Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St. Helens

Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 1 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services 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

The home can accommodate three children; boys and girls aged five to 17 years who are unable to live in their own family setting. The manager has been registered since November 2017.

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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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 2

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all the controlled and prescribed medication is stored safely and recorded as required. 13/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child, which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, the home should be a well-maintained and welcoming environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 3 quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff. The record should provide evidence that supervision is delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to improve the overall experience and progress of children living in the home. There are warm, nurturing relationships between the children and staff, and both managers and staff demonstrate perseverance and determination to support children through times of crisis. Children were confident in explaining to the inspector that staff provide daily encouragement and guidance. One child said, ‘The staff do spend time with us and we get to choose our activities. I like it here and it feels like my home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making measured progress in all areas of their lives, including their health, education, safety and emotional well-being. Staff are aware of children’s individual needs, and they work hard to ensure that all children achieve and are happy, safe and healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have made significant progress in their education placements since moving into the home. Staff continually promote and support children with their education and provide daily incentives to recognise children’s achievements. When children refuse to attend education, there are clear routines in place for staff to follow. This ensures that staff are consistent in their approach in encouraging children to return to their education placements as soon as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into and out of the home are carefully planned. Prior to any new children moving into the home, the registered manager completes a detailed impact risk assessment to consider the suitability of the placement. Assessments identify the children’s individual needs and consider their compatibility with the existing group. This ensures that children are appropriately placed and that staff are fully aware of their individual care needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand their rights and entitlements. Moreover, they have weekly meetings in which to raise their views and opinions about the home. One child said, ‘This (home) is much better than other places I have lived and the staff are definitely well better. They listen and they help and I know they do actual care about us.’ This confidence in staff care and nurture supports children’s self-esteem and improves their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have established positive working relationships with children’s families and friends. Staff support children to maintain contact with important people in their lives. When issues arise around contact, staff liaise with the local authority and look at how contact Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 4 could be more enjoyable, for example by facilitating activities. This ensures that the children have continuing relationships with important people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers and the independent reviewing officer confirm that communication is good and that staff provide regular updates. This ensures that those involved are fully informed and updated, and are working together to ensure that the children’s needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote a warm, nurturing environment. However, children’s bedrooms and bathrooms were untidy and unclean. Staff were not proactive in supporting children to improve their own bedroom space, despite the registered manager implementing a daily checklist system for staff, which identified all tasks that need completing. When this issue was brought to the attention of the registered manager during the inspection, immediate action was taken to rectify it and an agenda item was added for the next team meeting, which included expectations of staff regarding the cleanliness of the home environment.

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

The arrangements for the safe administration of controlled medication are unsafe and do not comply with the guidance provided by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, ‘Managing medicine in care homes’ March 2014. This is because the controlled medication is not stored correctly. Furthermore, several changes and alterations had been made in the controlled and prescribed medication books, which made it difficult to determine if children had been given medication or if medication was unaccounted for. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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

Staff have positive relationships with children. They generate a culture of openness to encourage children to take appropriate risks as part of growing up. For example, they support children to go out with friends in the community and use the internet safely. Clear risk assessments are regularly reviewed and monitored. These capture changing circumstances and help ensure that children’s safety is promoted.

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

Children are provided with a copy of the children’s guide, and all understand how to make a complaint through an easily accessible and child-focused procedure. Children confirm that they have used the complaints process, and although one child was unhappy with the outcome, the registered manager had explained why his complaint was not upheld. However, on occasions, the registered manager had not updated all complaint records to include relevant and up-to-date information. While this does not directly affect children, it does not provide a full detailed history of the complaints, including the outcomes and whether further action was required.

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

Staff understand their responsibilities in keeping the children safe, and know how to do this. Detailed risk assessments are followed in order to manage effectively any known or emerging behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. Staff practice is reinforced by good links with external safeguarding agencies and professionals, who have been appropriately Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 5 involved when the need has arisen.

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

The managers and the staff team have a clear understanding of risks to children associated with going missing from care, and they are proactive in their approach, assessing the risks and putting arrangements in place to protect children. When children go missing, staff and the managers act appropriately in a timely manner to notify the police and local authority, and find the children. When a child returns to the home, staff check on their welfare and warmly welcome them back home. A debrief between the registered manager and the child takes place when they return, and a return interview by the responsible authority is carried out.

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

The management team and staff use a restorative approach to address negative behaviour displayed by children. This approach encourages children to reflect on any concerning or risky behaviours and take responsibility for their actions, while gaining an understanding of the impact of their behaviours on others. For example, children have been involved in repairs to the home when they have caused damage. This promotes a sense of personal responsibility for children regarding their actions.

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

Staff have attended training on the use of physical restraint and have developed techniques of de-escalation and appropriate holds. Since the last inspection, physical intervention has increased. However, this was in line with government guidance and was appropriately recorded. Both children and the staff involved have the opportunity to discuss the restraint with a relevant adult. The registered manager reviews the information to find out whether any trends, patterns or issues emerge. This information is reflected on, and any learning gained is used to inform future practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the children’s needs, and is fully involved in the implementation of their care. He is well supported by a very competent deputy manager who shares his motivation for achieving good outcomes for the children. Together, they lead a team of caring staff, who have high aspirations for children and provide them with positive experiences that help them to achieve good outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported well by the managers, who they say are always available when needed. Staff attend regular team meetings that are inclusive, and staff said that they are able to ‘discuss any new ideas’, ‘raise any concerns’ or ‘identify any changes required in practice’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although some staff receive regular supervision and training, this is not consistent across the team. In particular, not all staff had had training in medication and self-harm. Furthermore, the times, dates and length of supervision differed on the records provided, and case records were not always signed and dated by the author, as required by regulation. The registered manager accepted that improvements are required to ensure that all staff have the skills required within their role, and that all records are Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 6 consistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager makes good use of external scrutiny and internal quality assurance measures to identify and address shortfalls. He recognises that he needs to take a strategic approach to the promotion of wholesale improvement if he is to progress this home beyond good.

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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: 1241757 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St. Helens, Merseyside WA10 1GJ

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, social care inspection manager Janine Shortman-Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1241757 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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