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

Inspection report children’s home: SC482410 1 SC482410 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 is owned by a private company and can accommodate up to three young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since September 2018.

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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 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: 21 November 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: SC482410 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2017 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/11/2016 Full Outstanding 19/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC482410 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 registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (3)(b)) 19/11/2018

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Recommendations

 It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The resident young people were seen during the inspection. They were observed to have good relationships with staff. Some young people spent time with the inspector, talking about their hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know young people well. They work together to ensure that young people receive consistent care. Clear boundaries and routines provide young people with security and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use incentives well to encourage young people to attend their education provision. Staff explore barriers to learning and they work well together with education staff. This ensures that young people have achievable goals for their learning needs. There are a variety of activities on offer to young people. Young people tell staff what Inspection report children’s home: SC482410 4 they like to do in their recreational time, and staff listen to them and promote their interests and hobbies. Staff offer new experiences to young people and support them to engage in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn independence skills. Staff support young people to learn how to cook and budget, and this assists them in their adult lives. Young people’s care is well planned and closely matches their care plans, which helps them to progress in their placements taking into account their histories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a voice in the home. Independent advocates support young people to share their views and opinions.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been three missing-from-home incidents. When an incident happens, staff follow missing-from-home procedures. They search for the young people and contact their friends’ parents to find the whereabouts of the young people.

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

Independent return home interviews have not been provided to the young people. This is a missed opportunity for young people to talk with someone independent from the home.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been occasions when staff have used physical intervention. These were low-level and necessary to guide young people away from potential harmful situations, and to ensure that the other young people and staff were safe.

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

There have been a high number of sanctions used for failure to attend school. The new manager has introduced incentives. These are designed to encourage young people to attend their education provision. This process is proving successful. Most young people are attending school daily. They are working hard to achieve their educational goals.

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

Young people can manage their free time. Staff teach them how to keep safe in the community. Staff protect the young people and promote their well-being.

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

Young people’s risk assessments are thoughtful. They are individual to young people’s known and emerging behaviours. Staff support young people to contribute to their behaviour support plans. These documents tell staff how best to manage young people’s behaviour and risks, and are followed well in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has a good understanding of the young people’s needs. He manages another of the organisation’s homes and is supported in this home by an experienced deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the new manager is ‘approachable’ and ‘supportive’. They welcome the Inspection report children’s home: SC482410 5 manager’s improvements to staff practice. In particular, they welcome how the team is now consistent in its care and responses to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose sets out the aims and objectives of the service. The manager monitors the service on a regular basis. He monitors young people’s progress and evaluates any triggers to behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A shortfall found at this inspection is the lack of staff supervision. Staff reported that before the new manager arrived, they did not receive regular supervision. They confirmed that they did not receive or have sight of their supervision notes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly staff meetings provide a forum for staff to discuss young people’s progress. They talk about any practice issues and the running of the home. All new staff complete suitable induction training. They familiarise themselves with policies, procedures and practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspector observed the positive relationship that the manager has with the young people. Young people are comfortable in his presence, seeking him out to tell him about their hobbies. He gains young people’s opinions on their care and supports them to attend their review meetings. The manager encourages the young people to share their views on their care and long-term plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is settling into his role. He is building positive working relationships with social workers, education staff and health professionals. This ensures that young people receive care that is specific to their needs.

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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: SC482410 6

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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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Inspector

Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482410 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 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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