Children's Home run by Outbound Care in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 1 Registered provider: Outbound Care Limited 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 organisation. It provides care for one child who may have emotional and social difficulties or a learning disability. The manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2021, having managed the home since September 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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

Date of last inspection: 28 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a warm and homely environment for the child to live in. At the time of the inspection, the home was decorated for Christmas, and the child and staff members were busy writing Christmas cards to distribute to their neighbours. The home has been personalised to the likes and needs of the child, who is settled here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Outcomes for children who have lived at the home have been variable since the last inspection. While some children have moved on from the home in a planned and positive way, one child’s placement ended following a serious incident, which meant that he was unprepared for his move. The placement planning for this child was not robust and concerns highlighted in the referral documentation were minimised. It was unclear how staff were going to be able to meet the child’s needs, as this had not been clearly thought through. However, following this experience, improvements are evident and other children have been well matched and their moves into and out of the home have been positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social work professionals speak highly of the home and the individualised care afforded to children. One commented, ‘[Name of the child] has made progress in all areas, socially, emotionally and educationally. It is a very child-centred placement, with a calm and confident staff team.’ Staff speak about children who have lived at the home with warmth and empathy and children know that staff care about them. These trusting relationships help children settle and thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff go out of their way to promote positive family time for the child. They appreciate the significance of these relationships. They will facilitate family members spending time in the home, or will ensure that this time is spent in the child’s home area if required. Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with the child’s parents, as they appreciate the difference this makes for individual children, who can see the adults around them working together in a positive way. Parents and children also keep in touch after the child has left the home, demonstrating the strength of these relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The current child told the inspector that, ‘This is a good home,’ and said he preferred it to other homes he has lived in. Positive and respectful relationships between the child and staff were observed during the inspection. Staff engage the child in meaningful conversations daily. Due to high staffing levels, staff adapt their routines to best meet the needs of the child. They listen to the child and can be flexible and adaptable when needed.

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

The positive relationships that staff have with the child enable them to de-escalate most incidents of challenging behaviour. Incidents of physical intervention are rare and, in the main, the child respects and listens to staff advice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 4 The ethos of the home is to reward positive behaviour and celebrate the child’s achievements. Individualised incentive plans are used effectively and help to target specific matters. These are regularly reviewed and amended to ensure that they are effective.

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

Regular key-working conversations ensure that the child is provided with accurate information on pertinent issues, such as internet safety and sexuality. Social work professionals contacted during the inspection were very positive about staff’s understanding and management of the child’s risks. Staff work well with other agencies to ensure that concerns are shared and that practice is consistent. One professional commented, ‘Staff engage in some difficult conversations to understand the function of [Name of the child]’s unhelpful behaviours. They also share information promptly and effectively.’ This ensures that professionals are working together in the best way to help the child.

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

Risk management plans contain pertinent information and strategies for staff to implement to reduce risk. These are also subject to regular review. There has been an improvement in the quality of these documents during this inspection period. However, when there were concerns about a previous resident’s use of cannabis and concerns regarding criminal exploitation, a room search was not always completed when staff could smell cannabis, to ensure that cannabis was not being stored in the home. This is despite there being an agreement to do so with the responsible local authority. This minimises the effectiveness of agreed strategies.

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

Staff recruitment processes are generally sound, although a couple of shortfalls were identified during this inspection, such as a potential gap in employment not having been identified. This additional professional curiosity would ensure that the integrity of all those employed is explored as part of the recruitment process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager in charge of the home. There is also a deputy manager, who shares the management tasks in the home. Together, they act as good advocates for any child who lives in the home and will challenge placing authorities when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has been stable over recent months. The current manager is keen to promote staff development and the provider has introduced several retention initiatives. This has stabilised the team, as staff appreciate the focus on their development and recognition for the job they do. Staff are enthusiastic and motivated. They genuinely care about the children they support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and an annual performance appraisal. However, the registered manager has not received a performance appraisal, despite him being new to the role. This would ensure that his own development is not overlooked. Staff report that managers are accessible and supportive. Staff are encouraged to be creative, and their ideas contribute to the development of the home. They can see Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 5 the difference this makes to the outcomes for children, and this motivates them to continue. When there have been concerns about staff performance, managers have acted appropriately, following disciplinary procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose outlines the ethos of the home and the outcomes it is intending to achieve. However, the use of door sensors on external doors is not clear in this document, as they have been introduced following the registration of the home. Although the placing authority is aware of the use of door sensors, no specific consent to this has been agreed with it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff have completed core training, and online training opportunities have been available during the COVID-19 pandemic, including on specific issues that relate to the current child living in the home. This helps to ensure that staff remain alert to indicators of concern. Regular staff meetings also help ensure that staff are up to date and responding consistently to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The internal and external monitoring of the home is effective in identifying shortfalls and targeting areas for improvement. This helps drive forward improvements in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 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

The care planning standard is that children—

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that placement planning documents illustrate how decisions have been made regarding the suitability of the placement, and thorough placement planning results in children only moving on from the home in a planned way. 31 January 2022

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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. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that it is clear that the external doors to the home are alarmed at night, to alert staff if the child was to leave the property, and that the local authority will be asked for written consent to this. 31 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 31 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 7 This specifically relates to the appraisal of the registered manager.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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 for children’s home: 2523036 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Outbound Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Metropolitan Business Park, Preston New Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY3 9LT

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Inspector

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2523036 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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