Children's home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Preston

Inspection report children‟s home: SC063380 1 SC063380 Registered provider: Family Care Associates Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children‟s home for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2008.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 February 2019

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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: 19 February 2018

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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: SC063380 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2018 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/06/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC063380 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 care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 14/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a

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Requirement Due date

prolonged period; or works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (1)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 14/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063380 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete individualised, detailed care plans in relation to young people‟s needs and how they will be supported. Staff implement these plans effectively, with regular updates and reviews to reflect young people‟s changing needs and progress. This demonstrates that staff have a clear understanding of their roles in promoting young people‟s well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the manager understands the importance of careful matching, one young person‟s impact risk assessment failed to include the views of other professionals and the existing group of young people. This creates a missed opportunity to ensure that stakeholders‟ views help to inform decisions about new admissions to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s health and well-being are promoted. Statutory health assessments are completed, and all young people attend all required medical appointments. The arrangements for the storage and administration of young people‟s medication are safe and effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive their education in line with their needs and abilities. Staff work in partnership with teachers and educational departments to ensure that young people have every opportunity to increase their academic ability and to reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with parents and have good lines of communication. One parent said, „I am very pleased with my son‟s care. He seems happy and settled. The care they give him is outstanding.‟

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

Staff have a good understanding of the young people in their care and their individual vulnerabilities. Staff complete safeguarding training as part of their induction to the home and they demonstrate that they are familiar with the procedure for reporting and managing safeguarding concerns.

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

Individualised risk management plans are in place for each young person. These plans help the staff to safeguard young people by identifying their risks and vulnerabilities and setting out strategies to minimise risks. Review and development of the plans is ongoing as risks change and to ensure that they remain effective.

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

Positive behaviour is promoted and young people have reward systems in place to reinforce positive behaviours. Staff work consistently with young people to assist them to make positive choices and this works extremely well. Staff are trained in physical restraint and despite some challenging behaviour there have been no restraints since the last inspection. This demonstrates the staff‟s commitment to supporting young people to manage their own behaviours to good effect. Inspection report children‟s home: SC063380 5 Young people live in a safe and secure environment. There are effective health and safety systems in place. Regular fire drills ensure that young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly in the event of an emergency.

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

When appointing staff, the home follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that those deemed suitable to work with vulnerable individuals only look after young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an appropriately qualified registered manager in place. The manager has been in post since December 2008 and holds a level 4 national vocational qualification in leadership, health and social care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular training so that they have the skills and competencies necessary to meet the diverse needs of the young people who they look after. There are systems in place to ensure that training is regularly updated or refreshed. Most staff hold a level 3 diploma in residential childcare. However, not all staff have completed their qualification within the regulatory timescale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. Regular team meetings and daily handovers enable staff to share information about the young people so that there is a consistency of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good working relationships exist with other professionals such as the police, education providers and social workers. As a result, there is a coordinated approach to meeting young people‟s needs, and communication is shared quickly, which helps to keep young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has acted to address the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. The manager ensures that all confidential records are now secure on the electronic system. The manager now has greater oversight of consequences, addressed issues of safety around the home and there is now a workforce plan in place.

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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: SC063380 6 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: SC063380 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Family Care Associates Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 60 School Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire PR5 6QE

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC063380 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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