Children's Home run by Warrington Borough Council in Warrington

Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 1 SC442779 Registered provider: Warrington Borough Council

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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 is a local authority children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Young people were spoken to as part of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 4 December 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/12/2018 Full Outstanding 08/08/2017 Full Good 27/03/2017 Full Outstanding 17/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 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

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 07/01/2020

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Two young people live at this children’s home. They continue to make excellent and sustained progress in all areas of their lives. This includes their education and health. The young people are siblings and their relationship has significantly improved, to the point that they recently enjoyed their first summer holiday together. The young people’s care is individualised because staff know the young people very well. The staff provide nurturing care and the young people enjoy positive, warm relationships with the staff. The inspector observed these during the inspection, and these relationships are helping the young people to feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are doing exceptionally well in school. The staff have excellent relationships with education providers. There is regular communication between staff and the school. This ensures that the young people have the best possible educational experiences. . A deputy headteacher told the inspector that one young person has made ‘huge progress’. This is in respect of his educational attainment and behaviour. The teacher described this young person as having a positive influence on other young people in school by helping with their behaviour. Staff told the inspector that one of the young people had completed two GCSE examinations. This was 12 months before she Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 4 was due to sit these examinations. This is a significant achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are in good health. Staff consistently support the young people to address their health needs. The young people are supported to attend health appointments. Staff work well with external agencies, for example with child and adolescent mental health services. This means that young people’s physical and emotional needs are consistently met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff offer the young people a wide range of activities. These include local youth clubs, fencing and camping trips. Since the last inspection, the young people have done some voluntary work. The young people told the inspector that they enjoyed this work, and one young person wants to do some more. This supports the young people to make a positive contribution in society.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people told the inspector that they like living at the home. One young person said that he would not change anything about his home. Both the young people were extremely positive about the consistent levels of support and care that they receive from staff. The young people told the inspector that they feel safe at the home and can talk to staff about anything.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff have an excellent relationship with the young people’s parent. They support contact between the young people and their family, and family members are welcomed to visit the home. This is helping the young people maintain a positive and improved relationship with their family.

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

Since the last inspection, the risks to young people have remained low. The staff understand the young people’s individual risks and how these should be managed. There are detailed risk management plans in place. These plans are regularly reviewed and updated.

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

There are individualised behaviour support plans in place that include strategies on how to manage the young people. These strategies have been shown to work well, as incidents have reduced since the previous inspection. The staff know how to manage these incidents and the young people talk to staff about how they are feeling. The staff reflect on incidents and this helps the staff to manage young people’s behaviour consistently.

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

Positive reward schemes are in place for good behaviour. These schemes allow young people to collect tickets for a reward. These schemes are highly effective because the young people enjoy collecting tickets and choosing their reward.

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

Young people feel protected and are protected from harm. The young people told the inspector that they feel safe at the home. Staff are providing the young people with an extremely nurturing home environment. Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 5 There is regular and open communication with professionals about safeguarding issues. For example, when a potential safeguarding incident occurred at school, staff intervened to ensure that the young person was safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a registered manager in post. She is supported by an experienced and child- focused deputy manager. They both have high aspirations for the young people and they are extremely proud of the young people’s achievements. The registered and deputy managers provide a consistent and child-centred approach. The home is very homely, and there is a culture of positivity. The staff are committed to improving the lives of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

One of the young people has a particularly close relationship with the deputy manager. The inspector observed this during the inspection. The deputy manager was talking to the young person about Christmas. The young person wants the staff and young people to wear matching pyjamas on Christmas Eve and the deputy manager was trying to find these. This shows that the manager is focused on providing a homely environment for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the deputy manager have a clear understanding of the progress that the young people have made. The registered manager told the inspector that a decision was recently made for the young people to live at the home until they are 18 years old. The staff are planning a celebration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The deputy manager oversees the day-to-day management of the home. This is reflected in the monitoring systems within the home. The registered manager is not at the home every day, as she manages another children’s home. The registered manager’s hours are not included on the rota. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall. However, this has not had an impact on the young people’s overall progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high, and staff are very positive about working in the home. Supervision is frequent and gives staff the opportunity to reflect on their practice. This helps the staff continue to provide a high standard of care to the young people. Team meetings are frequent and well attended. The staff are driven to improve their practice and they sometimes share research at team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff said that they are supported to do training. This includes independent training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff listen to the young people through day-to-day discussions, key-work sessions and young people’s meetings. The young people are comfortable talking to the staff, and the inspector observed this during the inspection. This is having an extremely positive impact on the young people, as they feel secure. Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 6

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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: SC442779 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children’s Services Directorate, New Town House, Buttermarket Street, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 2NJ

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Inspector

Catherine Fargin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC442779 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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