Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2594033 1 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s 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 who may have social and behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post. He registered with Ofsted in June 2020 when the home was registered.

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Information about this children’s home

There are currently three children living at the 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: this is the home’s first inspection since it was registered in June 2020.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2594033 2

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improvement to be good

The home registered with Ofsted in June 2020. Three children have moved into the home. Children say that they like living in the home and that they have positive relationships with staff. This enables the children to feel safe and secure.

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improvement to be good

There have been some disagreements and altercations between the children. These incidents have been managed appropriately by the manager and staff. However, documentation does not evidence the work that has been carried out with children after the event, to help them understand how their behaviours can affect others.

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improvement to be good

Children understand how to complain and said that staff are always willing to listen and will help them to sort out any problems. However, when incidents had occurred, the manger has not sufficiently recorded the detail and all actions taken. This is an area that requires improvement.

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improvement to be good

The children have experienced positive moves into the home. The impact risk assessments highlight children’s historic and presenting needs and risks. However, the children’s wishes and views are not consistently sought and considered as part of the process. One child raised concerns to staff about living with two children who are considerably younger than he is. Despite these concerns being documented, he did not receive an appropriate response. This has an impact on children’s feelings of choice and control over the things that are important in their life.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged and supported to attend education. Two children attend local schools and one child attends college. The children have all made significant progress in their education since moving into the home. Managers and staff work well with the education providers to support the children’s learning and attendance.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met. The staff work well with health professionals. The staff have referred children for specialist support for their mental health and substance misuse. However, one child continues to smoke and misuse drugs and alcohol.

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improvement to be good

The children engage in a wide range of hobbies and activities and like to be active. The children enjoy football, rugby and trampolining. One child has completed running sessions with the manager and staff. One child spoke proudly about his football team and showed the inspectors his football kit before he went to football Inspection report children's home: 2594033 3 training. This engagement in hobbies and activities supports children’s learning and development and also builds their social skills.

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improvement to be good

Inspectors found significant shortfalls in the decoration, maintenance and cleanliness of the home. One child had not been supported to clean his room for a significant time. Inspectors found several cups and a bowl in his bedroom which contained mould. There was a large pile of empty food wrappers and drink bottles overflowing in the child’s bin. Children’s clothing was found in untidy piles at the bottom of their wardrobes. Furnishings, such as wardrobes and drawers, were in need of repair, and carpets in the home required replacement. There was mould evident in the bathroom. During the inspection, workmen attended the home to start to rectify some of the concerns identified.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are individualised and contain clear strategies for staff to follow. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the risks associated with the children’s care and speak confidently about the strategies in place to keep children safe. However, risk assessments are not consistently updated when new risks are evident, and staff do not consistently follow the strategies in place. During the inspection, the smell of cannabis from a child’s bedroom was noticeable. In addition, cigarette butts were seen on the ground-floor roof beneath his bedroom window. This risk presents additional hazards and poses a fire risk. This issue had not been assessed by the staff.

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improvement to be good

Inspectors found evidence of a safeguarding concern, which had not been managed in accordance with the provider’s policies. One of the children returned from spending time with friends in the community. He had sustained injuries to his face and arm following an altercation with an unknown male. The staff notified the placing social worker about the incident but did not contact the Police to report this assault. The incident was not risk assessed, and effective safeguarding strategies were not put in place. The manager also reported that he was not fully aware of the seriousness of this incident. Immediate action was taken during the visit to update all safeguarding professionals.

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improvement to be good

The children do not go missing from the home. There is a consistent staff team who understands the children’s needs. Staffing levels are appropriate, which allow children to have access to good levels of support. Furthermore, this ensures that children have the required supervision and safeguards in place.

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improvement to be good

The staff encourage positive behaviour and provide praise and rewards appropriately. Sanctions are also used in the home. However, sanctions do require management oversight and evaluation to ensure that they are effective and appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.

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improvement to be good

The home uses internal door alarms on all the children’s bedrooms. Two children have been assessed as requiring the use of the door alarms during the night to Inspection report children's home: 2594033 4 ensure that they are effectively safeguarded. However, one of the children has the door alarm activated by staff at night, despite there being no safeguarding need for this measure. Additionally, this child has reported to staff that he does not want the alarm on his bedroom. Therefore, the use of monitoring and surveillance equipment is not being assessed on an individual needs basis and is being used unnecessarily.

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improvement to be good

There have been incidents when staff have been required to physically intervene to keep children safe. Although records contain management review and evaluation, there were shortfalls found. During one restraint, a child told a staff member that he had been injured. This lacked an appropriate response from the manager and staff. These shortfalls compromise the safety of restraint practice in the home.

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good

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered in June 2020. He is also the registered manager of another one of the provider’s homes. He is passionate and child-centred in his approach and shares positive, nurturing relationships with the children. The manager and deputy manager demonstrate a good understanding of children’s individual needs. The staff team feels well supported by the manager and find him to be very approachable.

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good

Staff receive ongoing training to support their knowledge and skills. However, not all staff are receiving regular, individualised supervision. There was evidence of a supervision session being copied and pasted from one record to another. Additionally, there was a lack of action taken when a staff member raised concerns about a child’s substance misuse and welfare when out in the community. The lack of regular, quality supervision and effective action of any concerns raised by staff has an impact on the safeguarding and welfare of the children. Additionally, it hinders the progress and improvements of the quality of care being provided in the home.

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good

The children are cared for by a predominantly male staff team. There is currently only one female member of staff who consistently works in the home. This prevents the children from building effective relationships with both males and females. The provider has plans in place to address the current gender imbalance.

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good

There are regular team meetings for staff to highlight and discuss any issues. However, the tasks allocated to staff at the meetings do not have clear timescales in place, therefore they are not completed in a timely manner. It was discussed in March 2021 that one child required curtains for his bedroom. However, the curtains were only put in the child’s bedroom on the day of the inspection.

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good

Records in the home demonstrate that the manager has not had consistent oversight of key incidents and events. Records lack robust evaluation and scrutiny of staff practice. This reduces the opportunity for learning and does not ensure that staff practice and the quality of care provided to children continually improve. Inspection report children's home: 2594033 5 Rotas do not clearly identify the staff members on shift in the home and the hours worked. As the manager currently works over two of the provider’s homes, it is not clear from the records which home he has worked in each day. This prevents a clear record of who has worked in the home with the children and, therefore, compromises safeguarding. Inspection report children's home: 2594033 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the children who are already living in the home should have their wishes and views sought and considered as part of the process when new children are being considered to move into the home. 09 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. 09 June 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2594033 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns in relation to children’s welfare. Also, the home needs to be furnished and maintained to an appropriate 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; 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; 09 June 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2594033 8 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure effective monitoring and review systems in order to fully evaluate all incidents and events in the home which impact on children and their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that each individual child’s needs are assessed before using monitoring or surveillance such as internal door alarms. 09 June 2021

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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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Requirement Due date

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

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 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;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 09 June 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2594033 9 a description of the measure and its duration; 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 of 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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the actual timing of the measure needs to be clearly detailed in the record, and the staff must take appropriate action in relation to any injuries sustained by children following a measure.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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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. 09 June 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the staff team who is in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from different gender groups. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22) Inspection report children's home: 2594033 10

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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’.

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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 children's home: 2594033 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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