Children's home run by Inspire Children‟s Services

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager registered with Ofsted in January 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 20 February 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Sustained effectiveness

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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:

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Information about this visit

 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: 1263248 2

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The care of children

The home environment creates a genuine feeling of warmth, and staff are passionate about the young people they care for. The home replicates the feel of a family home, and one young person said, ‘I love it here. The staff are amazing, and it feels like a family home and not a care home.’ Areas of the home require re- decoration and maintenance repairs to ensure that the young people benefit from having a safe, bright and clean environment.

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The care of children

Young people were observed to have positive relationships with staff who clearly understand their individual and unique needs. Young people said that staff are ‘caring’, ‘fun’ and ‘kind’. Staff have maintained contact with some of the young people who have recently moved from the home to independent living. Staff recognise the importance of maintaining positive relationships with young people, who still require support during the pandemic.

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The care of children

Young people and staff have spent good-quality time together throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The young people struggled initially during lockdown due to a lack of routine. However, staff were proactive and identified new activities to ensure that the young people had a structure to their day. The staff made changes to the garage area to incorporate a gym and pool table and also created a cinema room with a large screen. The young people were excited about the changes and made full use of the large garden area to play badminton and enjoyed several barbeques.

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The care of children

Contact with significant people is promoted. Staff continue to support the young people through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff were creative and ensured that children’s relationships with their family and friends is maintained. Young people spoke positively about using video apps and other technology during the national lockdown period.

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The care of children

Young people have continued to attend and achieve in education. When schools were closed, efforts were made to provide education in the home. One young person has successfully secured a part-time job while also completing a college course. The young person spoke positively about the support and encouragement staff have given her in achieving her new role.

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The care of children

Staff educate young people about current and relevant issues. This means that they have an improved knowledge of the world around them, including what is happening in relation to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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The safety of children

Staff have a good understanding of the risks associated with the young people’s care and can speak confidently about the measures in place to keep children safe. Managers and staff ensure that any new incidents are included in the young people’s risk assessments. However, strategies to reduce identified risks are not consistently Assurance visit report: 1263248 3 updated to ensure that all staff are aware of what they need to do to keep young people safe.

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The safety of children

The home has recently experienced an unsettled period following several changes in the young people living in the home and the staff’s ability to manage the varying needs and behaviours. There has been an increase in recent incidents, and the relationships between the young people has deteriorated. One young person, who has lived in the home for a significant time, said that this challenging time in the home has contributed to her going missing from care. When there have been incidents of young people being missing from care, these have been appropriately and effectively managed.

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The safety of children

Experienced staff were observed confidently redirecting young people’s negative behaviours by using clear language and gentle voice tones. Although some staff are skilled at managing young people’s behaviour, staff who are less experienced in managing complex behaviours are not always consistent in their approach and lack the skills base to prevent situations from escalating. Although the manager has adapted the rota to ensure that there is a balance of experienced senior staff members working alongside less experienced staff, the lack of skills base has an impact on the behaviour of young people.

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The safety of children

Risks relating to online safety are well managed. Young people who may be at risk online are educated about the potential dangers. One young person was able to identify the risk posed when an unknown male contacted them on social media. This demonstrates that education through key working sessions was effective in reducing this young person’s online risks.

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The safety of children

There have been incidents when staff have been required to physically intervene. There were some shortfalls identified in the management and recording of the physical intervention records. Young people are not consistently provided with an independent de-brief following a physical intervention. This prevents the young people from being able to raise any concerns in relation to the physical intervention. Records lack robust review and evaluation by the manager to ensure that the intervention used was necessary and proportionate to prevent excessive or inappropriate restraint.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2018. The manager and deputy manager demonstrate a good understanding of young people’s individual needs. The manager also manages another of the company’s children’s homes, and during the pandemic he carefully considered how he could safely manage each home without increasing the risks attached to COVID-19.

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Leaders and managers

The staff team reported that they are very well supported by the manager and find him to be very approachable. One staff member spoke of feeling really appreciated by the manager when he wrote to each member of the staff team to thank them for Assurance visit report: 1263248 4 persevering through the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown. This gesture helped staff morale and motivation.

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Leaders and managers

Staff receive ongoing training and regular supervision. New staff have been welcomed into the home and have received a robust induction, additional support and training. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued to complete team meetings online to ensure that they remained up to date with the young people’s needs and the ongoing development of the home.

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Leaders and managers

Partnership working is embedded into practice at this home. One local authority thanked the home for ‘being supportive and patient and working hard to provide additional staffing’ to support one young person’s escalating needs. They highlighted that there was a ‘strong working relationship’ between the local authority and the home.

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Leaders and managers

Records in the home require further oversight and monitoring to ensure that they are consistently of a high quality. Staff have made hand-written entries on records and it is not clear which staff member updated the document. Several records did not contain the name or date of the author, and not all records contain management evaluation. This prevents the manager from having good oversight of the home and the care provided to young people.

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Leaders and managers

Rotas do not clearly identify the staff members on shift and the hours worked. A recent agency member of staff who completed night shifts in the home had not been added to the home’s rotas. This prevents a clear record of who has worked in the home with the young people and therefore compromises safeguarding.

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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 staff— 12/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 1263248 5 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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)(iv)(d)) 13: The leadership and management standard

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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.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

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; 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)(2)(c)(f)(h)) 12/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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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 any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 12/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 1263248 6 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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 (3)(a)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 37: Other records

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that rotas include the full names of all staff who work in the home and the actual hours worked. 12/11/2020

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Childrens Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3 Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Michael Farrelly Assurance visit report: 1263248 7

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Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Assurance visit report: 1263248 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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