Children's home run by My Life - My Choice Ltd in Hyndburn

Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 1 SC489038 Registered provider: My Life-My Choice Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a short-break service that is run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide short-break accommodation for families with children who a have physical and/or learning disabilities. The maximum number of children and young people who can stay at the unit overnight at any time is eight. The service is also registered with the Care Quality Commission and provides adult day care, homecare services for adults living in their homes and a support living service. All access the short-break service at the same time.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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 requires improvement to be 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

At the last inspection in June 2017, three requirements were made. One of the requirements has been met in full, while the remaining requirements have been met in part and have therefore been repeated as part of this inspection. The arrangements for keeping children and young people safe while using the short-break service have improved. However, there needs to be more consistency in relation to staffing, and with regard to providing activities and targets that are appropriate for the children’s and young people’s abilities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and the staff aspire to enhance the lives of children by making their short breaks as enriching as possible. Displays in the home show the range of activities that Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 2 staff organise, especially during holidays and over weekends. Recent examples include an overnight residential stay at Center Parcs, as well as going shopping and swimming, and going on trips to the local parks.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children who are newly admitted to the home are introduced sensitively. Care plans and behaviour support plans are comprehensive documents that help staff to understand the needs of young people and the strategies to follow in order to meet their needs and manage challenging behaviour. Key workers help to identify patterns and trends of behaviour, with the typical outcome being that initial difficulties reduce significantly over time. In addition, young people are helped to overcome barriers to their development, such as reducing their anxieties so that they can: engage better with their peers; visit places they have not been to before; and increase the amount of time short-break care they have.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

More is being done to identify specific targets for young people, including those arising from annual reviews or child-in-need plans. However, case records do not demonstrate that these are being addressed and there is as yet no system in place for recording ongoing progress. Other than through anecdotal evidence and information shared at meetings with other professionals, it is hard to demonstrate that plans are being followed and children helped to achieve their potential. This was the subject of a recommendation at the full inspection and has been made a requirement this time.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s interior is showing signs of wear and tear. Exposed plaster is visible in most bedrooms around the windows, as water lifts the paintwork off when the windows are opened. Wheelchairs have marked the wall covering in the small lounge. Substances that are a hazard to health are left out in the corridors for children to grab. Soiled linen in a yellow bag was also left out in the corridor. This is unhygienic and makes the upstairs area smell.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

During the one-day inspection, 26 children and young adults accessed the service. They range from 11 to 25 years old. The main room that everyone accesses is the activity room. This is a large space where most children and young adults mix. Beanbags and specialist equipment are brought into the room for children to play on. One corner of the activity room is screened off. This area is a designated space for a child who lives at the short-break service. Other children can throw a ball to the child over the screen and staff chat to the child with a screen as a barrier. The activity space, which includes the small lounge is loud and busy and some children find the area overstimulating.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between children and young adults at the home are satisfactory. Children who live in the home have some contact with the children who visit for short breaks. Staff reported that the children help each other, and that they have developed mutually beneficial friendships. Currently, a young person whose primary need relates to challenging behaviour is being carefully managed because of the possible negative impact of their behaviour on the children and young people who already access the service. The registered manager accepted the referral even though the home is registered for short breaks and children are unable to live permanently at the home. The responsible individual is aware that the environment is not appropriate for children to live in permanently, and is in communication with the placing authority to find a more Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 3 suitable long-term placement for the child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A number of staff left the service in the summer of 2017. The registered manager continues to try and recruit permanent staff. Some staff have been employed, but the use of agency staff remains a key feature for children and young people accessing the service. This fails to provide the children with consistency and limits their opportunity to develop a relationship with staff members. A requirement was made about this at the last full inspection. This requirement has also been made again at this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two staff files did not have the required level of scrutiny with regard to their past employment history. One staff member had worked in a primary school for 10 months in 2017, but no reference from the school had been obtained. Another senior staff member had worked in two different care settings, again in 2017, but no enquiries had been made to the employers to check on the suitability of the individual to work with children. Failing to scrutinize the employment record of potential staff could leave children and young people vulnerable.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A strength of the staff team is in helping children and families to prepare for moving on from the home. The manager works closely with local authorities to help them to assess the children’s entitlements as they move into adulthood. Staff also work well with families to help them to understand how their parental rights change as their children become young adults.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has very recently completed a successful move into a supported living arrangement a few doors from the children’s home. The staff from the children’s home support the young person in his own home and in turn he accesses the children’s home for day care. Although this provides continuity for the young person, the home does not provide an environment where he is in the company of peers who are of his own age and ability.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Systems for monitoring practice at the home are good. Independent monitoring visits highlight areas of development; these are then responded to swiftly, highlighting the management’s enthusiasm for improvement. These visits regularly include discussions with children, staff, professionals and family members, so that the independent visitor can gain a good insight into the services offered.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Good 10/11/2015 Full Good

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s preferences and targets. (Regulation (9)(1)(2)(ii)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe; and that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, removing cleaning products when not is use to a lockable area. (Regulation 12(2)(d)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that (a) helps children aspire to their full potential; and (b) promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(2)(c)(e)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children are admitted to the 31/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 5 home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children may only be accommodated under short- break arrangements as per the condition of registration for the setting. (Regulation 14(2)(a)) 32: Fitness of workers

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 31/03/2018

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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

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: My Life-My Choice Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Andrea Brighouse Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 6 Registered manager: Kerry Hursey

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Inspector:

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 7 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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