Children's home run by Supporting Futures Limited in Sefton

Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 1 SC381667 Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The current manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2015

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2018 Full Good 05/10/2017 Full Good 30/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good, individualised care that is making an important difference in their lives. Staff help young people to have positive experiences and improved outcomes. Young people are well supported during their transition into the home. Staff visit the young people prior to their admission. The manager carefully matches the needs of the new young person with the young people already living at the home. However, the manager did not refer to the safer area report to ensure that the environment was safe for the last new admission. This has not impacted on the young person but has the potential to do so. Young people receive positive educational support. The manager has challenged the virtual head to secure a bespoke educational package for one young person. A young person who has recently left the home completed her GCSEs and secured a place at college to follow her ambition. All the young people have excellent

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

attendance at school. One young person said that he loves school and that his favourite subjects were mathematics and English. Another young person is attending college and he said that he would like to be a mechanic. Young people attend all necessary health appointments and are in good health. Staff are trained in administering medication. As a result, the young people receive their medication in line with their prescription. Young people take part in healthy activities, such as trampolining, swimming and playing football. The young people access community activities, such as youth clubs. This means that they can make friendships in the community and try different activities. Staff work in partnership with families, friends and carers. They ensure that young people get to see regularly those people who are important to them. Contact arrangements are carefully considered so that the young people and their families

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

get the most out of their time together. However, some of the young people’s contact is supervised by staff and there is no information for staff regarding what to do in the event of an incident. This does not ensure that staff know and understand their roles and responsibilities when supervising contact. In contrast to this, one parent was invited to spend Christmas morning at the home with their child. The young person said, ‘It was brilliant. My mum got to see me open my presents and we had a big breakfast.’ Young people who have left the home have settled into their new accommodation and are pursuing career opportunities or are engaging in further education. However, the manager did not have a transition plan for them. This does not ensure that everybody involved in the move knew and understood their roles and responsibilities, or that the manager can reflect on what went well or whether he would make any changes for future leavers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 4

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

Staff provide young people with the stability and support that they need. Staff are friendly, upbeat and reliable. They engage naturally with young people and treat them with respect and empathy. The staff’s approach is valued highly by the young people and has helped young people, who find it difficult to trust adults, to build positive relationships with them and to accept the help and support available. Several professionals said that this approach is the building blocks to the young people’s progress. Young people have a strong sense of belonging and they feel safe. They talk to staff when they are worried or upset. They know that staff listen, care about them and will do everything they can to help them. Any safeguarding incidents are reported quickly, and records show that staff take suitable action following any incidents. The young people said that they are confident that any concerns are dealt with appropriately and that they are fully

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

informed of the outcome. Further to this, other professionals involved in the young people’s care reported that the staff are exceptional in ensuring the safety of the young people. The staff’s knowledge and professional practice protect young people from harm. Staff have a good understanding of each young person’s vulnerability and any concerns about their safety. Staff are vigilant and recognise signs which indicate that a young person may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Staff continually assess the risks for each young person and take the necessary steps to make sure that young people are protected. The incidents of young people going missing from the home have declined significantly. This reduction is because of the care and support provided that are carefully tailored to the young people’s individual needs. Return interviews are completed by an independent person. This means that the young people have an

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

opportunity to talk about the reasons why they went missing, which helps reduce the risk of reoccurrence. Young people have been held for their own or others’ safety. Members of staff are trained in restraint and de-escalation techniques. Clear recordings show that the intervention was necessary, and the young people and staff are debriefed on the incident. The debrief gives both parties the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour. Young people have good risk assessments and behaviour management plans that clearly outline their individual risks and their improving behaviour and are followed in practice. Staff and the young people work well together to identify strategies to reduce and manage any risk. Young people can take age-appropriate risks, such as shopping independently, to increase their independence and ability to keep themselves safe. The company follows safer recruitment guidance. All staff checks are completed

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

and verified to ensure that members of staff are suitable to work with the young people. Health and safety checks are completed regularly, and all utilities are serviced annually. Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a qualified and experienced manager. He is committed to improving the outcomes for young people. The manager has recently recruited a deputy manager who is qualified and experienced. This further strengthens the staff team and supports the manager to complete his managerial tasks. Most of the staff team hold a relevant childcare qualification and one member of staff has nearly completed this qualification. The staff are committed to securing positive outcomes for young people. They have created a warm, caring and nurturing environment where young people can explore their past, overcome obstacles and thrive. A young person said, ‘The staff are great. I love it here. I am doing well, and I am happy.’ Other young people also echoed this sentiment. The manager and team leaders provide staff with good support, guidance and encouragement. Annual appraisals and supervision provide good opportunities for

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

staff to reflect critically on their work with young people. These opportunities, along with regular team meetings, offer sound opportunities for staff to consider the impact of their work with young people, to explore what is working well and to determine what their developmental needs are. However, the home’s workforce plan does not identify the timescales for the supervision of full-time staff, part-time and bank staff. Similarly, more detail is required around timescales for staff induction to the home, the probation period and disciplinary procedures. Staff have opportunities to receive training that develops their understanding, knowledge and skills about the needs of the young people they are supporting. Staff have received training in relation to understanding child sexual exploitation, autistic spectrum disorder, radicalisation and extremism and county lines. This ensures that staff have the necessary knowledge to identify, report and to protect

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

the young people, if they have a concern. The manager and staff have established excellent working relationships with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the young people’s care. Staff work closely with schools, colleges, social workers, health professionals and leading child protection agencies. Feedback from all stakeholders is positive, praising staff’s commitment, young people’s progress and the effective communication with the manager and his team. External monitoring of the home is good. The independent visitor regularly identifies areas for improvement. This includes consultation with young people, parents, professionals and stakeholders. However, the manager’s internal monitoring and review report lacks evaluation. Further to this, his report does not identify any improvements for the next six months. This does not ensure that there is a critical view of the service and that the home continues to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 6

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 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)) 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 ensure the area is safe for them. 31/03/2020

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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)  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27) In particular, ensure that the home has a transition plan that supports young people to move in or out of the home.  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 staff understand their roles and responsibilities when

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Recommendations

supervising contact.  The registered manager should make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24). In particular, ensure that regulation 45 reports are evaluative and include areas for improvement and development. Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC381667 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool, Lancashire L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC381667 9 to 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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