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

Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 1 Registered provider: Inspire Childrens Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with social and difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Children were spoken to as part of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2020 Full Good 03/01/2019 Full Good 01/11/2017 Full Good 13/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 3

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improvement to be good

Two children currently live at this home. One child recently moved into the home and one child moved out.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are individualised, although some plans are not clear about what staff need to do to help children. For example, behaviour management plans do not include clear strategies for staff to use to support children.

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improvement to be good

Children told inspectors that they have good relationships with the current staff team. However, inspectors observed one child using inappropriate language to staff and being verbally abusive. Staff did not challenge this or explain to the child that this language is inappropriate.

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improvement to be good

The progress that children make is variable. One child recently left the home to move into semi-independent accommodation with the same provider. This was a positive move for the child because she wanted to move into her own accommodation. However, when the child lived at this home, staff did not support her to make sufficient progress in her health. This is because the child’s health needs were not fully addressed before she moved out of the home. Furthermore, the child had not been supported to access education or training in a suitable time frame. Staff took her to enrol on a college course until the day that she left the home. This does not demonstrate that the child’s educational needs were consistently met while she was living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Specialist help is provided to children who may need this. For example, one child attends appointments with a drug and alcohol support worker. However, the child continues to misuse cannabis. This means that this intervention is not effective, and although staff know that this is an issue, staff have not considered alternative strategies to support the child in stopping this.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond to safeguarding incidents by involving the relevant professionals. For example, when children return home from missing-from-home incidents, staff arrange return home interviews for children. This means that children are given the opportunity to speak to somebody independent of the home. Furthermore, on some occasions, the manager contacts children’s placing authorities to request a strategy meeting. This means that the manager ensures that there is a multi-agency approach to address the issues and work at reducing the risk.

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improvement to be good

While this is positive, the manager needs to ensure that she is also proactive in managing all children’s risks. This is in relation to the manager ensuring that she Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 4 considers preventative strategies to reduce risk and ensure that these strategies are clear for staff to follow and that they are included in children’s risk assessments.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not up to date and do not include all known risks. This means that staff do not have clear plans to follow to keep children safe. Furthermore, not all staff spoken to demonstrate an understanding of children’s risks and they need guidance and clear strategies to help them reduce risk. For example, one child recently moved into the home and he spends a large amount of time out of the home. Staff do not always know where he is and who he is spending time with. The child does not have a risk assessment with clear strategies to support staff in ensuring that he is safe. When the inspector discussed this with the registered manager, she subsequently completed a risk assessment to address this area.

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improvement to be good

There have been incidents when children have gone missing from home. These incidents have recently increased, and two children went missing together. Although there are plans in place to help staff manage these incidents, the strategies do not consistently keep children safe. For example, the strategy for one child is for staff to contact the police if staff are concerned that the child may have gone to visit a particular address. The plan is for the staff to wait for police assistance before they visit the address. This means that the child is left in a potentially unsafe situation because staff can wait for long periods of time until the police are available to visit the address with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not use consistent strategies to manage children’s behaviour. The inspectors observed an incident when staff were supporting a child who was upset and angry. Staff did not ask the child to stop swearing and shouting at staff. The child became increasingly upset and left the home. Staff were unclear about what action they were required to take or what was the agreed strategy in place. This means that the child does not always receive consistent support from the staff team.

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good

The home is managed by a permanent manager. She registered with Ofsted in January 2021. This is her first experience as a registered manager. The manager is approachable, and staff spoken to are positive about the impact that she has made since she was appointed as manager.

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good

The manager does not always have a clear understanding of the progress that children are making. This is because the manager’s overall monitoring and review systems need to improve so that she can evaluate the care that children are receiving. This is particularly in respect of children’s plans.

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good

Staff spoken to describe a supportive environment. One member of staff commented on the positive changes that the manager has made since she was appointed. Staff receive frequent supervision. However, the manager needs to ensure that she addresses all actions that are agreed with staff in supervision meetings. This is Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 5 necessary so that the manager can continually evaluate staff practice to improve children’s care.

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good

Social workers say that the staff team keep them updated about any incidents in relation to their child. They say that staff keep children safe and look for them if they go missing from home.

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good

The manager does challenge placing authorities if she needs further information, for example in relation to children’s plans. However, the provider does not always take sufficient action to escalate concerns, for example in relation to a child’s health. This means that a child’s health needs have not always been addressed. This is particularly pertinent for one child because she has moved into her own accommodation.

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good

Children are not always cared for by a stable staff team. This means that children do not always receive consistent care. The manager accepts this as an area to improve and staff report that a stable staff team is now in place.

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good

The statement of purpose is not sent to Ofsted in line with regulation. This means that Ofsted does not have the most up-to-date information about who is working at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to ensuring that staff address all children’s health needs and if there are any outstanding concerns, these need to be escalated to the relevant professionals.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 9 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 7 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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Requirement Due date

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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to helping children use appropriate language with staff. 9 June 2021

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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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 9 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 8 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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that all children’s known risks are assessed, and risk assessments include clear strategies for staff to use to manage and reduce risk.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, these strategies need to be reviewed and evaluated to ensure that they are effective in reducing risk.

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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; and

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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

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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2(a))(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager needs to ensure that she reviews and evaluates all children’s plans and any incidents in the home to ensure that she can revisit strategies to help staff manage and reduce risk. 9 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 9 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 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;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 9 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 9 June 2021

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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: 1213828 10

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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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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1213828 11 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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