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

Inspection report children’s home: SC441410 1 SC441410 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home can accommodate two young people who are unable to live in their own family setting. There is a registered manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 December 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: 13 December 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: SC441410 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/06/2016 Full Good 22/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC441410 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that staff receive training with regard to understanding, managing and responding to self-harm.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Particularly in relation to recording how research is used in the home and how this benefits the young people and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is settled and happy in his environment. Staff have built a positive relationship with him. The inspector saw that the young person had a good rapport with the managers and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is welcoming and resembles that of a family home. Staff support and encourage the young person to personalise his home. Staff listen to him and consider his views and opinions on his care. This gives the young person a sense of belonging. The young person said, ‘I like this home. It looks really nice.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the young person with praise and reassurance. This increases his self- confidence and self-esteem. Staff enable the young person to attend his educational provision. Staff work with education staff to give consistency and structure. This ensures that the young person receives the right level of education for his needs. A member of education staff said, ‘We keep communication going. Staff tell us how they manage [name’s] negative behaviour and we try to follow this.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage the young person to prepare for adulthood. He is developing independence skills. He helps with household tasks and is learning cooking skills. The young person is polite and helps visitors to feel welcome in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know how important it is for young people to make memories. Photographs show the young person’s experiences while living in the home. Staff support the young person to enjoy contact with his siblings. They are often invited to the home where they enjoy a meal and engage in a variety of activities together. This ensures that the young person continues to have a sense of identity. Inspection report children’s home: SC441410 4

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

Staff give the young person’s safety top priority. Staff identify when he is anxious or upset because they know him well. The young person contributes to his care plans. He tells staff what triggers his emotions. He tells staff what they need to do to support him to manage his behaviours.

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

The young person enjoys spending time in the home and with his siblings. He likes to use his games console and can use the internet safely. The young person has completed e-safety training online. He has listened to staff and has discussed the potential dangers. The young person explained to the inspector how to keep safe online. He was able to explain how a programme called Koala helps to safeguard young people.

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

The young person does not go missing from the home. He likes living at the home and has invested in his placement. He knows the dangers of going missing from home and safely manages his free time in the community. Staff know the procedures to follow should the young person go missing from the home. This ensures that the young person is safe.

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

Risk management plans consider the young person’s risks and how to manage these. Staff are upbeat and keep the young person busy. They give him lots of praise for positive behaviour and achievements. They use distraction techniques to avoid negative feelings or anger. The young person’s support worker said, ‘I have not seen or had any issues with [name’s] behaviour at home or in the community.’

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

Physical intervention is only used to keep the young person and staff safe. On a few occasions, staff have guided the young person to another area of the home. The manager evaluates the method used, to ensure that it was necessary and proportionate.

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

The sanctions used by staff are effective. Staff know that the young person enjoys spending time on his games console. He understands that negative behaviour could result in restriction of the internet. This is a successful method. It helps the young person to make better choices and to regulate his behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered in November 2017. He is enthusiastic, motivated and experienced. He manages another home within the organisation. This does not affect the care that the young person receives in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has almost completed the required qualification in leadership and management. An experienced deputy manager supports him. Managers and staff are child-focused. They have aspirations for the young person to achieve good outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision is regular and of good quality. Staff team meetings are well attended and there is evidence to show records of the discussions. The manager shares Inspection report children’s home: SC441410 5 information with his team and updates them on new developments. The inspector had the opportunity of joining the staff team meeting. The young person’s care was discussed and the plans for family contact over the Christmas period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some areas of very good practice completed by managers and staff. The manager has sourced information about internet safety and reflective supervision. There is a lack of evidence to show how this information is used in practice. A recommendation is made to reflect this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have good relationships with other agencies. They communicate with health and education professionals. This ensures that important information is shared. A support worker commented, ‘[Name] has a really good support team in place that meets [name’s] needs.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed all mandatory training, including training around child sexual exploitation. Other training such as training around self-harm has been of benefit to the staff. Ligature training would provide staff with the knowledge and skills to ensure that they are able to manage potentially harmful behaviours.

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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: SC441410 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: SC441410 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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