Children's Home run by Continuum Support - Care Services Limited in Warrington

Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since August 2019.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the home’s first inspection since registration. Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people say they like living at the home. One young person said, ‘It’s the best place you could be for the situation you are in.’ Young people get on well with the staff and feel that they are at the centre of what happens in the home. Their wishes and feelings are sought about improvements to the home, and they say that the staff respond to their requests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both young people have excellent school attendance. For one, this has improved from their previous placement because the staff provide transport to and from school. This means that the young person is not late due to public transport delays. Both young people are due to take GCSE examinations and any additional support that they need is in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy a range of activities, both individually and together. They particularly enjoy going to the cinema and meals out. Consequently, one young person now spends more time outside of the home on activities than previously. The staff act as strong advocates for young people to see family members who are important to them, and in venues that they prefer. Friends and family are welcome to visit young people in the home in line with their plans. The staff are creating memory folders of activities and important events so that the young people have a record of their lives while living at the home, as well as accounts of the celebration of their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good physical health and attend their appointments. Currently, they do not wish to engage with any additional support for their emotional well- being. However, the staff monitor young people’s well-being and discuss any potential help that they can access. Young people contribute to the menu and are encouraged to help with cooking as part of developing independent living skills. The staff have bought a gym pass to encourage young people to take regular physical exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are thriving due to the consistency and stability that the staff team creates. One social worker commented that a young person was the most settled he had seen. Young people appeared happy and relaxed and had no complaints about the home or the staff. They know how to complain if they need to and have advocates in place for support.

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

The staff have a good understanding of young people’s individual needs and risks. Young people are aware of their own risk assessments and why boundaries are in place. As a result, they understand and generally abide by what is expected of them.

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

Consistent boundaries mean that young people currently living at the home respond positively and do not display risk-taking behaviours. One young person no longer Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 4 goes missing, which had been a concern prior to moving to the home. Consequences are used very rarely, and physical intervention has not been necessary to manage any negative behaviour. This demonstrates the positive and stable environment that the staff have created to help young people to feel safe and make positive choices.

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

The staff encourage young people to learn about how to keep themselves safe, for example by doing online training courses on relevant subjects, such as online safety and the risks of substance misuse, as part of planned key work. Incentives are used effectively to promote young people to achieve positive outcomes that keep them safe and reward good behaviour.

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

The staff keep in touch with young people regularly when they are away from the home, such as when they are visiting friends and family members independently. Young people can stay with friends or family members overnight with prior arrangement. The staff will check up on young people’s welfare when they are staying away overnight. However, documents do not consistently record that the staff have spoken to the adult responsible at the address where the young person is staying. Furthermore, when a young person returned home from visiting a friend with the smell of cannabis on their clothing, staff have not liaised effectively with the social worker to ensure that the address remains a suitable place for the young person to visit.

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

Thorough pre-admission assessments take place, so that the staff fully understand what they need to do to keep young people safe when they arrive. One young person, who has moved from the home, was subject to restrictions of liberty. The staff were aware of procedures that they were required to follow. They promptly sought a risk management meeting at the earliest opportunity when the young person went missing from the home. The young person’s placement ended because of action taken by external safeguarding agencies in response to a serious fire incident at the home. The staff ensured that everyone evacuated the property safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. He leads a team that is still developing since newer staff have joined the home. The manager follows safer recruitment procedures to ensure that only suitable individuals are employed to work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team members are well motivated to develop their skills and knowledge. Most staff hold a suitable qualification and those who are yet to achieve one are working well towards completion within timescales. Any staff training needs are identified through regular, child-focused individual supervision and monthly team meetings. Staff performance is monitored through annual appraisals, which include young people’s views. This ensures that young people receive good-quality, consistent care that responds to their individual needs. Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 5 The manager has a thorough understanding of his health and safety responsibilities. Following the fire incident, he ensured that repairs were completed and that the home was inspected by the fire service before any other young people moved into the home. The staff also received refresher training in fire safety awareness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Relationships with external agencies are developing as the home becomes more established. Feedback from professionals, including social workers and independent reviewing officers, is positive. They feel confident that the staff support young people to do well and that communication with professionals is regular. The manager will challenge other professionals when relevant plans are not provided or contain incorrect information. However, further challenge and escalation is needed to ensure that these documents are accurate and appropriately identify what care and support the placing authority expects the home to deliver.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and young people’s progress. Several improvements have been made to policies and documents, including the home’s statement of purpose, since the home was registered. The manager regularly reviews young people’s records and recognises areas where staff practice needs to develop, such as improvements to the quality of recording and developing resources for planned key work with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External independent monitoring further supports the manager’s understanding of the strengths and areas for development within the home. He is willing to implement suggestions made to improve the home’s delivery of care. The manager has completed his first review of the quality of care since the home opened. Although the report identifies the progress young people have made, further evaluation is needed to demonstrate how the staff team’s practice supports that progress. Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that records accurately and clearly document the actions taken by the staff to ensure that young people are safe when staying with friends and family members, including confirmation of their whereabouts by the adult responsible for the child while away. Also, that the staff are clear that appropriate checks have been made by the placing authority when necessary. 10/04/2020

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.0) In particular, to challenge further when relevant plans are not of high quality or specific to the young person.  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Specifically, this should evaluate how the care provided promotes outcomes for young people. Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 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: 2509800 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Continuum Support Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2509800 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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