Children's Home run by New Start in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 1 SC471289

p.1

New Start

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is one of three that are owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to care for four children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning difficulties and/or mental health issues.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since September 2020 and has not yet submitted his application to be registered with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Since the last full inspection, there has been several changes in the home. The management and staff team have changed, and a number of young people have moved in and out of the home. However, there is now a permanent manager in place and an experienced, consistent staff team. There are currently two young people living in the home. Two young people have recently moved out of the home as part of a planned transition in line with their care plans.

p.1

This monitoring visit

As part of the transition planning for young people coming to live at the home, the provider will contact placing social workers and previous placements. This provides an opportunity to gather information about the needs of the young person. However, there is a lack of robust assessment and comparison of the needs of the young person moving into the home and those of the young people who are already living in the home. This means that the young people’s needs and risks are not fully assessed for compatibility. A requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Young people living in the home are effectively safeguarded and staff take appropriate action to manage risks. However, some shortfalls were identified in the quality of the young people’s risk assessments. Risk assessments do not include sufficient information about the young person’s known risks and this was a requirement of the previous inspection. Furthermore, risk assessments are not routinely reviewed following incidents. Strategies contained in the risk assessments Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 2 are generic rather than being specific to the individual young person’s needs. Risk management plans in relation to young people who go missing from the home do not detail specific actions for staff to follow. This means that staff’s responses are inconsistent. Although this has not impacted on the safe care of young people living in the home, it does have the potential to result in shortfalls in safeguarding

p.1

This monitoring visit

The young people living in the home feel happy and safe. One young person said, ‘I feel happy here’, ‘staff genuinely care’, and ‘I feel safe’. Young people have positive relationships with the staff team. Young people value the staff members talking to them about how they are feeling and listening to their views. One young person who has recently moved into the home said, ‘staff explain things to me’, ‘they talk to me’, and they ‘offer me choices’.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The positive relationships staff build with young people help to prevent an escalation in negative behaviours. This has been evidenced in the low number of restrictive physical interventions used in the home to keep young people and others safe from harm. However, the use of physical restraint is contained as a strategy in some of the young people’s plans. Currently, not all staff are trained should the need arise for restraint to be used and therefore, the use of restraint may not be safe or effective. This shortfall was also a recommendation of the previous inspection and therefore it has been made a requirement.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Young people value contact with their family. One young person explained how staff have been creative during the COVID-19 pandemic and have arranged outdoor activities to ensure that they can continue to see their family members. The manager and staff team prioritise the educational needs of young people. One young person is currently attending college and studying hair and beauty.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The young people’s health and well-being needs are met and staff support young people to access appropriate services. Routine and specialist health appointments are attended as necessary. Key-work sessions take place to support young people’s understanding of their safety and well-being. However, further work would support young people to understand how to keep safe in all areas of their health and well- being, including sexual relationships, sexual health and contraception. A recommendation has been made in relation to this.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff morale is high and the staff feel supported by the management team. Staff said, ‘We feel well supported and we know that young people really feel like this is a home. We are all motivated and working towards the same goals.’ A social worker said, ‘They [staff team] go above and beyond.’

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager is supported by a deputy and also a service manager who provides additional oversight of the practice in the home. The manager is motivated and enthusiastic and has developed good relationships with the young people, staff and stakeholders. The manager provides support to the staff and incidents of poor practice have been identified and managed effectively. The manager provides Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 3 oversight and evaluation in relation to significant incidents in the home and has effective monitoring systems in place. This ensures that the quality of care provided to young people is good and continues to improve.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager has appropriately escalated concerns to the placing authority and advocated for young people when needed. For example, there were delays in the care planning for one young person who required a new placement due to a change in her circumstances. The manager and responsible individual escalated concerns to the local authority until the situation was resolved.

p.3

This monitoring visit

A shortfall was identified in relation to rotas. The rotas do not clearly identify the full names of the staff members working in the home. This prevents a clear record of who has worked in the home with the young people.

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/06/2019 Full Good 12/12/2018 Interim Not judged 19/04/2017 Full Good 05/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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; and

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) 24 December 2020

p.4

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—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person is responsible for ensuring that all their staff have been adequately trained in 24 December 2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 5 the principles of restraint and any restraint techniques are appropriate to the needs of the children.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.5

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, an assessment of the impact that a child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home and compatibility of the child’s needs requires consideration. 24 December 2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

p.5

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. 24 December 2020

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance and supplement that provided Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 6 by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

p.5

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC471289 7 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7