Children's home run by Autism Initiatives (UK) in Sefton

Inspection report children’s home: SC055780 1 SC055780 Registered provider: Autism Initiatives (UK)

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight young people who have an autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2010.

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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: 21 November 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: SC055780 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/11/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good 29/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC055780 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— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 31/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 31/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(3)) 31/10/2019

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Recommendation

 The duties and responsibilities of the local authorities and others who deliver children’s services with regards to safeguarding children and set out clearly in the statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.2) In particular, have regard to the safe recruitment of staff and ensure that the start and end dates of the staff’s previous employment are recorded in full on their application form. Inspection report children’s home: SC055780 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are thriving. They enjoy very positive relationships with the staff that help them to grow in confidence and provide them with the skills that they need to manage different situations. A parent said that the change in their child since coming to live here is ‘remarkable’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have bespoke care packages that are tailored to their individual needs. Staff have excellent knowledge and understanding of the diverse and specific needs of each young person. Staff are committed and work tirelessly to improve the outcomes and life opportunities for young people. Ultimately, young people make steady and sustained progress across all areas of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are becoming much more independent. They make informed choices on all aspects of their care and support, including choosing their meals, purchasing clothing, and choosing their activities. Young people are increasingly confident to engage in activities in the community and to use public transport. This is a significant achievement for the young people and is due to effective planning by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled communicators. They use a range of resources effectively to enable young people to have a voice. Staff understand that some young people need time to process questions and the staff ensure that they are given the time and space to do this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions in and out of the home are a positive experience for young people. Parents are complimentary about the support provided to them and their child during what can be a confusing time for young people. Young people’s anxieties are greatly reduced as staff carefully and sensitively inform them of what is happening next and introduce them to their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff are strong advocates for young people. They have the young people at the centre of everything that they do. The manager and staff continually think ‘outside of the box’ to see how issues can be resolved, for example reorganising areas of the home to support individual young people continuously. This approach has resulted in a significant reduction in young people’s anxieties and negative behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and family members’ wishes and feelings are valued highly by the manager and staff. Parents said that they feel listened to and that they receive lots of support from the manager and staff. They said that the staff had helped them to think differently about how they carry out specific tasks with their child at home. This means parents spend quality time with their children. Contact arrangements are planned effectively, and young people enjoy spending time with their families. Inspection report children’s home: SC055780 5

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

Safeguarding practice at the home is good and promotes the welfare and safety of the young people. Staff are trained in safeguarding and understanding child sexual exploitation, county lines, e-safety and radicalisation. This means that they have the skills and knowledge to observe and identify any potential concerns.

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

Contextualised safeguarding is at the heart of everything that the staff do. They continually reflect and analyse situations to consider any environmental factors and extenuating circumstances that have had an impact on the young person. This enables staff to think creatively to reduce these issues and revise the support that they provide, for example by adapting and reorganising the layout of the home.

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

Behaviour management strategies and support are effective. Staff understand the subtle changes in young people’s behaviour and body language and respond accordingly to prevent an escalation in the young person’s anxieties. For example, this could involve stepping in front of a visitor and moving them from blocking a young person’s means of exiting a room. As a result, there has been a reduction in incidents of negative behaviour. Physical interventions are rarely used and always as a last resort to protect the young person or others.

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

Each young person’s bedroom is designed to meet their specific needs. Some young people have a very sparse-looking room; however, due to careful planning, they are now beginning to tolerate soft furnishings and posters on the walls. Some areas of the home are looking tired and worn. The manager is aware of this and a programme of refurbishment is underway.

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

Recruitment and vetting procedures are sound. However, the application form for new staff would benefit from asking for the actual start and end dates of previous employment rather than just the month and year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A highly committed and enthusiastic manager leads and manages the home. Her enthusiasm is infectious and provides the foundation for the very good care and support each young person receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the two deputy managers have left. The organisation has only just appointed to these posts. As a result, some management tasks have been missed. Some staff supervisions are not up to date, although the manager has prioritised the supervision of new staff and those who have been involved in incidents. The statement of purpose does not reflect the changes to the layout of the home. These shortfalls do not negatively affect the care provided to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has received one complaint since the last inspection. This has been investigated, but the complaint log has not been updated with the investigation notes or the outcome. Other records and documentation are well maintained and clearly show the Inspection report children’s home: SC055780 6 young person’s journey. Photographs are used effectively to bring the documents to life and contribute well to the young person’s experiences in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained and have a thorough understanding of the young people. They recognise each other’s strengths and use these well to support young people. The registered manager said, ‘I could not do my job without the staff team; they are resilient and have been through a tough time. But they always turn up to work with a smile on their face. They are here for the young people, and it is not just a job to them.’ Several social workers and parents echoed this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a key strength of the service. The registered manager and staff are not afraid to challenge professionals or escalate their concerns if they feel a young person is not getting the right support. This has resulted in very positive outcomes for individual young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring is effective. The manager has a keen understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas for development. She ensures that the staff, professionals, families and young people all have a voice in helping to drive forward improvements. Constructive actions are highlighted in the reports so that the registered manager can improve and develop 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: SC055780 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: Autism Initiatives (UK)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sefton House, Bridle Road, Bootle, Merseyside L30 4XR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Katharine Silver

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC055780 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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