Children's home run by Crossway Services Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 1 SC064573 Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to provide care for one child. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2016. She also manages another children’s home for the company.

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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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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: 5 November 2019

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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 for children’s home: SC064573 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2019 Full Good 09/01/2019 Full Good 22/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, four children have moved on from the home. The child currently living in the home has only been living there for a short period of time. Staff are getting to know her and gradually building relationships with her.

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improvement to be good

The quality of children’s experiences of the home on a day-to-day basis is varied. Staff try to engage the child in things that interest them and that they enjoy. The child has a pet dog who has recently come to stay with her at the home. She enjoys taking him for walks with staff. Staff are exploring opportunities for the child to join clubs in the local community, so that she can build friendships in a safe environment.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported to spend time with the people who are important to her. The registered manager and staff communicate regularly with the child’s parents to ensure that they are kept informed of their child’s progress in the home. The registered manager made additional arrangements for the child to spend time with their family on Christmas Day.

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improvement to be good

Healthy daily routines are not yet established. The child is often awake late at night, meaning that she struggles to get up in the morning. This is having a negative impact on her daily life.

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improvement to be good

Systems in place for the administration and the recording of medication are not sufficiently robust. On occasions, staff have failed to administer the child’s medication as prescribed. The registered manager was in the process of addressing the child’s ongoing health needs with health professionals.

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improvement to be good

The child was without education for a short period of time after moving to the home. The registered manager and staff put in place an informal education plan to support the child’s learning. The registered manager has worked with the placing authority and the virtual school, resulting in home tuition being put in place. This arrangement is in its infancy and has not yet had an impact on the child’s daily routine and learning.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff monitor the child’s welfare closely. However, the child’s risk management plans do not identify all known risks. For example, there are concerns in relation to the child having access to their mobile phone. However, staff do not have any written guidance on the strategies they are to follow to manage and minimise this risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 4 Staff spoken to during the inspection demonstrated a good understanding of how to support the child if they are angry or upset when in the community. However, the child’s behaviour support plan requires further information to ensure that the approach of staff is consistent. This is particularly in relation to the child using inappropriate language towards staff.

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improvement to be good

Impact assessments for children who have moved into the home are not robust. Information about children’s risks and previous behaviours has not always been fully explored. Furthermore, decisions have been made to accept children into the home without all the information needed to make an informed decision about the suitability of the placement. This has resulted in children moving on from the home in an unplanned way.

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improvement to be good

On two occasions, staff have requested assistance from the police when a child’s behaviour has become increasingly challenging, as staff were unable to manage situations effectively and safely. This places children at risk of being criminalised, although no further formal action was taken against the child on these occasions.

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improvement to be good

When children living in the home have been missing, staff actively search for them and follow the actions identified in their plans. Although the registered manager has shared relevant information with other agencies, she has not always notified Ofsted of concerns when it has been appropriate to do so.

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improvement to be good

The home’s independent fire risk assessment has not been reviewed since it was created. External doors at the property require a key to open them from the inside, meaning that the child would be unable to leave the home independently in the event of an emergency. The internal doors also have locks on them. Although these doors are not routinely locked, they detract from the otherwise domestic feel of the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is in need of some general refurbishment. Required maintenance work is not always carried out promptly. For example, when an internal fire door was replaced, the old door has been left in the home’s garden. This does not reflect the homely environment the registered manager wants to provide for children living in the home.

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good

The home is managed by an experienced and qualified registered manager. She is child-centred and committed to her role.

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good

The registered manager also manages another home for the company. She told the inspector that due to staff shortages she has worked a number of shifts at the other home she manages. This has impacted on her day-to-day oversight of this home.

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good

There are gaps in staff training. When a child with specific individual needs has moved into the home, consideration has not always been given to the skills staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 5 have, to ensure that they are able to meet the child’s needs. The registered manager and staff spoke about the impact COVID-19 has had on the training available, and the limitations of online learning.

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good

Monthly visits from an independent person support the registered manager to identify areas of improvement in the home. However, there has been a delay in sending these reports to Ofsted. Furthermore, the independent person does not share their opinion of whether the child living in the home is safeguarded effectively at the time of their visit, as required by regulation.

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good

Shortfalls were identified in the safe recruitment of staff. The reasons previous employment has ended are not always explored, or evidence of relevant qualifications obtained prior to staff starting work in the home. This does not ensure that the integrity of all staff has been thoroughly checked in order to keep children safe.

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good

Staff attend regular team meetings. Supervision records demonstrated that staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and areas for development. Staff spoken to during the inspection told the inspector they felt supported in their roles.

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good

The registered manager has submitted a quality of care report. However, the report lacks evaluation and reflection on any learning. It does not include consultation with children, families or external agencies in order to support the development of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 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 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

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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that risk management plans assess all known risks to children, that thumb-turn locks are fitted to external doors and that the home environment is maintained so as to protect children from harm. 1 February 2022

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 23 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant training to meet the diverse needs of the child, and that there are effective monitoring systems in place to ensure that there is oversight of all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s needs are clearly identified and assessed prior to admission, to assess whether staff can meet the needs of children admitted to the home. 23 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 23 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 8 The registered person must ensure that medicine is administered as prescribed and that medication records are clear and accurate.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full information is available in relation to each of the matters listed. 23 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 23 February 2022

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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

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

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person states their opinion as to whether children are safeguarded effectively, and that reports are sent to HMCI in a timely manner. 23 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality-of-care review") at least once every 6 months. 23 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 9 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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must improve the evaluative content of the quality of care review, ensure that it is factually accurate and that it includes the opinions of stakeholders.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour support plan reflects the child’s needs and the actions staff should take to support them, particularly in relation to helping children use appropriate language with staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should ensure that internal door locks are removed to ensure that the home maintains a domestic rather than an ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC064573 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 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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