Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 1 SC067771 Registered provider: Good Foundations 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 is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children or young people. The home offers care for children and young people who have been unable to live at home, or in any other type of provision, because of the problems they may be having.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 27 June 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2017 Full Good 02/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) 17/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the Children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 17/12/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 4 Young people make good progress in their lives through living at the home. They grow in self-awareness and, over time, learn to manage their emotions and to develop positive and trusting relationships with others. Interactions between the staff and young people are warm and considerate, and observable attachments exist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are in good health and there is a high level of support offered to them to ensure that their health needs are met. The home has a newsletter, which staff use creatively to engage young people in addressing health issues, such as sexual health. For example, quizzes are used as a way of sharing information and building young people’s knowledge in a more relaxed way and one in which young people willingly engage.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in their educational attainment. When young people do not have an identified education placement, the manager and staff team work diligently to ensure that suitable arrangements are put in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people, for whom going missing from home was previously a feature of their lives, experience a significant drop in the frequency of these episodes. However, when young people do go missing from the home, staff follow a robust protocol that includes searching for them

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The atmosphere within the home is very warm and calm, and social interaction is friendly and fun. Young people enjoy a variety of activities such as football, and membership of a local cadet group. This involvement in purposeful activities improves their health and well-being, both physically and emotionally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with young people is a strength of the service. Their input is sought in all aspects of the work undertaken. Young people said that they value this and feel listened to. The home presents as a lived-in family home. It is warm, welcoming and comfortable. The quality of furniture and decoration is very good.

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

The young people living in the home were extremely complimentary about the staff and how the relationships that have been established had a positive effect on their lives. Young people reported feeling ‘safe’, ‘happy’ and commented on their relationships with staff as ‘awesome’ and ‘full of fun times’.

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

Staff have a calming influence when young people become anxious or struggle to manage their behaviour. Behaviour management plans have useful de-escalation strategies that support young people. Young people agree to the consequences given because of their behaviour, which are all as a result of minor issues. Consequences are proportionate and are not punitive. A young person commented, ‘Sometimes I don’t get on my computer, but that’s my fault. I should be good.’ It was pleasing to see that the rewards for good behaviour outnumbered the consequences for negative behaviour. Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 5 The arrangements for administering and storage of young people’s medication require attention by the management team to ensure that young people’s medical needs are met. For example, it was noted that one young person’s medication had been decanted from the original packaging into a weekly dispensing box. This box still contained a

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

tablet from two days previously and it was unclear from the records as to whether the young person had received their medication. The registered manager rectified this shortfall immediately.

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

Environmental risk assessments accurately reflect identified risks and potential hazards. Young people and staff understand fire safety systems and how to respond if emergencies occur. The safety of young people is promoted further through good environmental health and food safety processes. The area risk assessment is being developed further by the new manager to reflect any current or emerging risks in the local area.

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

Young people are fully supported to maintain contact with people who are important to them. Staff ensure that all contact arrangements reflect the young person’s care plan. Appropriate support is in place to ensure that contact is as safe and positive an experience as possible. A social worker commented, ‘The home supports overnight stays to a friend’s house and this allows this relationship to continue.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A motivated and committed registered manager, who has high expectations and aspirations for young people, leads the dedicated staff team effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of collaborative working with other professionals and family members who are involved in each young person’s care, to support positive outcomes for them. Feedback from professionals and family members is positive, praising the management and staff’s commitment to the young people and the progress that they make. A family member commented, ‘He gets nurturing and comfort from a very committed staff team.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel valued and supported by the new manager. However, staff supervision records do not demonstrate that supervision takes place regularly or that staff reflect on their practice and the needs of the young people in their care. However, as a team, this is discussed at monthly staff meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems at the home require some improvement to help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home and to ensure that action is taken to address shortfalls and build on strengths quickly. The members of the management team agree that young people’s records require further improvement and are currently revising the systems for recording and monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although some requirements and a recommendation have been set at this inspection, the reasons for these do not significantly undermine the good-quality individualised care that the young people receive. Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 6

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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: SC067771 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspectors

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Karen Willson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the

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Inspectors

terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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