Children's home run by Care Afloat Ltd in West Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 1 SC062268 Registered provider: Care Afloat 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 home is privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager is suitably qualified and was registered to manage the home in October 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 September 2018

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 25 September 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2017 Full Outstanding 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2016 Full Outstanding 11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b) 31/12/2018

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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 signed by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitations placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary revised; and allows children as much freedom as possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a)(b)(c)(i)ii)(iii)(iv) 14/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e) 14/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(v)(vi) With particular reference to accurate and clear recording of incidents of missing from home, physical intervention and serious incidents. 14/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 4

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) In particular, with reference to young people’s plans being written and presented in a child-friendly manner.  For children’s home to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, with reference to the renewal or improvement to the young people’s shower.  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems or regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the above principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s

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Recommendations

home regulations including the quality standards’, page 46 paragraph 9.36)  Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from individualised care and attention that is offered by a stable and committed team of staff. Young people feel cared for and settled and, through the positive relationships that develop with staff, are supported to begin to address previous life experiences and trauma. Specialist services that address drug and alcohol problems and emotional health are offered to young people in a timely manner. The holistic care that they receive, over time, helps them to make progress in all aspects of their lives. For example, they engage in education, develop plans for their future careers and begin to make safer choices. For some young people, incidents of self-harm have significantly decreased. The views of young people are important to the staff and they are encouraged to participate in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. For example, one young person chaired her own ‘children looked after’ review. However, supporting care

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

planning documents are not child-focused, nor do they reflect the individual’s views about placement goals. Healthy activities are promoted by the staff, and young people are fully encouraged to develop suitable leisure activities. There is a welcoming and calm ambience to the home and it is relatively well maintained. However, the young people’s shower would benefit Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 5 from either renewal or replacement of grouting. Plans for young people to join the home involve the manager meeting the young people and ensuring that they have multiple opportunities to visit the home and meet the staff. However, decision-making regarding the timing of admissions to the home has not always been appropriate. Careful analysis has not always been applied in balancing the needs and challenges that other young people already resident present. As a result, one young person experienced early disruption to her placement due to the behaviours of

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improvement to be good

Young people do not often go missing from home and, if they do, staff are active in trying to keep in touch with them and ensuring their safe return. Staff work hard with young people to reduce and prevent some behaviours that may cause a risk to their welfare and safety. Young people’s vulnerabilities are understood well by the staff. Both young people are able to identify staff that they particularly trust and both feel that staff genuinely care about their welfare. Young people feel listened to and, on the whole, respond to the boundaries and rules that staff put in place. As a result, young people experience a sense of stability and well-being. However, consequences imposed by staff to manage some behaviours and reinforce rules are not always educative in nature or restorative. For example, consequences have continuously been repeated without careful evaluation of their impact or whether they are having the desired effect.

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improvement to be good

It has been the practice of staff to lock several rooms at night and two during the day, such as the ‘chill-out’ room, kitchen and a downstairs toilet. This restricts young people’s movement around their home and is not supported by risk assessments that would provide a clear rationale for these actions. Not all serious incidents that have occurred have been notified to Ofsted. This limits the regulatory body’s oversight of the home. The evaluation of events involving physical restraints, incidents of young people going missing from home, and serious incidents is limited due to the weaknesses in recording by staff. In some cases, times are omitted and, in others, actions of staff are not sufficiently clear to offer a comprehensive chronology and assurance that all reasonable steps were taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and was registered to manage the home in October 2012. She leads a dedicated, qualified and long-serving staff team. Staff turnover is extremely low and this offers young people stability in forming and maintaining relationships with the adults who care for them. Developing relationships with young people is a particular strength of the staff and this forms the basis of much of their work. Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 6 Staff have access to ongoing training opportunities that enhance their skills and knowledge base. The manager has a strong presence in the home and leads by example. Staff benefit from her guidance and experience and she offers high-quality formal and informal supervision. Teamwork amongst the staff is a key feature and strength of the care provided. The manager is highly knowledgeable about the young people and ensures that she understands their progress, views, wishes and feelings. This insight is maintained

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

through regular individual consultations and, as a result, young people feel listened to and responded to. For example, in response to a young person’s request, a new ‘sanctuary’ area in the garden has been constructed. This provides a private space outside the home that can be used for therapy and family visits. The active and ongoing liaison with other professionals ensures that young people’s care remains focused and appropriate. There is an open and learning culture amongst the manager and staff and they seek regular feedback from other agencies. Not all documentation required under regulations has been secured by the manager from the placing local authorities. Some care plans are out of date and refer to information that is no longer correct.

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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: SC062268 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 158-160 Birkrig, Digmoor Parade, Skelmersdale WN8 9HP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Fletcher

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Inspector

Pauline Yates, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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