Children's home run by Warrington Borough Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 1 SC037302 Registered provider: Warrington Borough Council 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. The home varied its registration in February 2020 and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Children 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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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: 7 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2018 Full Good 13/02/2018 Interim Not judged 08/11/2017 Interim Not judged 03/03/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care from a nurturing staff team. Children attend education and they are making good progress from their individual starting points. Staff have effective relationships with education providers and children’s social workers. Staff frequently speak to children’s social workers to keep them updated and share children’s plans. Therefore, children are receiving effective all-round care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff manage the children’s physical and mental health needs well. Staff take children to the necessary health appointments. Staff involve other professionals to help children with their emotional well-being, for example a therapeutic social worker. Staff include therapeutic techniques in children’s plans. This means that children are making progress in improving their emotional and psychological well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting relationships with staff. The inspector observed warm relationships between children and staff. This is helping children to feel secure. Staff listen to what children say and they involve them in daily plans. For example, children are involved in choosing activities and meals. Staff also arrange for children to attend various groups, in line with their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have recently moved into the home from another home in the local- authority area. Staff managed the move well. They included children in these plans and arranged for visits to the home. This helps children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff undertake direct work with the children on a variety of topics, for example relationships with other children and the children’s feelings about the move to a new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children need support to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staff produce plans to address this, although they should consistently include children in these plans. This is to help children understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. A recommendation has been made to reflect this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with the children to try to understand how they are feeling. This includes staff taking children away from the home to give children the opportunity to talk about their feelings. This helps children feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their families, in line with their care plans. Staff invite children’s parents and siblings to the home. This means that children can maintain relationships with their families.

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

Risk assessments provide details of children’s risks. These assessments include risk management plans to manage risk. This means that children are becoming Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 4 increasingly safe. However, risk management plans are not always kept up to date. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

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

There have been incidents of children going missing. Staff know what to do when children go missing, and follow children’s plans. Children have independent return home interviews. This means that children can speak to somebody who is independent of the home.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s individual needs and how to manage these. Staff apply consistent boundaries and routines. This helps children to feel secure. However, children’s behaviour-management plans are not always kept up to date. This has not had an impact on children’s overall experiences.

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

There has been one incident of physical intervention since the last inspection. The acting manager evaluated this incident to ensure that it was proportionate and necessary. The assistant manager is a Team Teach trainer, and he also evaluated this incident. This means that staff can reflect on behaviour-management techniques.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An acting manager is currently managing the home. The acting manager needs to apply to Ofsted to be the registered manager. The acting manager is supported by an assistant manager. They know the children well and they provide child-focused care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has a clear understanding of children’s progress. She monitors the children’s care and she is fully involved in formulating their plans. However, some of the records in the home require improvement, including the rotas. These do not provide the actual hours that the acting manager has worked. Furthermore, staff do not always sign and date records. This means that staff do not always provide an accurate record. This has not impacted on children’s overall progress and experiences. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspector observed a staff meeting. This meeting was helpful because staff discussed different issues. The staff also discussed the children and their individual needs. Staff reflected on incidents within the home and how they can use them to improve their practice. . These discussions are child focused and staff strive to improve their practice with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the acting manager and the support that she provides. Staff have undertaken mandatory training. Some staff have undertaken other training, for example training in self-harm and ligature. The manager agrees that all staff will benefit from this training. A recommendation has been made to reflect this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspector spoke to numerous professionals who are involved with the children. Professionals were positive about the care that staff provide. One professional told the inspector that [name] is ‘a lot happier in school’. Professionals commented on the staff’s regular communication with them. This ensures that staff and Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 5 professionals discuss children’s care plans. This in turn means that children receive consistent care. Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 21/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 21/05/2020

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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 21/05/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 7 retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) This is specifically in respect of suicide and ligature training.  Children’s homes staff should encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their health and well-being. Where children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these subject to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10) Inspection report children’s home: SC037302 8

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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: SC037302 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Warrington Borough Council

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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: SC037302 10 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. 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

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Inspector

the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit 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 .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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