Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St. Helens

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC422481 1 SC422481

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Inspire Children’s Services

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently only one child living at the home. One child moved out of the home in August 2019 and no other children have been admitted since this time.

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This monitoring visit

This is a warm, well-maintained and well-decorated home. The child living in the home benefits from a homely and nurturing environment. The home has been personalised and has lots of photographs of the child enjoying a variety of activities. There is a specially adapted sensory room to support the child’s needs. The home followed advice provided by an occupational therapist to help adapt the room to incorporate visual, touch, taste and auditory experiences.

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This monitoring visit

The child attends school and the staff’s liaison with the school is effective. The pastoral manager said, ‘He is happy and ready to engage with his learning when he arrives at school, his presentation is exemplary, the staff team are fantastic and I value our working relationship.’ When the school was previously closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff worked with the school to access appropriate educational resources and supported the child to engage with these at home. The staff supported the child to manage the change in his usual routines and provided structure and security during an uncertain time.

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This monitoring visit

The child has a positive relationship with the staff, who understand his needs. Staff work well together. They have a consistent approach and the routines in the home are adhered to. This helps the child to feel safe. The staff use ‘picture exchange Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC422481 2 communication systems’ to support the child’s communication and understanding. This has helped to stabilise the child, as he feels secure, and he has made consistent progress, especially in his language skills.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have supported the child to maintain contact with his family. The appropriate changes were made to contact arrangements to adhere to the COVID-19 restrictions. The staff ensure that face-to-face visits with family members resumed as soon as it was safe to do so.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand the child’s risks and adhere to agreed strategies to reduce these risks. The risk assessments that are in place contain pertinent information and strategies for staff to follow. However, additional risk assessments and strategies in relation to the child’s safe use of electronics and technology and the support he requires when travelling in a vehicle need to be clearly recorded.

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This monitoring visit

The behaviour support plans and risk assessments in place are subject to regular review. A system for monitoring any triggers or changes in behaviour has been effective in updating risk levels and strategies to manage the risks. A shortfall was identified when reviewing the child’s plans, which highlighted that some internal doors in the home were locked during the night. A requirement has been made in respect of this.

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This monitoring visit

Staff attend regular training and supervision sessions. The core staff team has completed additional training in autism to ensure that they can support the child’s needs effectively. The deputy manager attended specialist sensory awareness training. The knowledge gained on this course was shared with the staff team and used to improve practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and is supported by a competent deputy manager. Staff enjoy working in the home and one staff member said, ‘The staff team is brilliant and we all get on really well together.’ The staff feel supported by the manager and receive monthly supervision.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has effective monitoring and review systems in place. This helps to continually improve practice in the home and ensure that the child remains safe and his needs are met.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2018 Full Good 25/10/2017 Full Good 17/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC422481 3

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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 registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 18 December 2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. In particular, risk assessments need to clearly detail the strategies in place to protect children from any identified risks. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC422481 4

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s 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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Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC422481 5 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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