Children's Home run by iMap Centre Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 1 SC481295 Registered provider: Imap Centre 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 children‟s home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people who have a learning disability and/or a physical disability. The home is also able to provide care to young adults as they transition into adulthood.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2014.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC481295 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2017 Full Good 05/01/2017 Full Good 28/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/03/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 3

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 the home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a detailed compatibility risk assessment in place in relation to young adults living in the home. 10/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify the HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)) 10/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with any conditions in relation to the registered person under part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16(5)(6)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the home must ensure that it operates within the conditions of registration. 10/08/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 4 The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) —

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure used and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(viii)(b)(i)(c)) 10/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person actively seeks independent scrutiny of the home and makes best use of the information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learnt and sustaining good practice. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 5 risks to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, enhance further the process for the verification of the staff‟s references.  Ensure that the staff are familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and

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Recommendations

understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child should always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, ensure that the new reporting systems are firmly embedded in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are thriving because the staff know them well, listen to them and invest considerable amounts of time in them. Staff have consistently high, but reasonable aspirations for all young people and they want young people to achieve their individual goals. Social workers and parents are very impressed with the progress that the young people are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a strong voice in the home. They are consulted on all aspects of their care and are treated with the utmost respect. Staff are good communicators who skilfully adapt their communication style to meet the diverse needs of each young person. Social workers are pleased with the wide range of activities provided that continue to promote young people‟s progress across all areas of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are much more independent. One young person confidently explained how they can now travel to and from college independently. Another said that they now enjoy visiting lots of different places. The emphasis placed by staff on building independence skills has resulted in a significant improvement in the young people‟s confidence and self-esteem. Young people enjoy an extensive range of planned and informal activities which allow them to learn and to have fun. One young person proudly spoke about how they had enjoyed a recent trip to the zoo. This was something that they had not been able to do previously due to their fears and anxieties. This is a momentous achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are highly committed to helping young people overcome any barriers to their engagement in education or social events. For example, two members of staff spent the day supporting a young person to attend a family wedding. This meant that the young person was able to spend the day with their loved ones and was fully involved in the celebrations. The young person‟s family said that this „made the day for them‟ as they were all together as a family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are becoming much less anxious in a variety of social situations. This is because of the trusting relationship that they have with the staff. Young people enjoy going out for meals with staff and are increasing in their confidence to order and pay for their meals. One young person was particularly looking forward to buying their „first pint‟ Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 6 on their 18th birthday. They explained that they knew not to overdo it, but wanted to try this as they have their summer ball coming up and want to keep themselves safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are in full-time education and many have achieved 100% attendance. Staff are proactive in encouraging young people new to the home to engage in education. The staff use innovative ways, such as giving the young person letters and videos from other pupils, to tell them all about the school and all the fun things that they can do there with the objective of helping to reduce their anxieties about going to school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s healthcare needs are very well supported. Detailed healthcare plans demonstrate that the registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the individual health and developmental needs of the young people. Staff are tenacious and ensure that the young people receive the correct medical support and interventions. A medical professional commended the staff for their support for one particular young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are being prepared well for the next stages in their lives. Staff are strong advocates for young people and are not afraid to challenge the local authority when they feel that a young person is not receiving the right support. Some young people have undertaken training with the staff, including sessions on understanding mental health, safeguarding and first aid. This inclusive approach means that young people have been able to build their awareness about maintaining their safety and well-being for when they move into their new home. Other young people have undertaken work experience opportunities. This has enabled them to make informed choices about their future careers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are skilled at using a range of devices and mediums to talk to their families, especially those who live a long way from the home. These mediums may be face-to-face meetings, using the telephone, social media or video applications. Consequently, young people maintain regular contact with their families and other people who are important to them.

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

Young people live in a safe home where they are protected from harm. Safeguarding practice is secure. The registered manager responds quickly and sensitively to safeguarding issues and this helps to keep young people safe. Staff have an understanding of good safeguarding practice, including who they need to report concerns to in relation to young adults living in the home.

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

Young people do not go missing from the home. This is because of the high staffing levels in place and because staff have a very good understanding of the needs and vulnerabilities of each young person. Staff are clear on the action to take should this occur.

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

Staff are positive role models. They understand the diverse communication styles of Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 7 each young person, whether this is through hand signals, pictorial or spoken word. This allows the staff to gain young people‟s views and helps young people to make good choices. The staff plan well and are proactive in responding to young people‟s anxieties. As a result, physical interventions are very rarely used.

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

Staff know that some situations can be extremely stressful to young people, such as when settling into their new home. They provide sensitive support that enables the young people to explore and settle into their new surroundings at their own pace. A social worker said that their young person „has settled in extremely well considering that they had been in a solo placement and as such, has been very isolated. I attribute that to the experience of the staff and their ability to make them feel somewhat at ease.‟ Another social worker commented on the „significant decrease in a young person‟s anxiety and episodes of violence‟, as a consequence of living here.

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

Young people live in a warm, caring and nurturing environment. They are actively encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. Consequently, they all reflect the uniqueness of each young person. Communal spaces are well designed and provide ample opportunities for young people to spend time together or by themselves. The rear garden is a safe, fun space. Young people enjoy using the swing set and the opportunities to grow fruit and vegetables. The registered manager and staff have plans to develop the garden space further.

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

Careful recruitment of staff helps prevent unsuitable people from being recruited. At present, staff in the human resource department are verifying references for the applicants. Best practice would suggest that this could be improved if the registered manager undertook this role and recorded the outcomes of their discussions with the referee.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced to manage the children‟s home. He is supported effectively by an experienced deputy and staff team, all of whom are strong advocates for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, it became apparent that the home was caring for young adults. The home had failed to notify Ofsted of this change. Therefore, due to this oversight, the home was in breach of their conditions of registration. This was addressed immediately. The home has not yet formalised a compatibility risk assessment about caring for young adults in the home. However, this has been undertaken verbally and has been considered in relation to other young people coming to live at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Ofsted has not received a statement of purpose since May 2016. The current statement of purpose was provided during the inspection and is dated January 2018. It was identified that this conflicted with the home‟s conditions of registration. This does not promote transparency or compliance with the Care Standards Act 2000.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has initiated several changes in the way that the staff record Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 8 information about the young people. This is still in its infancy and has led to inconsistencies in the quality of record-keeping, such as in the records of physical interventions and first aid.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring of the home by the registered manager and independent person is not yet secure. This is because their reports lack sufficient evaluation as to what the home does well, the areas for improvement or any emerging patterns or trends. This limits the registered manager‟s ability to drive forward continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals are very complimentary about the registered manager and staff. They said that they have been very pleased with the care and support provided to the young people. As a result, young people are thriving because of the clear structures, routines and support that they receive from staff.

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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: SC481295 9

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Imap Centre Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Imap School, Barrowmore Estate, Barnhouse Lane, Great Barrow, Chester CH3 7JA

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC481295 10 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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