Children's Home run by Eastfield Group in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 1 SC064663 Registered provider: Eastfield Group 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 and provides care for up to seven children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2018.

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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: 26 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/10/2021 Full Inadequate 09/04/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good 31/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. The adults educate children about topics relating to their lives and current issues in society. This helps children to develop resilience and healthy coping strategies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults support children to engage with education, training or employment. The adults are aware of children’s attainment levels and their educational targets. This knowledge supports children to achieve their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by adults who are non-judgemental. This approach enables children to explore their identities in a safe and secure environment. As a result of this practice, children’s self-esteem is boosted and they are more confident with their sense of self.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are now engaging in more activities inside and outside their home. However, the current activities offered do not introduce children to new experiences. This limits children from broadening their life opportunities as they are not exposed to diverse experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Distance is not a barrier for children, which ensures that they maintain relationships with their loved ones. The adults also offer emotional support to children when they are experiencing feelings of loss and rejection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans provide a detailed picture of who they are and the individualised care that they require. However, their plans are not always written in a way that is accessible to them, which can create a barrier for children engaging with their plans. Also, children’s plans lack specific and measurable goals, which increases the opportunity for children’s progress to drift.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised. When a health issue arises for a child, the adults proactively ensure that they receive the required treatment. This practice ensures that children are supported promptly with their emotional and physical health.

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

The adults are aware of the risks in children’s lives and are clear about the steps to follow to keep them safe. The written safety plans in children’s lives require further detail in relation to strategies. Although this is not having a direct impact on children currently, addressing this shortfall will limit the opportunities for inconsistent responses to children when they need adults to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 4 Medication practice is good following the managers changing the procedures. This change has resulted in no medication errors and children receiving their prescribed medication in line with health advice. The adults caring for children have received bespoke training for one child’s specific health needs and there is a very clear safety plan in place. This has a direct and positive impact on children’s daily lives and ensures that they are safely receiving the correct medication.

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

Children are supported with a multi-agency plan when there are risks in their lives. Child protection procedures are followed to ensure that there is good oversight of safety plans from all relevant agencies. Children do, however, need clearer multi- agency safety plans relating to the risks associated with mobile phones.

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

The written assessment to explore whether the adults can meet a child’s needs before they move into the home needs further development. The assessment does not analyse any risks associated with the location and does not highlight how management have informed their decision. This has not had a direct impact on the child; however, this shortfall could result in the child experiencing further disruption because the adults cannot meet the child’s needs.

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

There is good liaison with other agencies and family when children go missing. The adults at home collect children when they are located. However, adults do not consistently search known areas when children go missing. Changing this practice could increase the chances of children returning home more quickly and a feeling of security from the adults who care for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight in the home is good. The management team has implemented new monitoring systems to ensure that the quality of practice is sustained to a high standard. This has a positive impact on the children’s progress and team development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The adults caring for children have completed extensive training to develop their knowledge base. The adults are now equipped with knowledge and skills to meet the children’s additional needs. This enables the children to receive individualised care from skilled adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team feels supported by the management team. Its members are receiving informal and formal support to help them develop. This practice has enabled the adults caring for children to feel more confident in their role and the children have recognised that the team is more motivated. This focus ensures that high standards of care for children remain at the centre for everyone.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are provided with regular opportunities to express their views. They enjoy the forums that bring them together to reflect on and address any issues that they have. Children are supported to challenge management. The management team also offers challenge to other agencies when its members feel that the response is Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 5 not child-focused. However, they do not use escalation procedures to ensure that children receive a positive outcome. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 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 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

This specifically relates to children’s safety plans including all steps that need to be taken to keep children safe when a risk arises.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to safety plans being robust relating to mobile phones. 17 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s 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 17 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 7 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children have common, specific and measurable goals.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to ensuring that the written assessment of whether the provider can meet a child’s needs before they move into the home includes an analysis of the risks associated with the location of the home, and an account of the managers’ rationale behind their decision.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that challenge and escalation are employed when children are not receiving the support that they require. 17 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the adults caring for children support them to try activities that are new for them, where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)  The registered person should ensure that placement plans are written in a sensitive way that is accessible to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 8 to them. This specifically relates to oversight of employment gaps. (‘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: SC064663 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6B Ryeground House, 6D Ryeground Lane, Formby, Merseyside L37 7EQ

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Inspector

Carly Quinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 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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