Children's home run by My Life - My Choice Ltd in Hyndburn

Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 1 SC489038 Registered provider: My Life-My Choice Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides short-break care and accommodation for children and young people who have disabilities. Services are provided for children up to 17 years old, and can be continued through the transition period of their lives from age 18 to 25 years.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people receive good-quality care from staff who understand their complex needs. This supports their safety, well-being and good progress. Young people enjoy staying at the home and have positive experiences during their stays.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people have experienced highly positive outcomes because of the care and support they receive. For example, staff have worked in partnership with healthcare professionals to support a young person to reduce a medication he has been prescribed for several years. Staff carefully monitored the young person’s well-being and behaviours in a manner that enabled healthcare professionals to reduce the medication in the safest way. As a result, this young person is no longer taking the medication, and is no longer at risk of experiencing the unpleasant side effects that it caused. Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 2 Another young person who previously experienced multiple placement breakdowns has made good progress in the home. His progress has been so positive, it has been agreed that the organisation will provide him with a permanent service. This will result in the young person having consistent care from people who know him well and understand his

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s care plans are person-centred and capture their communication methods, interests and routines. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of young people’s needs and this helps them to provide individualised care. For example, the routine for waking one young person instructed staff to ‘talk to him, use gentle voices and turn the lights on with friendly faces’. A grandparent commented, ‘The staff really know the children. They adapt to the child and adjust their care all the time.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and provider have made good progress in addressing requirements made at the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, a requirement was made in relation to the safety and cleanliness of the environment. During this inspection, the environment was found to be significantly improved. It was confirmed that processes to ensure that the home is safe, clean and well-maintained are effective. A recommendation has been made to consider how the home could be made homelier and more inviting.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Action has also been taken to address requirements made in relation to risk management and behaviour support. Individualised information is much improved and staff demonstrate a good understanding of the strategies that are in place to safeguard young people and support them in a safe manner. Further action is needed to ensure that young people consistently have access to effective debriefs following significant incidents.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been changes to the management team which have resulted in a greater level of support being provided for the registered manager. A deputy manager with extensive experience and specialist knowledge in supporting young people with disabilities has been recruited. He commented that he has received great support for his ideas for development, which include a forum for young people to share their views and opinions about the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Systems for monitoring quality and safety across the service have also been improved. Additional areas of monitoring have been developed which are closely aligned with young people’s experiences and outcomes. For example, due to the new monitoring arrangements, managers were able to identify and address some patterns in relation to one young person’s challenging behaviours. This led to additional multi-agency support and a review of her individual behaviour support plan.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 3 17/07/2018 Full Good 22/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint

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Recommendations

(regulation 35(3)(c)). Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 4 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Life-My Choice Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Andrea Brighouse

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489038 5 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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