Children's Home run by Crossway Services Limited in St Helens

Inspection report children’s home: SC068206 1 SC068206 Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child. They offer to provide short-, medium- or long-term care to children, irrespective of gender. They offer placements to children who may have low self-esteem and confidence or challenging behaviours, or who are at risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and was registered with Ofsted in 2007.

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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: SC068206 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2018 Full Good 20/09/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC068206 3

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outstanding

The registered manager has developed an excellent wrap-around service, which includes care and education to ensure that the young person has made vast progress from his starting point. The young person, who self describes as having an ‘autism ability’, is achieving excellent outcomes in his education, health, positive relationships with adults and peers, and in reducing his risk. This has resulted in his securing outstanding results in passing his GCSEs, writing a book and being successful at motor racing, securing a number of trophies.

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outstanding

The young person receives an exceptional quality of care and feels cherished in his home. His safety and well-being have significantly improved as a result of the outstanding care that he receives. The model of care, outlined in the home’s statement of purpose, is well embedded into practice. The staff are not risk averse and put a great deal of planning into measured, safe strategies to enable and support the young person to access the community. This is exemplified by the tremendous progress made by the young person, who is now undertaking driving lessons with a specialist driving instructor; such has he has grown in confidence and self-esteem.

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outstanding

Relationships between the young person and staff are particularly strong, as evidenced through positive comments from the social workers and the young person himself. A social worker commented, ‘Staff support and have positive relationships in which [Name] is secure. Staff always advocate for [Name] appropriately.’

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outstanding

Adults listen to the young person unfailingly, especially during key working and home meetings. These meetings are popular with the young person and offer the opportunity for him to put his ideas and suggestions forward. The young person reported that he feels included in his home, receives feedback and always feels listened to.

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outstanding

Contact arrangements are complex, and staff work flexibly to support and facilitate these arrangements.

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outstanding

The young person’s inclusion in community life is outstanding. The young person enjoys an excellent range of well-considered activities and experiences, which are thoroughly risk assessed in line with his individual plan. Activities follow the interests of the young person and are integral to developing his self-confidence. For example, he is a member of a go-karting club and attends ‘Nerf-gun’ events.

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outstanding

The home presents as a lived-in family home. It is warm, welcoming and comfortable. Inspection report children’s home: SC068206 4

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outstanding

The young person receives exceptionally high-quality and consistent care and has lived at the home for four years. He said that he feels safe living at the home. His confidence stems from his knowledge that staff know him very well and respond to his specific needs.

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outstanding

The staff give the young person’s safety the highest priority, and they are very well trained in safeguarding matters. They recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and risks relating to harmful sexualised behaviour, criminality and child sexual exploitation. Staff know exactly what they need to do when they have concerns and take decisive action to safeguard the young person in their care.

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outstanding

The young person’s behaviour is usually excellent and has significantly improved over time. He benefits from a nurturing and structured environment where positive behaviour is actively promoted through praise and rewards.

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outstanding

Good health and safety practice at the home helps to make it a safe place for the young person to live. For example, there is an up-to-date fire safety risk assessment, and regular fire drills take place to ensure that the staff and young person are aware of the procedure to be followed in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The young person and staff are fully supported by a proactive, strong and dedicated registered manager. She leads by example and ensures that the team is stable, exceptionally well supported and competently trained. She demonstrates eagerness and a capacity for continued development of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An experienced, stable and committed staff team cares for the young person. All the staff have worked together for some time. This continuity of staffing has been pivotal in promoting the young person’s attachments. The skills in the staff team match the young person’s needs exceptionally well. For example, one staff member also has an interest in go-karting and will take the young person to a competition, even if this means coming in on his day off.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides staff with regular and very effective supervision. This is in addition to monthly staff team meetings, in which the manager recognises the positive work of the staff. As a result, staff feel supported, valued and highly motivated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The young person’s written records provide a very detailed picture of his experiences and progress. The records include a narrative of the young person’s daily life and staff observations of mood and behaviour. These comprehensive records provide an excellent insight into and understanding of the young person’s life and contribute significantly to the planning for his future. Inspection report children’s home: SC068206 5 Monitoring arrangements for the home are highly effective. Issues arising from the manager’s and the external person’s monitoring ensure that the manager has a very good understanding of the strengths and areas for development for the home. She is quick to address issues that arise. On occasion, however, there has been a delay in the submission of the monitoring report beyond 28 days of the visit. Inspection report children’s home: SC068206 6

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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: SC068206 7

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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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Children’s home details

Inspector: Elaine Clare, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068206 8 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

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

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