Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC063318 1 SC063318 Registered provider: Good Foundations 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 private children’s home provides care and accommodation for four children or young people who have social and emotional difficulties and who may have special educational needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since April 2011.

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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 December 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: SC063318 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2018 Full Good 25/10/2017 Full Good 15/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC063318 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 ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of the home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (Regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) In particular, this is with reference to downstairs rooms being locked to prevent young people accessing them.  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. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety

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Recommendations

legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Ensure that all repairs to bedroom furniture and carpets are carried out in a timely manner.  Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13) Inspection report children’s home: SC063318 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in their lives through living at the home. They grow in self-awareness and, over time, learn to manage their emotions and to develop positive and trusting relationships with others. Interactions between the staff and young people are warm and considerate, and observable attachments exist. Young people described staff as, ‘sound’, ‘funny’ and ‘decent’. One young person described his relationship with the home’s manager as, ‘awesome. She is the most constant person in my life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people benefit from good health, and there is a high level of support offered to them to ensure that their health needs are met. For example, a young person with a needle phobia has been supported by staff to meet with specialist nursing staff to ensure that ongoing dental and immunisation treatments commence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s risk-taking behaviour reduces from the point when they move into the home. For example, incidents of missing from care, substance misuse and offending have significantly decreased. This is because staff support them in these areas, undertaking direct-work sessions to raise young people’s awareness of the risks associated with these behaviours and to teach them how to keep safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people, for whom going missing from home was previously a feature of their lives, experience a significant drop in the frequency of these episodes. A young person commented, ‘I don’t go missing ‘cos I like it here and I like coming home.’ However, when young people do go missing, staff follow a robust protocol that includes searching for the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are encouraged and supported in developing their independence skills in line with their care plan, age and understanding. Staff understand that transitions towards independence for the young people are very difficult, and if young people are struggling with, for example, cooking and budgeting, staff amend their plans accordingly. This means that young people can move towards independence at a pace which alleviates any anxieties they may have, and they are able to talk to staff about why they find it difficult.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment requires improvement. For example, bedroom carpets and broken bedroom furniture require replacing. Internal doors in the home should be unlocked to allow young people free access to all areas of their home. The registered manager acknowledged these areas for improvement and has made a commitment to urgent maintenance work being carried out. Inspection report children’s home: SC063318 5

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

The young people living in the home were extremely complimentary about the home and how this had positively impacted on their lives. They reported feeling ‘very safe’ and ‘happy’. A parent said,’ I know my son is safe. They [staff] are like a parent to my child.’

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

Fellow professionals reported excellent levels of communication between them and the home. A social worker commented, ‘I get weekly reports, which help in overall care planning.’ This collaborative approach demonstrates that staff are working together to ensure that the young people are kept safe. Effective liaison with other safeguarding agencies ensures that the manager has a clear understanding of any safety concerns in the local area. Staff can describe clearly the procedures to follow to ensure that the young people are safeguarded.

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

Staff have a calming influence when young people become anxious or struggle to manage their behaviour. Behaviour management plans have useful de-escalation strategies that support young people. Young people agree to the consequences given, which are all in relation to minor issues. Consequences are proportionate and not punitive. A young person said, ‘It’s fair. I can earn extra if I behave well.’ The home operates an ‘incentive’ scheme for good behaviour, which works very well and young people have engaged fully in the scheme. However, managers and staff do not always address young people’s use of bad language. This is a missed opportunity to help motivate young people to behave in a socially acceptable way.

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

Young people’s placement plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are up to date to reflect the current needs. Young people also demonstrate a full awareness and understanding of their risk assessments and ways in which staff will support them with any concerning or unsafe behaviours. A young person said, ‘I know what is in my plans.’ This level of inclusion in planning has allowed young people to be fully informed about decisions taken that may affect their day-to-day lives.

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

Young people are fully supported to maintain contact with people who are important to them. Staff ensure that all contact arrangements reflect the young person’s care plan. Arrangements can be complex, and staff are sensitive to this. Appropriate support is in place to ensure that contact is as safe and positive an experience as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. She also manages another children’s home. She is well organised and has the capacity to be in day-to-day charge of both children’s homes. She understands the strengths and areas for improvement identified at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff do very well in providing young people with a safe and motivational environment where there are good levels of care and support. The staff team is diverse. The members of the team have a range of life experiences and qualifications, are skilled in working with the young people, and are passionate and compassionate. The manager Inspection report children’s home: SC063318 6 understands the needs of young people and is accessible to them. Her presence is felt in the home. A social worker said, ‘The staff and managers care about the young people and have their best interests at the forefront of their practice.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team morale is positive. It is due to the motivated and confident staff team that firm boundaries are being instilled. Staff spoke in complimentary terms about the young people and expressed positive regard towards them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of collaborative working with other professionals and family members who are involved in each young person’s care to support positive outcomes for them. Feedback from professionals and family members is positive, praising the management and staff’s commitment to the young people and the progress that they make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have continued to attend regular team meetings and have received monthly supervision. Staff said that this has continued to help to improve practices in the home and provided an opportunity to talk about what is working well and what needs to change. A staff member commented, ‘Supervisions and team meetings are really important, to make sure we all work together to provide a nurturing home for all the children to promote the best outcomes.’ However, the registered manager does not have regular supervision in line with the home’s own policies and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring of the home takes place regularly and is of a very good standard. This process takes account of the views of young people, placing authorities and families. The monitoring system provides a robust review of the home’s practice relating to the quality of young people’s care. This feeds into the development plan and demonstrates the manager’s commitment to continue and sustain improvements in the home’s function.

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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: SC063318 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063318 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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