Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Inspection report children’s home: SC022438 1 SC022438 Registered provider: PIC 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 is one of several owned by a private company. The home is registered to care for one child who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted on 4 June 2013.

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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

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2017

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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: SC022438 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/07/2016 Full Good 15/03/2016 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC022438 3

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Statutory requirement

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 independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent report to HMCI.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)(7)(a) 27/08/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. Where appropriate, children should be involved in choosing and preparing meals and opportunities to sit together and eat should be promoted. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8) In particular, ensure that healthy and nutritious meals are planned and if possible involve the young person’s choices.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, ensure that all documents are signed and dated by the authors. Inspection report children’s home: SC022438 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of care provided by the staff is very nurturing, responsive and focused on helping the young person to achieve stability in his life. Change is supported step by step and at the young person’s pace and ability. This allows him to develop confidence while building self-esteem and trust in appropriate adults. A social worker commented, ‘I am delighted at the progress he is making. He is thriving living in this home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships are a major strength. In a short space of time, the young person has developed strong and meaningful attachments with the manager and the staff team who are committed to providing him with positive experiences. This results in a calm and harmonious atmosphere in which the young person can thrive. The young person said, ‘I like living here because it’s quiet.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is given a high priority. The young person living in the home struggles to maintain full-time education. Staff stay in close contact with teachers and education workers, including virtual headteachers. This ensures that a planned approach is taken in relation to young people’s education, and their individual needs will not be allowed to drift. An education professional said, ‘The staff here work tirelessly to encourage him into education and it is working, albeit with very slow steps at the moment.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate and support the young person well to maintain a strong sense of identity. Contact with family members is promoted and maintained in a way that meets the young person’s best interests. As a result, the young person can maintain links and develop relationships with those who are significant to him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff monitor the young person’s health and provide the necessary support to ensure that routine appointments and checks are up to date. Staff also provide good information about the importance of healthy lifestyles and promptly seek specialist interventions, such as from dieticians, when necessary. However, staff should endeavour to offer a coordinated response to providing a healthy, well-balanced diet for the young person by compiling a weekly planned menu.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transition planning for young people joining the home is a strength of the manager and staff team. The manager and staff are aware of the anxieties that moving home can cause young people and they are skilled in supporting them to move into this home. Good use of assessments and planning documents, along with positive relationships with commissioners and social workers, mean that young people move into this home positively. Inspection report children’s home: SC022438 5

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

The young person told the inspector that he feels safe at the home. He knows that he can talk to staff if he has any concerns or worries. The young person benefits from high levels of support and supervision provided by a staff team that is trained in all aspects of safeguarding. Staff present as knowledgeable and confident in implementing the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures and take a highly proactive approach to ensure the young person’s safety.

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

Risk assessments clearly identify risks for the young person alongside strategies for staff to manage these risks. The assessments are regularly reviewed, and updates are communicated to all staff. This ensures that they are aware of any changes to the risks associated with the young person.

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

The young person has not been reported missing from this home. However, there are individual protocols in place for staff to follow if the young person was to go missing or be absent without permission.

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

Staff are considerate of the young person’s individual needs and behaviours. They reflect on what may cause outbursts or negative behaviour and have produced detailed behaviour-response plans, with the young person’s direct input. The young person’s views are carefully considered by the staff when developing plans to encourage positive behaviour. Incentives are meaningful to the young person and assist with this.

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

Staff have created photograph journals for the young person. These show activities, day-to-day achievements and celebrations that the young person has attended. The journals are not only a lasting memory for the young person but can also be used very effectively to show the progress that he has made.

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

The physical environment for the young person and staff is safe and secure. Regular health and safety checks, alongside regularly reviewed and updated risk assessments, protect the young person and staff from the risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is very nurturing and responsive to the young person’s needs. She leads a team that has high aspirations for the young person. The staff have a very good understanding of his needs and are highly motivated to improve outcomes for the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Morale in the staff team is strong. Its members are a stable workforce who are supported through regular formal supervision. The registered manager and senior members of the team provide support at all times and are very relaxed and approachable. Inspection report children’s home: SC022438 6 There are clear responsibilities and accountabilities for the staff team. The staff share a sense of ownership about the practice in this home and they are well led and managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young person’s social worker spoke very positively about how well the registered manager works with them, the young person and other professionals to ensure that the young person’s needs are thoroughly listened to, understood and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team provides staff with regular and effective supervision and has suitable arrangements in place to support staff’s development through annual appraisals. This, in addition to suitable training opportunities and monthly team meetings, means that staff are supported well and have the necessary skills to carry out their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Case records are clear and detailed and reflect the work that is undertaken with the young person. However, the management team agrees that young people’s records require further improvement to ensure that staff sign and date each record accordingly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal monitoring of the home is very good. However, the reports regarding the external monitoring of the home have not been sent to Ofsted or undertaken within legislative timescales. This shortfall compromises Ofsted’s ability to gain regular oversight of the service and fails to adequately support the registered manager’s review of the quality of care provided.

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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: SC022438 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC022438 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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