Children's Home run by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council in Knowsley

Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 1 Registered provider: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 23 February 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(ix)) In particular, ensure that each child is encouraged and supported to have a suitable and structured daily routine with meaningful activities that helps to prepare them for education, training and employment. 30/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health needs and well-being of children are met; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered to ensure— that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) This specifically refers to encouraging each child to see the importance of good dental hygiene and to attend regular dental appointments; to attend optician and hospital appointments; and to recognise and take action to reduce the dangers associated with smoking tobacco and cannabis on their health and well-being. 30/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 30/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 4 This specifically relates to providing a copy of the report to HMCI in a timely way. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 30/10/2018

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Recommendations

 Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their risk management plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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improvement to be good

Young people’s education and learning experiences are not yet good and they are not making the desired progress. Staff have a good understanding of each young person’s needs and the barriers to learning. They are working closely with education providers and the local authority to encourage and support young people’s education as a good parent would. There are encouraging signs that young people are taking steps in the right direction. Staff have encouraged a young person to return to school. Another young person’s artwork was displayed at a local gallery. The artwork attracted a lot of interest, and it was sold for £40. Staff and the local authority employability worker are actively supporting a young person who has left school. Staff have helped him set up a bank account and to obtain a National Insurance number and provisional driving licence. The staff are encouraging him to get a construction skills certification scheme card at a local college. The young

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improvement to be good

person has benefited from informal learning activities, such as designing a colour scheme and helping to paint and decorate the house. However, these opportunities are not organised in a structured way. The young person does not have a suitable daily routine to help him to build his confidence, independence and prepare for education, training and employment. Staff are struggling to get young people to see their health and well-being as priorities. Young people are reluctant to play an active role in meeting their day-to-day health needs and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Young people continue to use cannabis and tobacco, despite being aware of the risks to their health. Some young people’s dental care is poor, and they refuse to go to the dentist, have their eyes tested or to attend Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 5 hospital appointments. Staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to respond to the health needs of young

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improvement to be good

people, including giving basic first aid. They continue to give young people suitable advice and guidance. Their persistence is starting to pay off, with a young person going to the dentist for treatment. Young people live in a nurturing and supportive environment. The manager and staff are skilled at engaging with young people. They communicate easily with young people. Staff’s friendly and understanding approach helps young people over time to trust them and to have positive relationships. They listen to young people and respond appropriately to their wishes and feelings.

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

Young people live in a safe environment with a strong safeguarding culture. They are protected from harm. Young people have a sense of safety and well-being. They do not go missing from the home. Young people talk to staff about their worries and their concerns are taken seriously. Staff support young people to be aware of their safety and how to protect themselves, both at home and in the community. Staff recognise when young people are in danger of, or involved in, exploitative or damaging relationships. They support young people to understand what makes a healthy relationship and work hard to prevent young people from having harmful relationships. Staff have a clear and detailed understanding of each young person’s vulnerabilities. They have the expertise to identify signs that a young person may be in any way at risk of harm, including from urban street gangs and criminal exploitation. Managers and staff take appropriate measures to support young people to manage and

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

reduce risks. They take prompt and decisive action when there are immediate dangers to young people’s safety. Managers and staff are part of a well-established and effective local safeguarding network. Staff share information appropriately with their partner agencies to identify and understand risk and to inform practice and decision-making to protect young people. Young people are increasingly managing their feelings and frustrations constructively. There has been a significant reduction in aggressive behaviour and young people are no longer using cannabis in the house or causing damage. Young people are making good choices to keep away from trouble and are handling difficult situations responsibly. They are also increasingly a positive influence on the behaviour of other young people. Staff help young people to see the benefits of positive behaviour. They have used exciting and physical activities, such as quad biking, to divert young people from

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

challenging behaviour. The manager and staff’s consistent approach to behaviour management is having a positive impact on young people. Staff have a good understanding of each young person’s behaviour and the best way to support them. Young people now have clear and unambiguous expectations about their behaviour and plans. Because staff are sticking to Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 6 the plans and working consistently, young people are accepting appropriate boundaries. However, young people’s written risk assessments and behaviour management plans are not always up to date. The plans do not set out the details of the specific steps that staff should take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The effectiveness of leadership and management is judged as inadequate because there has not been a registered manager for over 26 weeks. A new permanent manager has been appointed and is making an application for registration. The manager has relevant management experience and is completing the appropriate level 5 diploma in leadership for children and young people’s residential services. The manager’s calm and clear leadership has brought stability and direction to the management of the home. He provides staff with the right support, supervision and guidance. Staff are now working more consistently as a team to support young people. The responsible individual and the manager have an accurate understanding of the quality of care young people are receiving. They know what is working well for young people and are focused on the right things to improve young people’s lives. This includes building staff’s confidence; developing their knowledge and skills around an agreed way

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

of working with young people; embedding a consistent and effective approach to help young people to manage their feelings and behaviour; and improving the quality of support for young people to achieve better outcomes. Several staff are not in work due to ill health. The responsible individual and the manager have made sure that there are enough suitably competent and experienced staff available to meet the needs of young people. They are using the same members of staff from the local authority’s other children’s homes. Young people already know these members of staff and get on with them. The arrangement has provided a good level of continuity of care and minimised the disruption to young people’s lives. The local authority has not provided Ofsted with the review of the home’s quality of care report and the monthly reports by an independent person in a timely way.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 7 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

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Information about this inspection

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: 1242116 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Knowsley MBC, Children’s Services, Huyton Municipal Buildings, 6th Floor, Huyton, Merseyside L36 9YU

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1242116 9 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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