Children's home run by New Start in Sefton

Assurance visit report: SC409738 1 SC409738

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of several operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since February 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 10 October 2019

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC409738 2

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The care of children

There are currently four young people living at the home. The acting manager and staff members spoke warmly and positively about the young people. Staff and young people enjoy strong, positive and trusting relationships, and young people said that they feel able to talk to staff.

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The care of children

However, not all of the young people living in the home share a positive relationship with each other, and this has led to several incidents and altercations. The strategies used by staff to manage these relationships have not been effective to ensure that all of the young people feel safe. One young person reported that he will spend more time in his bedroom and has refused to attend ‘young people’s meetings’ to avoid confrontation with others. Another young person reported incidents of name calling and feeling worried after another young person damaged their bedroom door. These experiences have a detrimental impact on the young people living in the home.

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The care of children

The home requires maintenance work and redecoration to provide a clean, safe environment for young people. The condition of the young people’s bedrooms demonstrates that the home does not have daily structured cleaning routines. For example, at the time of the visit, the bedrooms had not been cleaned and tidied, and the carpet in one young person’s bedroom required replacement. This does not provide a positive and nurturing environment for the young people.

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The care of children

Internal rooms in the home continue to contain CCTV cameras. The internal cameras are an invasion of the young people’s privacy, and the young people’s local authorities have not agreed their use. One young person told inspectors that he had asked staff for the cameras to be taken out as he did not like them in his home.

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The care of children

Young people continue to keep in touch with their families. Staff have encouraged and supported ongoing contact throughout COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

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The care of children

Staff have supported young people’s education to ensure that young people continue to learn and make progress. One social worker highlighted how the manager had the ability to ‘think outside the box’ and had been instrumental in encouraging one child back into education through the use of creative incentives. One young person achieved his GCSEs and has engaged in a work experience placement.

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The care of children

Staff utilise the support of external agencies to ensure that the young people’s physical and emotional needs are met. The home works alongside the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for one young person who displays high- risk, self-harm behaviours. The staff have sought and followed professional advice when necessary. Assurance visit report: SC409738 3

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The safety of children

Risk management strategies in the home have not been consistently effective to safeguard young people. Initial impact risk assessments are not robust and do not assess how young people’s identified risks will be managed. For example, the proximity of the home to several motorway bridges was not considered in the impact risk assessment for one young person, despite motorways being a known risk.

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The safety of children

Although staff understand the risks to young people, staff have failed to consistently follow, and adhere to, agreed risk assessments and safety plans. For example, one young person’s plan included the use of physical restraint when they were placing themselves at risk of harm, but this plan was not adhered to in a consistent and timely way to prevent the risk level increasing. Furthermore, several staff members have not received training in physical restraint due to the current pandemic, and therefore were not able to safely adhere to the agreed safety plan for this young person.

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The safety of children

Roles and responsibilities in the home are unclear. The responsible individual has multiple roles within the company which are conflicting. For example, the responsible individual was highlighted as part of a strategy to support a young person’s behaviour in his role as the home’s therapist, but would also review and evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of serious incidents and physical restraints in the role of the responsible individual. The information in relation to the structure of the home does not clearly identify the main directors of the company and their roles. This makes it unclear who is making day-to-day decisions about the home.

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The safety of children

Staff have provided a range of activities to keep young people engaged and occupied during recent COVID-19 restrictions. Staff have worked closely with the young people to support young people’s understanding of COVID-19 and how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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The safety of children

Staff have completed direct work with the young people about risks. This has been effective in reducing young people’s risks in relation to child sexual exploitation.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager post is currently vacant. The deputy manager is currently acting in the manager role. Social workers report that communication provided by the manager is very good. One social worker stated, ‘I get a weekly update, which is useful, and the communication is always good.’

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Leaders and managers

There is a core team of regular staff and bank staff in the home, which helps to provide consistent care for young people. However, some staff have been moved from this home to others within the organisation. Young people said they are not always informed about staff changes in the home, and they find this difficult, especially when they have built a positive relationship. Assurance visit report: SC409738 4 The manager and staff have managed the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic sensibly. They have placed the well-being of the young people at the centre of their practice and decision-making. They adapt well to the changing government guidance. Strict protocols are in place, such as temperature checks on all people coming into and leaving the home.

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Leaders and managers

The internal and external monitoring systems in the home have not been effective. They have failed to identify all shortfalls in practice, which means that action is not taken to improve the quality of care. For example, monitoring and oversight by the manager has failed to identify that debriefs with young people and staff are not taking place following significant incidents and physical restraints. This reduces the ‘learning’ from events to ensure that staff practice and outcomes for young people improve.

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Leaders and managers

The independent visitor continues to monitor the progress and well-being of the young people. Reports completed by an independent visitor to the home identify significant safeguarding concerns for young people and have been completed virtually due to the pandemic.

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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, the 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC409738 5 (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iv)(xii)) 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b)(d)) 06/11/2020

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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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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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lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC409738 6 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC409738 7 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”) and any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Job Bank, 4 Tunnel Road, Liverpool L7 6QD

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Post vacant Assurance visit report: SC409738 8

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Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Jessica Forshaw, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC409738 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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