Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider manages this home and the on-site school. The school is registered and inspected separately. The home provides care for young people who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or who have complex learning difficulties and/or challenging behaviour. This home can accommodate up to 12 young people. The vast majority of young people attend the on-site school and they all have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. There is a multidisciplinary clinical team (MDT) that provides specialist advice and support.

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Information about this children’s home

A new children’s home manager was appointed in December 2018 and she has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: 12 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/08/2017 Full Good 27/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 09/08/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 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, the 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if:

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Requirement Due date

 A child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation.  An incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.  There is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there.  A child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated or concludes.  There is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)) 26/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are warm and welcoming. They give the young people high levels of support and they have a good understanding of their needs. The staff are caring, sensitive and nurturing, and the young people like the homely environment. Consequently, the young people are happy and make good progress, some of which is exceptional progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive individualised and bespoke care. Their bedrooms are personalised and their individual hobbies and interests are promoted. These include singing and membership of local youth clubs and sports clubs. The staff ensure that the young people’s cultural and religious needs are met, including their dietary needs and attendance at places of worship. The young people benefit from their good participation in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are proactive in helping the young people to meet their individual targets as set out in their EHC and child looked after plans. The young people start to do things that they have not done before, such as make friends and socialise. They improve their independence in their personal care, keeping their own rooms tidy and, when it is assessed as safe, going out on their own. The young people develop their communication skills, and one young person has started to speak for the first time. When considering their previous experiences and backgrounds, some of this progress that the young people make is extraordinary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s education is prioritised and their attendance at school is high. Some of the young people, according to need, have their own, individual timetables. If they are struggling in the morning, there is time for them to catch up later in the day. A new breakfast club works as an incentive for some of the young people to be in school in the morning. There is an improved structure to the school day, and closer working between school and care staff is helping to promote the young people’s achievements. This, in turn, gives the young people opportunities to transition to a college education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff promote the physical and mental health of the young people. The young people are provided with healthy diets and there are no issues in relation to smoking, alcohol or substance misuse. The staff support young people to attend regular health checks and are competent in caring for young people in a crisis. There is comprehensive support from the MDT. This considers a wide range of factors, including young people’s previous trauma, attachment difficulties, ASD, childhood development, quality of relationships with staff and medication and the management of the physical environment. The integrated approach is successful in promoting the emotional well- being of the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is popular with the young people’s parents and social workers. They regularly make comments such as ‘The staff are brilliant’, ‘The support that is offered is fantastic’, ‘They go out of the way to ensure young people are happy’ and ‘Communication is Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 5 excellent’. Staff do go out of their way. On one occasion, they made a long journey to return to a hospital that forgot to give a young person the medication that she needed before moving in. At other times, staff have travelled a long way and stayed away to support a young person’s family contact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have a strong voice, and their wishes and feelings are given due weight and consideration by the staff and manager. This includes the redecoration of their bedrooms, activities, meal choices and requests for more independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is good transition planning for young people moving in and out of the home. This contributes to successful placements for young people and helps to prepare them for when it is time to leave. On the rare occasion that a placement ended unexpectedly, there was a good response to review and improve the admissions process.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have their meals cooked for them, and they do not have access to the home’s kitchen. There is a training kitchen in the school, but this is underused as a resource for promoting young people’s independence. The manager plans to improve how this kitchen can be better used.

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

The manager and staff prioritise the safety of the young people. Much thought and consideration is given to balancing the risks to young people with their rights to privacy, dignity, choices and independence. This process is strengthened by advice from the MDT. For example, the manager challenged a placing authority that wanted to install CCTV in a young person’s private accommodation to help to manage risk. Instead, this was more appropriately managed through regular staff checks and close monitoring, which promoted the young person’s dignity and independence.

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

The staff are knowledgeable about the young people’s individual vulnerabilities and the risks that they pose to themselves and to others. The staff implement care strategies that follow detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans. The quality of risk assessments has improved since the manager started. These assessments allow for tracking risks to determine whether they are reducing or increasing. Risk management is constantly reviewed so that risk assessments are dynamic and reflect young people’s progress and take account of concerns such as self-injurious behaviour. Consequently, staffing levels, the supervision of young people and their levels of independence fluctuate according to circumstances.

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

The high levels of staffing contribute to the safety and security of the young people, yet also allow them to take age-appropriate and needs-appropriate risks. For example, the level of off-site supervision varies from no staff to three-to-one staffing . There are no incidents of young people going missing from the home, and staff know the appropriate action to take if this were to happen.

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

The staff team has a good insight into the behaviour of the young people and shows a genuine interest in what they do and how they are feeling. The quality of relationships Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 6 between the staff and young people is good. There are individual incentives in place for young people to behave, and staff communicate clear and consistent expectations. Consequently, the number of times that staff have had to physically hold young people to manage their behaviour has fallen. There is good management oversight of this practice, and trends in young people’s challenging behaviour are closely monitored. Care practice is informed by advice from the MDT. The manager is improving the level of discussion after any incidents to further improve how young people are supported and to reduce the frequency of incidents.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been inconsistent notification to Ofsted of significant events. This reduces the capacity of the regulator to monitor and evaluate the setting. Since the appointment of the new manager, this has been more consistent.

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

There are good links to the local authority and local police. Positive partnership work contributes to the safety of the young people. Complaints and allegations about staff practice are notified to the appropriate authorities. Prompt action is taken to ensure that the young people are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager is qualified, skilled and experienced. She has an excellent track record of managing a children’s home and providing young people with outstanding outcomes. She is committed to providing high standards of care, tailored to meet the diverse needs of the young people. In the few months that she has been in post, she has already started to make improvements to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good oversight of the home and, by thorough monitoring and evaluation, she has quickly identified strengths and weaknesses. She has implemented a more comprehensive approach to key working, risk management and communication with teaching staff. She has developed a positive relationship with the headteacher and there is a high level of support from the provider. This is contributing to improving standards of care for the young people, and there are better arrangements for keeping them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The care staff undertake a wide range of training. The training programme is planned and delivered so that staff have the right skills and knowledge to care for young people with ASD and complex needs. The MDT makes an effective contribution to this process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works closely with professionals in the MDT, for instance the clinical lead, psychiatrists, a psychologist and a speech and language therapist. The experiences and progress of all the young people are regularly discussed with the MDT and key workers. This provides a comprehensive oversight of young people’s care plans. The young people benefit from this specialist input into their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team, including the provider, works closely with the placing authorities to review the young people’s progress and safety. Subsequent changes are made, where necessary, to ensure that the young people meet their individual targets and that risks of Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 7 harm are reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team members work cohesively, support each other and feel well supported by the management team. Staff turnover has decreased, and there have been no changes to the staff team in the last three months. The young people benefit from this staff stability and from having care staff who know them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the care provided to young people is consistent with the aims, values and philosophy of care set out in the Statement of Purpose. The young people develop a wide range of skills, have new experiences and are supported by skilled staff. The home provides an integrated approach to supporting young people by combining education, residential care and clinical support. Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 8

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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 difference 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: 1183911 9

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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, 2nd floor, Southwood House Greenwood Business Centre, Regent Road, Salford M5 4QH

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Inspector

Simon Morley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183911 10 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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