Children's home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited in Fylde

Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 1 SC476868 Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to accommodate up to four children who may have additional barriers to living and learning, such as social and communicative needs, and may be vulnerable due to a risk of self-injurious or challenging behaviours.

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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: SC476868 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/08/2017 Full Good 27/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2016 Full Good 25/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 3

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained and refreshed through regular checks of each staff member’s understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. A programme of routine maintenance should be implemented to ensure that all areas of the home are maintained to a high standard. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of

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Recommendations

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) Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, there has been no change in which young people live in the home, which means that young people benefit from stability and consistency. Young people have made good progress from their starting points. For example, they have reduced high-risk behaviours such as going missing from home and increased their confidence, and are achieving in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good relationships with staff. Staff complete good-quality direct work with young people, which gives them the opportunity regularly to explore things that are important to them. Young people’s relationships with each other are carefully monitored. Interaction between young people has improved greatly, consequently there has been a significant reduction in concerning behaviours, such as bullying.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a strong focus on promoting young people’s emotional well-being in this home. This work is underpinned by theory and overseen by an in-house therapist who works alongside staff, assisting them to plan young people’s care. Young people’s care plans are person centred and reflect the young person’s individual needs and wishes, where possible. This helps to ensure that young people receive individualised, responsive care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager advocates strongly on behalf of young people to ensure that they have appropriate educational provision in place. As a result, young people are making good progress in education. For two young people, this is from a starting point of not having engaged in education for a number of years prior to their admission to the home. Supporting young people to achieve in education increases their confidence and future life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to engage in fun and fulfilling activities. They have enjoyed holidays and short breaks, which sometimes include their friends from outside the home. Staff know what young people enjoy and plan activities in line with their individual preferences.

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

Young people are provided with a safe place to live. They receive positive and consistent support, which enables them to reduce high-risk behaviours and learn about keeping themselves safe. There is evidence that young people are safer due to the care that they receive.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks to each young person and the action required to help to keep them safe. There is good evidence that staff are able to recognise increasing risks and take appropriate action. Where appropriate, staff work in partnership with external agencies to help to maintain young people’s safety. All staff receive training in safeguarding at the start of their employment. Staff Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 5 demonstrate a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and the action that they must take if they identify any such concerns. However, the registered manager should consider introducing a process whereby each staff member’s understanding of safeguarding procedures is periodically tested, to help to ensure that practice remains consistent.

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

Young people benefit from positive behaviour support that has resulted in a significant reduction in serious incidents over time. Young people’s behaviour support is planned in close partnership with the in-house therapist. This helps to ensure that staff have a good understanding of young people’s behaviours and emotional responses, and that behaviour support is consistent.

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

There are recruitment processes in place that help to ensure that young people are cared for by adults of suitable character. However, some aspects of recruitment procedures could be better evidenced. For example, when the registered manager is required to make additional checks about a potential staff member, this should be clearly recorded. A recommendation is made to support this improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a suitably experienced registered manager who has been registered since July 2015. The registered manager demonstrates a strong commitment to the young people in her care and high expectations of the care and support that they receive. She strongly advocates for young people and demonstrates an ability to challenge external agencies that are not meeting young people’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced some staff turnover in the last year. The registered manager has taken action as a result of this, including carrying out staff surveys and reviewing the induction for new starters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff express satisfaction with the level of support and training provided. The registered manager has introduced personal development plans for all staff, which helps to ensure that their ongoing development is well supported. Evidence was available to show that staff members in need of additional support are provided with this by the registered manager and the organisation’s human resources manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager demonstrates good oversight of the service. She has a detailed understanding of young people’s needs and monitors their progress closely. Effective audit processes mean that any shortfalls are quickly identified and addressed. The registered manager is able to demonstrate that she is proactive in seeking solutions when it is identified that a young person is not making progress in a particular area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are suitable processes in place to notify the relevant authorities of any significant events that occur in the home. When adverse events occur, these are analysed to ensure that any potential learning is identified. Following the last inspection, a number of requirements were made. The provider supplied Ofsted with a detailed action plan, which was monitored as part of this inspection. This demonstrated that the requirements Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 6 had been suitably addressed. This shows an ongoing commitment to improvement, which means that young people benefit from a constantly developing service. Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 7

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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: SC476868 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17/19 Park Street, Lytham St Anne’s, Lancashire FY8 5LU

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476868 9 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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