Children's home run by Idem Living Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2500668 1 Registered provider: Idem Living Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people who may have learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children's home

There is no registered manager at this home. The interim manager has submitted her application to Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children's home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 December 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2500668 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2500668 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.3

Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the safer area report is used in conjunction with a young person's impact risk assessment to check that the area is safe for them. 31/01/2020

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that records kept in the children's home are signed and dated by the author. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3)

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that the home's records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.5) This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the steps taken by staff, to secure good progress and outcomes, are clearly recorded within the young person's documents.

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.8). In particular, the plan should detail the timescales for supervision of all staff and the detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. Inspection report children's home: 2500668 4  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that there is a robust system for recording visitors into and out of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two young people live in this home. They have autism spectrum disorder and associated learning difficulties. Various communication resources are used well to ensure that all the young people can make their wishes and views known. An outstanding feature of the home is the work completed by speech and language therapists with house staff. Young people who present with echolalia or had no verbal speech, can now say staff names and use one word to identify objects or needs. In addition to this, the young people have completed power point presentations to show what they have been doing throughout the year.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A detailed transition document shows how young people move into this home. This includes visits by the staff to their current placement and for them to visit their new home. Staff understand that this process can be daunting for young people with autism. Therefore, prior to the new young person moving into the home, staff set up several activities in which the young person in placement and the new young person could play together. This lessened the young people’s anxieties and the transitions for both young people were positive. However, at the last inspection the manager was asked to ensure that the safer area report was considered in the matching process, when identifying suitable referrals to the home. While the previous manager did address this, there is no clear audit trail in the home’s records to inform practice. Therefore, this requirement has been repeated.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people attend specialist education provision. The young people have excellent attendance and they are doing well. Young people receive well-informed care based on relevant data within education, health and care plans, personal education plans and learning assessments. This means that staff know the areas that the young people need help with, such as writing and reading. The young people have an extensive range of additional education resources at the home. This includes access to I-pads, art and craft materials and reading books.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. The home works in partnership with parents and professionals to address any concerns. This includes developing planned menus to help dietary intake. Young people receive their medication in line with their prescription. Previously, some medication errors happened. Now all staff receive good and regular training in administering medication and their competence is assessed numerous times before they can administer medication. All staff are trained in first aid. Therefore, they can deal with any minor injury. Inspection report children's home: 2500668 5 Staff understand the importance of family contact and they facilitate this well. This means that the young people can maintain good relationships with their families and other significant people who are important to them.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people take part in healthy activities, such as trampolining, going out for walks and playing in the park. The young people have been able to access more community activities because staff have been working with a professional on promoting positive behaviour management. For example, the young people have been to the fair, shopping for clothes and they are looking forward to attending a Christmas pantomime.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have made significant progress since they have come to this home, especially in their communication, behaviour, education and health. However, their records only show their starting points and where they are currently up to. For example, one young person was overweight and is now in a healthy weight range, but the record does not say how the staff achieved this. This does not show the excellent work that staff have done to help the young person achieve this.

p.5

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

Young people receive good support to enable them to feel safe. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the young people in their care, including any additional needs associated with the young people’s disabilities. Individual risk assessments identify strategies to minimise risk and there is now clear action for staff to take, if an incident was to occur. This means that staff are consistent in their approach.

p.5

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

Safeguarding has significantly improved. Staff have received additional training in this area and the homes policies and procedures have been strengthened. Senior managers met with the looked after designated officer for safeguarding, to ensure good levels of communication and partnership working.

p.5

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

The staff have a positive approach to behaviour management. Input from a behavioural specialist informs their approach. Alongside this, the staff team have studied research and have been trained in attachment theory, autism and sensory input. Staff use this knowledge well in their practice which allows them to provide continuity of care. This is evident in the reduction of incidents were young people have needed to be held for their own or others’ safety. Restraint records have been amended to show the duration of a hold used and they now give a description of the hold rather than the name of the hold used. The acting manager evaluates each incident and reviews each young person’s risk assessment to ensure that the responses are proportionate and necessary.

p.5

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

The young people have warm and trusting relationships with staff. This is evident in the reduction of incidents and staff supervision. One young person no longer requires three staff when out in the community and another young person has stopped climbing furniture and objects and can use the kitchen facilities without putting himself and others at risk. He enjoys cooking and making his own meals. Inspection report children's home: 2500668 6 The company follows the safer recruitment guidance. The company took swift action, when another provider highlighted to them that a potential member of staff had been dismissed by them for safeguarding concerns. The company challenged the recruitment agency on their safeguarding practice, as they had not got a reference from the applicants last employer. As a result, the company now only uses agency staff from recruitment agencies that follow the safer recruitment guidance.

p.5

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

Regular health and safety checks mean that the home is physically safe and secure. However, the home does not have an individual visitor’s book for visitors to sign in and out of the home. All visitors are logged in and out of the home in the home’s log book. But the inspector was not logged in and the inspector’s initials were wrong when being logged out of the home. Further to this, there is no information about whether identification has been seen or what the purpose of the visit is for. This does not ensure that young people are protected from unsuitable adults.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an acting manager at the home. She has submitted her application to be registered with Ofsted. She worked alongside another manager in the company for several months to ensure that she understood the policies and procedures of the company. She has extensive experience of working with children and adults who have autism. She is currently completing her level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She has high aspirations for the service and she has implemented some major changes that have been fruitful and extremely positive for the young people. For example, involving a speech and language therapist and a positive behaviour specialist. A professional said, ‘Her input has made a significant contribution to relationships between staff, looking at the different sensory needs of the young person, the young person’s increasing communication and the home is child friendly.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, which focusses on the outcomes for young people, as well as on their own practice, training and future development. However, the workforce plan does not stipulate the different timescales of supervision for new staff, full-time staff and bank staff, or have the processes and timescales of managing and improving poor performance. Staff attend training and development opportunities to ensure that their skills and knowledge remain current. Staff have regular team meetings and daily handovers. This means that they can pass on any relevant key information and provide continuity of care.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the young people’s care. When services have been slow or not available, the acting manager has challenged these shortfalls effectively. For example, when a social worker was not meeting her required statutory visits to the young person or for not receiving the necessary documents that the home requires. This means that the young people have received the services that they need.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good staffing levels are maintained in the home. Staff hold, or are working towards, a relevant childcare qualification. All staff complete mandatory training as part of their Inspection report children's home: 2500668 7 induction, and this is refreshed accordingly. This means that staff have the knowledge, skills and experience to care for the young people well.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems at the home are of a good quality. The acting manager uses the points of improvement, raised by the independent visitor, to improve and develop the service. As part of this monitoring, there is consultation with young people, professionals, staff and stakeholders in order that an all-round view is collated about the care given at the home.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has addressed the five of the six requirements given at the last inspection in relation to safeguarding practice being recorded well; to restraint records having all the details required by the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015; to sending safeguarding notifications out in a timely way; and to the appointment of a manager and providing adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire. Further to this, a recommendation was given to ensure that young people’s records were signed and dated by the author. There are still some omissions, therefore this recommendation has been repeated.

p.7

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.

p.7

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: 2500668 8

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider: Idem Living Limited

p.8

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Newlands, 1a Huyton Hey Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 5SE

p.8

Inspector

Pam Nuckley, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children's home: 2500668 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9