Children's Home run by Care Afloat Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 1 SC006011 Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to two children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural needs. The organisation offers an education service and therapeutic support from an external contractor.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of this home was registered by Ofsted in May 2020.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 30 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good 24/01/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has lived at the home since the assurance visit in September 2020. During this time, the child has made this her home and is settled and happy. She has established meaningful relationships with several of the staff team, who care deeply for her. The child said: ‘I wouldn’t want to live in any other children’s home. I want to stay here until I am 18.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a good standard of care that is making a positive difference to the child’s life. She benefits from good routines that have brought a sense of order to her life. Staff encourage the child to reflect on her past experiences and understand the reasons that she is in care. A social worker said: ‘Staff are doing the right things for [name of child]. She is beginning to open up and talk about her past as the trusting relationships with staff develop.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is strong evidence that education is valued and encouraged by staff. Although there is still some way to go, the child’s attendance and engagement in her learning have improved significantly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good working partnerships with health providers ensure that the child’s emotional and physical health needs are met. Healthy lifestyles are promoted through good diet and exercise. Body image is important to this child and staff make good use of key working and significant conversations to reinforce the child’s self-image.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to keep in touch with the important people in her life. This is done taking a risk-aware approach that has enabled the child to return to her home area and visit her family. The child’s social worker said: ‘Staff are very aware of the potential concerns around contact in her home area. They provide a real security blanket for [name of child] in the way that contact is supported.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys an active life, participating in a wide range of recreational pastimes. These have been a useful behavioural incentive while promoting her interests, hobbies and talents, such as going to the gym and hair and beauty sessions with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. The child, who has a flair for design, has contributed significantly to the decor and furnishings throughout the home, making it feel welcoming and homely. Some minor repairs are outstanding in the child’s bathroom.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child told the inspector that she feels safe. Risk management plans are detailed and consider past behaviours that placed the child at risk. To the child’s credit, these behaviours have not presented while she has been living at the home. However, a Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 4 range of responses have been developed should any of the child’s past behaviours re-emerge. Risk management is further strengthened by the links that have been established with specialist agencies, such as the police child sexual exploitation team.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no complaints, allegations or safeguarding concerns. The manager and staff are clear about their safeguarding roles and responsibilities and know what action to take to keep the child safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff are good role models for the child. They provide the child with age-appropriate boundaries that are implemented in a parent-like manner. Individualised incentives and rewards are used effectively to promote positive engagement. On the rare occasions that the child misbehaves, staff take a proportionate and restorative approach that encourages the child to reflect and learn.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Thorough vetting and checking during recruitment ensure that only adults safe to work with vulnerable children are employed. The manager is keen to be involved in the recruitment of staff and places a great deal of emphasis on matching them with the needs of the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager has completed the suitability of premises annual review. However, much of the information in this document is out of date and there is no evidence that any consultation has taken place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is growing in experience and confidence, and he is well on the way to completing a relevant management qualification. Underpinned by genuine care and good childcare principles, the manager has worked hard to develop an ethos that places the needs of the child at the centre of the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Suitable action has been taken to address the five requirements from the last visit. The majority of these related to the challenges presented by children who have left the home. However, the manager has used this as a learning opportunity and has put several measures in place to improve how the staff support and care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been several changes in the staff team since Ofsted last visited the home. Using a planned approach, the manager has made every effort to minimise the effect of these changes and has managed to maintain an acceptable level of continuity. A full complement of staff with the right professional and personal attributes is now in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working with this child and are very positive about the leadership and support of the manager. New staff are inducted well, and ongoing support is delivered through regular formal supervision and appraisal. Most staff have either completed a relevant qualification or are in the process of working towards this. Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 5 However, the manager was unable to provide evidence that he had assessed the relevance of a qualification held by one member of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Mandatory training has continued to be delivered during the pandemic, ensuring that staff maintain their core skills. However, needs-led training, including working with children who self-harm and children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, has not been completed by several staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Day-to-day monitoring of staff practice, care planning and children’s progress is good. However, the six-monthly quality of care review requires improvement. There is no evidence that children have been involved in this process. The final report contains a lot of description and very little evaluation that can be used to identify improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose is kept under review. However, this document has not been sent to Ofsted since April 2019. Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 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, the 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

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 22 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, assess whether the alternative qualification held by a member of staff is equivalent to the level 3 diploma. 22 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)(c)) 22 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 7 The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 22 July 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that any outstanding repairs to the home are completed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff complete training in working with children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and children who self-harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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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: SC006011 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 158–160 Birkrig, Digmoor Parade, Skelmersdale WN8 9HP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Fletcher

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Inspector

Paul Scott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC006011 9 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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