered provider: New Start

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person. The primary purpose of the home is to provide a safe and stable environment for the young person who will have experienced some form of trauma in their lives. The young person will have been assessed as being in need of care in a residential setting within a therapeutic environment to enable them to reach their own potential.

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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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Not judged 10/11/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. Those undertaking the role should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, ensure that regular consultation with young people, their families and stakeholders takes place and forms part of the monitoring and review of the home’s operation.  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the

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Recommendations

interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  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)  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  All children’s case records must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and

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Recommendations

dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has made good progress in most areas of his life since he moved into the home, in particular in education and relationships, behaviour and safeguarding, and contact with his family. The young person is settled at the home and said, ‘I like it here and don’t want to move.’ Consequently, the plan is for him to remain living at the home until he is 18 years old. Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 4 The young person’s attendance and engagement in education have improved since he first moved into the home. However, on some occasions when he does struggle to attend his education placement, the staff do not always take effective action to support him to sustain or regain his confidence in education or engage him in alternative suitable structured activities. Consequently, the arrangements to support him to overcome his barriers to learning and take part in any meaningful education are ineffective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Basic health needs are met for the young person. The staff work hard to encourage the young person to seek specialist help when required and to address his specific emotional and psychological needs, despite his reluctance to do this. Some progress is being made with this, and the staff recognise that this is a ‘work in progress’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and nurture the young person’s relationships with his family. The young person has regular contact with people who are important to him. Staff work well with family members and others to ensure that contact is meaningful and safe. Staff value the views of family members and involve them in the young person’s care. A family member said, ‘I am fully involved in the young person’s care and know everything about him and his care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between the young person and staff are good. The young person can regularly share his views about the home and the care he receives. He has regular discussions with staff during key-work and direct-work sessions and young people’s meetings. However, the placement plan and some other records for the young person do not always reflect this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and welcoming, and improvements have been made in the decor. It feels like a family home, with photographs of the young person and his family around the home. The young person has been consulted about the decoration of the home, and he chose the colour scheme for the lounge area. Staff continue to encourage the young person to have his bedroom decorated, but he has declined this offer to date.

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

Safeguarding practice at the home has contributed to the reduction of risk to the young person. Staff help the young person to understand risk and to keep himself safe from harm. There is a detailed risk assessment in place for the young person that specifies the current risks and strategies in place to manage the risks. The risk assessment is regularly updated and demonstrates the changes and reduction in risk for the young person and the progress he is making.

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

The young person’s risk-taking behaviour has reduced from the time when he moved into the home. For example, the number of incidents of missing from care and negative behaviour resulting in the need for physical intervention has reduced. This reduction is because of the good work staff have undertaken during key-work and direct-work sessions to raise the young person’s awareness of the risks associated with these behaviours and to teach him how to keep himself safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 5 Good health and safety practice at the home and a robust location risk assessment help to make the home a safe place for the young person to live. Staff have developed good relationships with safeguarding professionals and are in regular contact with them to share and gather information that can support them to help and protect the young person.

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

Behaviour management in the home is good and promotes positive behaviour from the young person. Staff are calm and consistent in their approach to supporting the young person at times of high anxiety. Sanctions are fair and restorative in nature. Consequently, the behaviour of the young person is generally positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager of the home has resigned. The responsible individual is currently overseeing the management of the home. However, a new manager has been recruited to the post and will be taking up the role in the near future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they felt supported by the former registered manager as well as the responsible individual for the home. A member of staff said, ‘I found the former manager and the responsible individual to be very supportive and approachable. I am able to share my ideas on the development of the home.’ Staff receive regular and effective supervision that is focused on the young person’s experiences, needs and plans. There is good support and challenge for staff through regular supervision and team meetings. This support helps to ensure that the professional development of staff results in them providing a good quality of care to the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems at the home help the management to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home and the staff team, and action is quickly taken to address shortfalls and build on the strengths. However, these systems could be further improved if the monitoring and review systems included regular consultation with the young person, his family and professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a detailed development plan in place for the home that outlines the plans for the continuous development of the home and the young person. However, there is no workforce plan in place that fulfils the workforce-related requirements of the regulations for children’s homes. However, the majority of this information is recorded in other documents for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records and plans for the young person are detailed and clearly set out his individual needs. However, some records do not clearly outline the young person’s journey through care, which is not helpful to the young person or staff in planning for the young person’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff are proud of the progress the young person has made since moving into the home. They demonstrate a commitment to making further improvement and have high aspirations for the young person. Managers and staff are committed to Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 6 providing him with a long-term placement at the home with a good quality of care.

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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: SC444411 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Job Bank, 4 Tunnel Road, Liverpool L7 6QD

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC444411 8 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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