Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 1 SC068410 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for six young people. The home provides care for young people aged 11 to 18 who have mental health and learning difficulties. The registered manager is appropriately qualified and has extensive knowledge appropriate for the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 20 February 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2018 Full Outstanding 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/07/2016 Full Outstanding 24/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 3

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. The processes the registered person puts in place to enable such a review to take place, should allow for a report to be generated at least once every six months. The generated report should be sent to Ofsted and the placing local authority of all children in the home who are looked-after children. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including quality care standards’, page 64 and 65, paragraphs

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager’s dedication and skill, together with that of the clinical team and all of the care staff, mean that young people receive a consistently high level of care. As a result, young people make excellent progress in all aspects of their lives, including their education, health and well-being and enjoyment of positive experiences. Examples of progress include young people becoming more outgoing, more self-aware, gaining qualifications, making friends and being more independent. A young person said, ‘When l first came l could not do anything. I have progressed [and I am now doing things] which l could not imagine doing when l first came to live here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff use innovative ways to match young people’s interests to related educational activities. This greatly encourages young people’s engagement in their learning. Staff have high aspirations for young people and believe that they can achieve their potential. All young people are attending education and have made significant progress from their starting points. A young person told the inspector, ‘I was not in education before, but now l am, and l have managed to apply for a college place.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff advocate for young people to spend quality time with close friends and family and support young people well. As a result, young people enjoy greatly improved relationships with their families and make and sustain friendships. Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 4 Staff actively encourage young people to be involved in their community; for example young people did some fundraising and made food parcels for charitable organisations. As a result of these initiatives, young people are learning to be more caring and empathetic. Furthermore, young people develop social skills and understand more about social inclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people participate in a variety of activities, which improve their self-esteem and confidence. For example, young people have joined local rugby clubs, football clubs and the gym. One young person told the inspector, ‘I am happy and living my life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people develop exceptional independence skills that prepare them well for adulthood. Given the young people’s complex emotional and mental health needs, this is indicative of their excellent progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Transition plans are managed effectively when young people move into and on from the home. Staff take great care to help young people learn about the home before they move in, which helps to allay their anxieties. Young people receive continuity of care during their time at the home and beyond. Continued support enables young people to feel valued and helps them to maintain the progress that they made while living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment that the young people live in is delightful. It is maintained to a very high standard and young people enjoy a range of facilities. For example, young people benefit from using a well-equipped games room and sensory room and they enjoy eating home-grown vegetables from their garden and freshly laid eggs from the chickens they keep. In addition, the young people love spending time with the pet rabbit and this has a calming influence upon them.

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

Young people’s safety and well-being is the highest priority for staff and safeguarding practice is excellent. As a result, young people receive well-coordinated care and support. Young people value the support they receive from staff and one young person described this as ‘amazing’.

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

Risk assessment and risk management processes are of the highest quality. Staff have well-developed and specialist knowledge about the risks and issues related to mental ill health, self-harm, child sexual exploitation, attachment and trauma, gender reassignment, bipolar conditions and schizophrenia. This enables staff to pre-empt, plan and review young people’s care and ultimately reduce associated risks for young people.

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

Allegations or suspicions of potential harm are responded to with expertise and urgency. Staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding procedures and protocols and diligently follow these. Responses are thoughtful and measured and so young people understand what actions staff take to keep them safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 5 Staff use restorative practice effectively. Young people begin to understand the impact of their risky behaviour on themselves and others. As a result, young people’s risk-taking behaviours are reducing. One young person told the inspector, ‘I feel safe at the home. I am no longer doing risky things and staff trust that l can keep myself safe.’

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

Outstanding inter-agency working with the clinical team, police, placing authority, health providers and schools all help to strengthen young people’s safety. The home has fortnightly multi-disciplinary team meetings. This approach means that any risks to young people are identified promptly and support is put in place immediately.

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

The home environment is safe, as staff undertake regular checks and audits. Young people’s safety is further supported in the safe recruitment of both permanent and agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly motivational, innovative, passionate, inspirational and is respected by staff, young people and partner agencies. She knows the children and staff team extremely well. Her enthusiasm influences the whole staff team and staff share her passion and drive for achieving the best possible outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff use research and tailor-made specialist training to inform and improve their practice. One staff member is undertaking an organisation-funded degree in therapeutic care. He shares his knowledge with staff in team meetings. The clinical team delivers training in staff meetings to keep staff’s practice up to date, in line with current research. As a result, staff are well equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide excellent-quality care to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good monitoring and review processes ensure that young people’s progress is evaluated and understood by staff. However, the manager did not submit the six-monthly quality of care review report to Ofsted in a timely way. A lack of prompt submission does not enable Ofsted to adequately monitor the home and perform any regulatory duties if required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have excellent relationships with young people and know them well and use these relationships to manage young people’s challenging behaviour effectively. Occasionally staff use physical intervention to keep young people and others safe. This response is proportionate and is only used as a last resort. Managers, staff and young people learn from incidents that happen. However, some restraint records require more detail and need to signpost the reader to other relevant records, such as debriefings with staff and young people. Without this clarity, information may be missed or lost. To date this shortfall has not had any direct impact on young people, but it has the potential to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people’s opinions are absorbed into the daily running of the home. This makes young people feel empowered and highly valued. The registered manager is extremely clear about the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She has a clear and aspirational plan Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 6 for further development of the home.

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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: SC068410 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Head Office, suite 1, 2 nd Floor, Southwood House, Greenwood Business Centre, Regent Road, Salford M5 4QH

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068410 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 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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