Children's home run by 4 Pure Heart Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 1 Registered provider: 4pureheart Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven young people irrespective of gender. The home specialises in caring for young people who have been, or who are, experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager at this home.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 21 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2018 Full Inadequate 16/08/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 11/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission and how staff should support the child on return to the home. Specifically, when a child is reluctant to share information, it is important to record the child’s demeanour, physical state and any other factors that may be relevant to protect the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  Children should be in full-time education whilst they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full-time attendance unless the child’s relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Significant improvements have been made to the quality of care provided to young people living in the home. The majority of young people are settled and very happy living in the home. During this inspection, young people were observed to have positive relationships with the staff. A young person said, ‘I have lived in lots of homes and broke them down because this is what I do, but they have not given up on me here.’ Another young person said, ‘This is the best home I have lived in. They are my family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people experience a homely and nurturing environment. The home has been redecorated and the garden and outside areas are welcoming. Young people are proud of their home. A gymnasium, a craft room and a bicycle workshop have all been created with them to harness their talents and hobbies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the best efforts of the staff team, a young person’s placement has ended. The staff team worked with the placing authority to find a new placement that is better suited to managing the complex needs of the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff value young people’s education attendance and engagement. Young people who have refused to attend educational provision in the past are now participating regularly. Although this is better, the manager continues to challenge the local authority to make sure that young people’s entitlement to full-time education is Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 5 realised. In addition to this, the staff support young people with a programme of home study.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are learning skills with staff to prepare them for living independently. They volunteer locally and enjoy raising money for charity. Additionally, they learn budgeting skills, cooking skills and bus routes. These experiences will stand them in good stead for their future lives and employment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation is good and regularly undertaken with young people to ensure that they can voice their views and opinions. Young people have chosen summer holidays and new wallpaper for their bedrooms. There are good examples of staff advocating for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are treated with dignity and respect. Their identity is celebrated and nurtured. Furthermore, ‘memory books’ are currently being collated with young people to give them an understanding of their experience and life journey.

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improvement to be good

Young people spoken to said that they feel ‘safe’ and ‘protected.’ The staff help them to understand risk and how to stay safe. They understand the need for young people to become independent and to take appropriate risks. This continues to be developed with young people to ensure that they have the same freedoms as their peers. Furthermore, training in safeguarding helps to equip the staff with the knowledge they need to support and protect young people from abuse.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s behaviour is well managed by the staff. Sanctions and physical interventions are minimal and appropriate. Equally, incentives and rewards are used to positively reinforce behaviour and build self-esteem. Respectful and trusting relationships underpin care practice.

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improvement to be good

Checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and obtaining references from previous employers are part of the recruitment and vetting process. However, verification of the reasons why a person’s previous employment ended and gaps in employment history were not rigorously examined during the recruitment process. A requirement has been made to address this.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of young people going missing from care have reduced for the majority of young people. However, one young person continues to go missing despite the best efforts of the staff and partner agencies and an alternative placement has been sought for them. Staff are proactive in their responses to and search for young people. They follow each young person’s missing-from-home plans and report to all relevant agencies in a timely manner. However, when young people are reluctant to share information following an incident, staff do not fully record pertinent information, such as their demeanour, physical state and any other factors that may be relevant to protect them. Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 6 Significant incidents are reported to the relevant partner agencies to share information in the wider network of professionals to protect young people. Also, effective work is carried out with young people to help them understand risk and safety, for example

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improvement to be good

valuable work with the Fire and Rescue Service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager was registered in July 2019. He is suitably qualified and experienced in working with young people who have emotional and behavioural needs. The manager is supported by a well-qualified deputy manager. Both leaders are highly passionate and committed to providing good-quality care to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff members spoken with during the inspection said that they enjoy their work. They feel supported by the manager and their team members. The staff are suitably qualified or are working towards a recognised qualification. They are provided with good-quality supervision, appraisal and training. Staff meetings are regular and provide an opportunity for staff to review young people’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has raised his concerns regarding the lack of full-time education for a young person. A chronology of calls and emails to education staff and the placing authority demonstrates this. The manager now intends to escalate this issue to a higher level. A recommendation has been made to reflect this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are sufficient numbers of staff members working at the home. The diversity of the staff team provides young people with positive role models to identify with. Furthermore, staff are energetic and passionate about the work that they do with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. The independent person’s reports are improvement driven. The management team have systems in place to monitor the care provided. Members of the team are fully aware of the strengths and areas for development in the service. For example, they intend to improve data gathering to demonstrate young people’s progress and continue to refresh the decor of the home. Moreover, the recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed to improve care practice.

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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: 1265092 7 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: 1265092 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atlantic Business Centre, Cheshire, Altrincham, WA14 5NQ

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Gareth Lancaster Stowell

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Inspector

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 9 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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