Children's Home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children's home: SC485318 1 SC485318 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since December 2019.

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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 inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 18 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring 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

Date of last inspection: 11 February 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 children's home: SC485318 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2020 Full Good 28/11/2018 Full Good 07/12/2017 Full Good 03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC485318 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children live in the home, and they say that they are happy. One child, who left six months ago, had a positive experience living in the home. This child was supported to go and live with family. The child wrote to the staff to thank them for all the encouragement and support she had received during her time at the home. This was a positive moving-on experience for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and are good advocates for them when needed. There have been some recent staff changes, but staff have worked hard to build a good rapport with all the children. Relationships are caring and supportive. One child said the staff are ‘sick’ and rated the home as ‘10 out of 10’. Children say that they feel safe and they like living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff ensure that they support children to access specialist external agencies and encourage them to attend all necessary appointments. As a result, all children’s health needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s education. When there are concerns about attendance, they attend meetings with the virtual school’s team and teachers. Together, they develop plans and strategies to promote education for individual children. The momentum to promote children’s full-time attendance at school must be maintained. This will improve children’s educational opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive behaviour is promoted. The inspector observed staff demonstrating good role modelling and encouraging children with their routine so that they have good structure to their day. The staff provide each child with clear and consistent boundaries to develop appropriate behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Sanctions used are often purely financial and not restorative in nature. This does not help children to understand the consequences of their behaviour nor help them learn to make positive choices. Measures used must be balanced and reflect rewards for positive behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, the home is well maintained. However, some areas of the home are dark and some internal doors require painting. Additionally, some rooms, such as the dining room and lounge, are sparse and need soft furnishings and pictures. This detracts from a homely and welcoming feel.

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

Children live in a safe environment. Managers ensure that there are detailed risk management plans and behaviour support plans in place. These documents provide staff with clear guidance on how to manage and reduce children’s risks. Staff Inspection report children's home: SC485318 4 understand all children’s known risks and the actions they must take to keep children safe.

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

Staff follow all relevant missing-from-home plans and know what action to take when this does occur. One child is encouraged to use alternative, individualised coping strategies when they become upset or distressed. As a result, episodes when that child is missing from care have significantly reduced. When children go missing from home, return home interviews are not routinely offered by someone who is independent of the home. This prevents children having opportunities to discuss any worries.

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

Room searches are carried out when staff have any concerns that children may have something that poses a risk of harm. These are documented appropriately.

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

Staff ensure that children’s medication is stored safely and correctly administered. This helps children to stay safe and supports their health and emotional well-being.

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

Incidents of physical restraint are minimal and used as a last resort. The manager completes appropriate debriefs with children and they are encouraged to discuss their feelings through child-friendly feedback forms.

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

Children know how to make complaints and can identify staff they can talk to about any concerns. When complaints do occur, the manager ensures that these are thoroughly investigated, clearly recorded and promptly responded to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably experienced registered manager in the home. She is currently completing her level 5 leadership and management qualification. The manager is currently on a period of absence. However, she is supported by two deputy managers, who are committed and enthusiastic about their roles. Staff speak positively about the management team and the support they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses risk assessments when matching the risks and needs of children who may move into to the home to those children who already live in the home. The manager ensures that she speaks to all relevant people involved in a child’s life to inform her assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment checks are robust. All new staff are suitably vetted following safer recruitment guidelines prior to starting work in the home. This promotes safe working practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home meets its aims and objectives. Staff provide and deliver good-quality care for the children and demonstrate a passion for the work they do. Supervision is regular and of good quality, and staff receive annual appraisals. This enables staff to reflect continuously on their practice and professional development. Inspection report children's home: SC485318 5 Partnership working is strong. Staff ensure that there is good communication with professionals and keep them regularly updated. Feedback from professionals is positive. One social worker said, ‘I am pleased with the independence skills [name of child] has gained since coming to the home.’ Another social worker said, ‘I could not ask any more of the staff in supporting the children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that she uses her internal monitoring systems effectively. However, there have been some recent staff changes that are not reflected in the home’s statement of purpose. The manager must ensure that this document is kept under review and sent to Ofsted. Inspection report children's home: SC485318 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children’

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care the meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the home is a pleasant, homely environment with pictures and soft furnishings. The internal doors require painting, kitchen tiles need replacing to look more modernised and the hallway requires redecorating to appear brighter. 8 April 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

The registered person must— 8 April 2022 Inspection report children's home: SC485318 7 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))

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. 8 April 2022 Inspection report children's home: SC485318 8 (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children attend school on a full-time basis and continue to liaise with educational professionals to support the child to attend. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: SC485318 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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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

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC485318 10 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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