Children's home run by Crossway Services Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 1 SC061438 Registered provider: Crossway Services 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

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced and was registered with Ofsted in October 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

The young person chose not to take part in the inspection.

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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: 12 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: SC061438 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2018 Full Good 27/09/2017 Full Good 24/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h)) 06/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

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)) 06/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made. (Regulation 35 (2)) 06/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision of their practice in line with the timescales outlined in the company’s supervision policy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children, they will, in most cases, be homely domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the decor in the home should be maintained and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has lived here for some considerable time. They enjoy a positive relationship with the staff, which is built upon mutual respect and trust. The young person continues to make progress but has recently suffered a setback. However, they are being provided with sensitive emotional help and support to help them overcome this traumatic event.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the young person very well, and they adapt effectively how they interact with them and the support offered. This is helping the young person to consider what is happening around them and to seek additional support when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is aspirational for their future and has clear career goals. They achieved five GCSEs; however, the marks were not enough to currently pursue these goals. The young person sourced an alternative course, which they said will help them to earn a living while at university. The young person is looking to retake some exams to ensure that they can pursue their career pathway. Staff are committed to helping the young person overcome any barriers to their learning. An example is that staff are not commencing the young person’s independence plan while studying for their GCSEs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is very aware of their own healthcare needs and is confident to seek advice when needed. Staff provide current information about NHS websites and discuss a range of topics with the young person. This means that the young person makes informed choices about their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has a strong voice in the home. They are regularly consulted about all aspects of their care, activities, staffing and support. The young person enjoys the same Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 5 range of activities and opportunities as their friends. Friends of the young person regularly have a sleepover in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is increasing in confidence and recently challenged their placing authority regarding the number of social workers that they had had over the last year. The young person felt that this was hindering their progress in making plans to move forward. As a result, they now have a permanent social worker.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has regular contact with their family and friends. Staff build positive relationships with the young people’s families, which helps to keep young people safe. Family and friends are actively encouraged to come to the home and spend time here and share a meal with the young person.

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

The manager and staff have created a safe home environment that protects the young person from harm. The young person feels safe and has a sense of belonging. They know that they can talk to staff about their worries and that the staff will help them to be safe.

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

The young person is safer from the risks of abuse, exploitation, knife crime and missing because of the discussion between them and the staff.

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

Episodes of being missing from care are rare. However, should this occur, staff take effective action to keep in touch with the young person and to locate them quickly. A social worker said that the young person knows that the staff care about them and worry about them when they are away from the home.

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

The young person is now much more able to manage their emotions and moderate their behaviour. Staff use rewards effectively to help to change the young person’s behaviour. Rewards are meaningful, and this has seen an increased engagement in attending medical appointments. Consequences for poor behaviour, such as smoking in the bedroom, are infrequent. However, staff do not always record this; this does not promote transparency.

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

The young person lives in a family-style home. Their presence can be seen in all areas of the home in photographs and other memorabilia. Staff have recently decorated the lounge with the young person’s help. However other areas of the home appear tired and worn, Labels on the outside of the kitchen cupboards give an institutional feel and there are cracks in the plasterwork in the hallway. The rear garden is bland and has vegetation growing out of the dividing walls. These issues are detracting from the homely environment that staff and the young people are striving to achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a qualified and experienced registered manager. She is also the manager of another one-bed home for the company. The registered manager is Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 6 supported well by her deputy; they are both focused on improving outcomes for the young person and ensuring their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective staffing arrangements ensure that there are enough suitable, experienced and qualified staff available to meet the young person’s needs. Staff work together well and the day-to-day care of the young person provides them with good levels of support. Staff are provided with one-to-one supervision. But there remain gaps in the consistency of this; for example, a member of staff has declined to have supervision on several occasions due to other commitments. In addition, the supervision records are not current.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is current. However, a copy of this has not been forwarded to Ofsted. Furthermore, staff training is not current with regard to mental health, trauma or radicalisation training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring by the independent person is sound; however, they continue to have problems receiving feedback from professionals. The registered manager has emailed all professionals asking them to respond to the independent person’s requests for feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a sound overview of the service. However, the issues relating to the quality of some records and the removal of historical information from records have not been fully addressed. Records, such as staff meetings and some of the young person’s daily consultation forms, lack detail and do not show the positive action taken by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers commented upon the commitment of the staff to ensure that the young person’s needs are met daily. The registered manager and deputy challenge professionals effectively to ensure that the young person receives the help and support that they need to achieve their personal goals.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 7 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: SC061438 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rouse House, Wyther Lane, Leeds LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC061438 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 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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