Children's home run by Exceptional Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 1 SC483070 Registered provider: Exceptional Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that is registered for four young people with complex needs arising from emotional trauma and the subsequent impact on behaviour. The home caters for three children in the main part of the house and one young person in the basement annexe, which is designed to support young people who are preparing for independent living.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and has been registered with Ofsted since December 2019.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2018 Full Good 22/11/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 3

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outstanding

From individual starting points, children make exceptional progress because of the high-quality care they receive from competent and dedicated staff. Children recognise their own progress and how staff support their achievements. One child said, ‘I’m with nice people and staff,’ and others said that the home and team are ‘excellent’. Children say that staff work consistently, which helps them to build trust and develop a sense of security and belonging, clearly reflecting how staff develop enduring, positive and meaningful relationships.

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outstanding

Children contribute to their individualised care planning so that they understand their own goals and can review their progress. Children are encouraged to attend their statutory reviews and have access to independent advocates so that their voices are heard. Multi-professional planning is extremely well focused so that children’s journeys are clearly tracked through their progression, demonstrated in the home’s reports for their reviews.

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outstanding

There is a strong focus on the benefits of education and all children attend mainstream school or college. The registered manager has challenged local authority professionals effectively to ensure that the appropriate education provision is in place to meet children’s educational needs. Excellent routines, along with support and encouragement from staff, ensure their full attendance and continued progress. One child did disengage from education, but through staff perseverance to help her recognise the importance of attaining qualifications for her future career aspirations, she re-engaged and recently gained a qualification in health and social care.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that there is a healthy balance between study and leisure activities so that children can have fun in their spare time, in keeping with their personal preferences. During school holidays, they have enjoyed going shopping, swimming and trips to the beach, with some activities being new experiences.

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outstanding

Some children have moved on from the home. Staff have helped them to develop independence skills so that they can confidently make the transition to alternative placements. The home works collaboratively to ensure that transitions are well planned.

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outstanding

Children enjoy good health, attend health appointments and are encouraged in physical activity. Children contribute to designing a healthy and balanced menu. There are good links with external professionals, such as the child and adolescent mental health services and the nurse for children looked after, to promote children’s healthy development and well-being. Recently, staff at the home and the nurse worked together with a child around immunisations. This reflects the efficacy of the staff in supporting the specific needs of the children, and in building their resilience and self-esteem, so that they are able to make good decisions about their future health. Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 4 The home’s clinical psychologist works individually with all the children and closely with the staff team, addressing any issues of concern. The staff have a strong understanding of the impact of past trauma. This informs their practice, enabling

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outstanding

them to support children’s emotional and psychological well-being.

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outstanding

The registered manager and staff are extremely skilled and proactive at engaging children in direct work about sensitive issues, such as child sexual exploitation, sexual health, emotional well-being and substance misuse. Furthermore, they ensure that children get expert advice and guidance from specialist services, including child sexual exploitation and sexual health professionals. This has increased children’s understanding of the risks and contributed to their being safeguarded.

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outstanding

Children contribute to decisions made in the home. They hold regular meetings and also speak to staff at any time to share their views. When they have felt the need to complain about their care, they have been satisfied with the manager’s response. They clearly feel valued and respected as individuals by staff.

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outstanding

Staff fully support children in their contact with their families to maintain these important attachments but will also challenge when arrangements have a negative impact on children’s sense of stability.

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outstanding

Children feel very safe in the home and are helped to feel safe in the community by staff who care for and understand them well. Children know that staff are there to help them and feel able to talk about any concerns they might have, confident that they will be listened to and taken seriously.

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outstanding

Staff have a very thorough safeguarding knowledge and are highly skilled in responding to children’s needs. Assessments of risk, and strategies implemented to manage and reduce risks, are regularly reviewed and updated in response to children’s circumstances.

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outstanding

Since the last inspection on 9 May 2018, there have been a number of safeguarding issues, but these have significantly reduced, following the appointment of the current manager in June 2019. One child moved in with her boyfriend and his family against the wishes of the staff. Staff followed all procedures to ensure that she returned to the home safely. Staff rang and visited daily to ask her to return home but, on each occasion, she declined. A number of strategy meetings were held, with police and the local authority unable to take any action. The registered manager visited the family and spoke frankly with the mother of the boyfriend and the child returned to placement. Since then, she has settled, with no further episodes of going missing.

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outstanding

Children are not exposed to associated risks, such as exploitation, or access to Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 5 alcohol or illegal substances, because there is a high level of staff supervision. There is little conflict between children living in the home and they were observed to enjoy light-hearted conversations with one another. They are helped to understand how their presentation might be perceived by others, so that they learn to express themselves better. Children clearly identify how their experiences at the home have helped them to make positive progress in their lives and become safer.

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outstanding

Staff have not needed to use any physical intervention and very few sanctions have been required since the summer. This is because staff help children understand why the very clear rules and boundaries are in place.

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outstanding

Any medication, when used, is appropriately administered and recorded. Children who have previous histories of self-injurious behaviours have stopped doing so, demonstrating how the staff understand and help them to manage their emotions more effectively, and promote their safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The current registered manager benefited from a lengthy transition into the role, which therefore had minimal impact on the children at the home. He has relevant qualifications in social care and extensive experience in a number of social care settings, from being a youth worker to a previous registered manager position, from being a trainer to a service manager for a large social care company. His understanding of the home from his previous roles clearly demonstrates his knowledge and focus on the needs and progress of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff confirm that the manager is very supportive, has an open-door policy so that they can access support on an ongoing basis and say that he will help out at any time. They share the manager’s passion and high aspirations for the best outcomes for children, enthusiastically talking about their work, saying, ‘We make it seem like a real home – they are like our own kids.’ Children are included in planning developments for the home, with staff encouraging their input, for example in choosing the colour of the decor on the stairs and landing. Staff are clearly committed to encouraging children to try new experiences and enhance their opportunities and share a collective ownership of their responsibility to do the best for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Practice is monitored through regular, reflective supervision and appraisal. There is well-planned training in place to support the team’s ongoing professional development. Staff speak confidently around underpinning research in attachment and trauma that informs their practice. They therefore demonstrate that their exceptionally competent practice and commitment accord with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager carefully plans and analyses children’s progress with the team and the clinical psychologist attached to the home. In addition to regular team meetings, multidisciplinary team meetings provide oversight and guidance to children’s progression that supports children’s development and risk reduction. Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 6 Robust monitoring systems ensure that the manager has effective oversight of the quality of care provided by the home. The independent visitor provides reports that help the manager identify any shortfalls but could be more analytical and evaluative. Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 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: SC483070 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malthouse Business Centre, 48 Southport Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 1QR

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Children’s home details

Inspector: Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483070 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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Children’s home details

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Children’s home details

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Children’s home details

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