Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Liverpool

Inspection report children’s home: SC025420 1 SC025420 Registered provider: Quality Protects Children 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 privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six children. This includes children who may have experienced being at risk of criminal exploitation and involvement in gangs. The registered manager has been registered since 2009.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC025420 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/11/2016 Full Good 16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC025420 3

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a system in place so that serious concerns about a child going missing from home are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13) In particular, ensure that the youth offending team is informed of instances of missing from care when appropriate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a very friendly and supportive home. Staff are understanding and patient. They give children the help and guidance that they need to grow and recover from previous experiences of neglect and trauma. A social worker said, ‘While in the care of the home, the child has successfully engaged in education, with health, including the children and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) and has been supported to take part in activities. All of these have supported his emotional health.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have warm and trusting relationships with staff. They know that staff are genuinely interested in their lives and will help them. They live in a homely and comfortable house that meets their personal needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a detailed understanding of each child’s background and assessed needs. They follow up-to-date plans to make sure that children get the support that they need on a daily basis. Staff play an active role in children’s wider support networks. They make sure that children continue to get the best possible support in every aspect of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that they meet the needs of children who live far from their home and communities. They help children to maintain and develop their cultural and religious beliefs, including observing festivals and dietary requirements. Staff make sure that children get the right support from local education, health and youth offending services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to have positive relationships with the people important to them. They encourage and support children and parents, brothers and sisters to travel long distances to see each other. Staff always make sure that spending time with their families is a safe and positive experience for the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that children get the right help that supports and encourages their education. Staff have tackled successfully some children’s reluctance to go to school. Children’s participation in education has continued to improve since they first moved in. Children follow individual programmes tailored to their learning needs. They enjoy Inspection report children’s home: SC025420 4 learning, work hard, and are making good progress. Staff and teachers encourage children’s creativity and potential. For example, a child has won a poetry prize and is having his work published in a book. Staff also encourage children to develop their confidence and skills informally and to have fun, including managing money, learning to cook, going to the cinema and playing cricket for the local club.

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

Children live in a safe home where they are protected from harm. Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs, circumstances and any current concerns about their welfare. Staff have the necessary skills to identify and respond to signs that children may be at risk of harm. They use up-to-date and clearly written risk assessments and plans that support children’s safety.

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

The manager and staff use their detailed knowledge of the local area and community to protect children. They make every effort to make sure that children keep away from places where they may be at risk of antisocial behaviour, exploitation or discrimination.

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

The manager and staff take decisive action when they have concerns about children. They share information with social workers, the police and the youth offending team. They work together effectively to understand the level of risk and develop suitable plans for keeping children safe from harm.

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

The staff use individual and group work creatively to help children to recognise the signs and dangers of damaging relationships, criminal exploitation, gangs, county lines and bullying. Children talk about their own negative experiences of involvement in criminal exploitation and they share the ways in which to keep themselves and other’s safe.

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

The staff help children to understand the benefits of positive behaviour and they guide children to make good choices. Children engage positively with the youth offending team and are becoming less likely to be involved in criminal behaviour and at risk of exploitation.

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

The risk of children going missing from home continues to reduce. When children have gone missing from the home, staff have done the right things to try to find them. Staff let the police, social workers and parents know quickly that a child has run away. However, staff do not always let the youth offending team know straightaway that a child is missing from home.

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

The staff manage situations when children struggle with their feelings exceptionally well. The staff work positively and confidently with children to find the best possible ways to help them manage their feelings safely and to moderate their behaviour. Staff try to find out, and understand, the reasons why children are upset, and they work together calmly to find a solution. Children are finding positive ways to manage their anxieties and frustrations, including using physical activity to help them feel calm, talking to staff, or going out for a walk to clear their heads.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC025420 5 The manager and his management team provide effective and efficient leadership. They make sure that the children have every opportunity to be safe and get the right support that meets their personal needs and helps them to achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a realistic understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. He has taken action to improve things since the last inspection, including the decoration of the house, the quality of records, staff supervision and training, and making sure that children can use the internet for their education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team uses thorough and helpful monitoring systems to understand the impact that the quality of care is having on children’s lives. Children’s records, risk assessments and placement plans provide a detailed picture of children’s experiences and progress. This information is making an important contribution to the understanding of children’s lives and informs their plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager challenges local authorities and other services effectively to provide children with the support that will meet their needs. The manager makes sure that social workers provide him with the up-to-date information and assistance that he needs to look after the children properly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes sure that there are always enough knowledgeable, experienced, skilled and qualified staff available to meet children’s needs. Staff work together cohesively and consistently. They plan the day-to-day care of children well to provide the best possible support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team provides each member of staff with excellent support, guidance and encouragement. Staff have regular opportunities through practice-related supervision and team meetings to reflect on their work with children and develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports staff to develop professionally. Staff build their knowledge and skills through up-to-date good-quality training relevant to the needs of children, including about the risk of criminal exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes every effort to help children feel part of the local community. He takes every concern from local people seriously. He works effectively with the local councillor and local people to deal with any problems.

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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: SC025420 6 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: SC025420 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Quality Protects Children Ltd, Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC025420 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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