Children's home run by Care Afloat Ltd in West Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 1 SC062268 Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered to manage the home in October 2012.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 11 September 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/09/2018 Full Good 25/09/2017 Full Outstanding 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) In particular, that 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 child’s relevant plans, and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. 31/12/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 15/12/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the person to ensure— that staff understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(iii)) 31/12/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19). In particular, ensure that access to a computer does not involve the child needing to use those assigned for staff use that are kept in the office. Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is offered a stable and caring environment. From having a history of multiple placement breakdowns, the young person has developed trusting and respectful relationships with the adults who care for her. The independent reviewing officer commented: ‘She went there very troubled, but this is the calmest she has ever been.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Within this environment, the young person has made substantial progress in managing her emotions and talking to staff about the difficulties she faces. As a result of this care, the young person engages in the therapeutic support that is offered.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Through consistent staff encouragement, the young person now engages in health appointments that she had previously refused. Staff fully support the young person’s contact arrangements and since she has been at the home these have increased in both frequency and quality.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person makes good use of a range of leisure activities both inside and outside the home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person’s views about the care they receive is important to the staff. The young person is regularly consulted about their care and given many opportunities to express their wishes and feelings. This includes individual key-working sessions with staff and monthly consultations with the manager.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although the young person made initial progress with regard to attendance at her education provision, her engagement with learning is not consistent and the level of attendance has not been maintained. In addition, young people do not have access to a computer unless they use the computers that have been assigned for staff, which are kept in the office.

p.4

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

Staff understand the young person’s vulnerabilities and the risks that the young person’s behaviour may present to her welfare. This understanding is supported by individual risk assessments that offer staff advice on risk management. Staff lock the kitchen at night without a clear rationale for doing so. This practice is not routinely reviewed to check if locked doors are still required.

p.4

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

Staff maintain clear boundaries and offer guidance to the young person to help her manage her emotional responses in a better way. Consequently, the young person has developed positive behaviour and responses towards staff, and there has not been any need for staff to physically intervene in incidents since April 2019. Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 5 When there have been incidents of young people going missing from home, the staff have responded appropriately and effectively liaised with other agencies to ensure the young people’s safe return.

p.4

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

Any complaints or allegations are investigated by the manager in a timely way and there is effective liaison with other agencies.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. She is supported by a stable and committed staff team and this stability provides the young person with consistency of care and continuity of relationships.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are given both formal and informal support that guides the work they do with young people. Individual supervision is regular and child-focused in its approach. Additionally, staff benefit from having consultations with the home’s psychologist and having discussions at team meetings.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has responded positively to the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. As a result: care plans are now designed to focus on young people; recordings completed by staff are clearer; and management monitoring has improved through the use of chronologies.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, decision-making documents used for considering admissions to the home, are not clear in their rationale, nor do they fully analyse the potential impact that young people could have on one another. As a result, some young people who previously lived at the home had a detrimental impact on others. The manager is aware of these weaknesses and has ensured that no further admissions have been made so that the needs of the young person in placement are fully met.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious for the home to continue to develop, and has a realistic and achievable plan in place. She encourages a culture of learning and openness, and actively seeks feedback on practice in the home.

p.5

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: SC062268 6 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

p.5

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: SC062268 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 158–160 Birkrig, Digmoor Parade, Skelmersdale WN8 9HP

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Fletcher

p.7

Inspector

Pauline Yates: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062268 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8