Children's home run by New Start in Sefton

Inspection report children's home: SC409738 1 SC409738 Registered provider: New Start Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to care for up to four children who are unable to live at home due to their emotional and behavioural needs or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The acting manager has made an application to Ofsted to be registered.

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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. We last visited this setting on 6 October 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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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2019

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC409738 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2019 Full Good 15/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/06/2018 Full Good 15/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC409738 3

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inadequate

Children are not protected from harm or the risk of further harm. Children’s progress is mixed and in some cases poor.

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inadequate

One child has lived in the home for four years and is relatively settled. He has recently taken his GCSEs. As a result, he has obtained a place at college to begin a course he is interested in. Another child has also been successful in getting on a college course of her choice.

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inadequate

However, another child’s outcomes in education are poor and she only attends school for two hours each week. There is evidence of some challenge from the manager to external professionals about the child’s education plan. However, this has not yet progressed positively for the child.

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inadequate

Children said that they feel that the staff generally care about them. However, they do not like the number of staff changes that they have experienced. Not knowing who will be on duty each day has an impact on children’s emotional well-being. For example, one child said that at times the home is ‘chaotic, not being told who I will be waking up to from one day to the next’. As a result, staff do not have meaningful relationships with children.

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inadequate

Children moving in and out of the home have not always done so positively. At times, this has not been well planned. A child’s placement continued despite escalating concerns around issues which had a negative impact on other children living in the home.

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inadequate

Children’s meetings are not consistent. One child told the inspector that these have taken place for her during a car journey, with no preparation. The same child also told the inspector that she had sometimes missed appointments due to a lack of planning by staff. She had therefore requested a calendar, so that staff could use this to give her notice of when her appointments were due. At the time of the inspection this had not been addressed, despite the request from the child being made on numerous occasions.

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inadequate

Children know how to complain. However, their complaints are not always dealt with effectively, resulting in children feeling that their voices are not heard.

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inadequate

The staff and acting manager have positive relationships with parents and external professionals.

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inadequate

Children’s independence is promoted in line with their ages and abilities, although some areas of their independence plans are unrealistic in helping them to achieve. Inspection report children's home: SC409738 4

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

Children are at risk of significant harm. Risks to children and the strategies for managing these risks are not routinely recorded. This fails to ensure that staff have the right information to enable them to manage risks safely, including when children are missing from the home. This lack of information also hinders staff in identifying signs of domestic abuse.

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

Children do not have access to all areas of their home. The living room and kitchen doors are locked at night. Not only is this a health and safety risk but it creates an institutional environment. Children have also been able to lock themselves in the living room, which increases the risk of peer-on-peer bullying in the home. As a result, this increases the risk of harm to children.

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

When staff are unaware of children’s whereabouts, there is no clear guidance for staff to follow to ensure that children are located as quickly as possible. One child told the inspector that he had heard staff say that they did not know what to do after losing sight of two children in the community.

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

The manager has not taken sufficient action relating to an allegation against a member of staff made by a child in the home. Arrangements to protect the child following the allegation were not sufficient.

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

Room searches are proportionate and help to keep children safe when there are concerns. There is evidence that direct-work discussions take place with children, however, these are not always meaningful. The responsible individual has recently undertaken an audit in this area and has highlighted this as an area for improvement.

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

Children can take age-appropriate risks. However, one child’s liberty was restricted by not allowing access to the Wi-Fi. This was addressed by the manager with the placing authority at the time of the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager at the home for more than 26 weeks. The current acting manager has made an application to Ofsted to be registered and this remains in progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has a warm approach. She knows the children well and wants them to achieve. However, she is not leading the home in a way that enables children to achieve their potential. For example, children do not receive care from a consistent workforce, due to a high turnover of staff and the use of bank staff. One child told the inspector this upset him, and he did not know who would be caring for him from one day to the next. Another child said, ‘It doesn’t feel like home.’ As a result, the child often spends time out of the home. Inspection report children's home: SC409738 5 Managers have failed to consider staffing numbers and the staff team’s skills and knowledge when agreeing that children can move into the home. Furthermore, measures implemented have been ineffective in mitigating the risks between children. As a result, children have been at increased risk of bullying and areas of their progress have been affected since moving into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager allowed a placement to continue when a child had clearly not engaged in the therapeutic nature of the placement. This lack of action means that the chances of children gaining positive outcomes from living in this home are significantly impaired.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective management oversight and monitoring mean that managers cannot be assured that each child’s individual needs, risks and vulnerabilities are being considered and met. Children’s welfare, safety and well-being is therefore compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The acting manager has failed to ensure that staff receive relevant training specific to children’s needs. For example, no training has been undertaken in relation to identifying signs of domestic abuse. Furthermore, there were significant delays in sourcing de-escalation training for staff. This has not been recognised as part of the manager’s oversight or when reviewing referrals and accepting children into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision is detailed and reflective in nature which helps staff to learn and share their experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A number of significant events have not been reported to Ofsted. This reduces the regulator’s oversight. Inspection report children's home: SC409738 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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document; ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(e)) 5 September 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; 5 September 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC409738 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 5 September 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC409738 8 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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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. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 5 September 2021

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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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. 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— 5 September 2021 Inspection report children's home: SC409738 9 if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure children are supported to engage in a range of activities in and out of the home including, ensuring the environment they live is personalised to their individual needs. Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. Homes must also meet children's basic day to day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child's basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report children's home: SC409738 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 address: 179 Townsend Lane, Clubmoor, Liverpool L13 9DY

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Inspector

Rachel Springford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC409738 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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