Children's home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 1 SC063673 Registered provider: After Care NW Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home currently does not have a registered manager.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to attend school. They liaise with education providers to promote learning opportunities. However, children’s attendance is low and their education plans are not always up to date. This means that children are not making sufficient progress with their education.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with their families. They work positively with parents to promote safe contact where appropriate. This helps children to maintain their relationships with their family and make progress with their long-term plans.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children do not regularly take part in activities, days out or holidays. Staff provide children with opportunities but they choose not to engage. This limits children’s experiences, development and contribution to the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff keep a record of positive comments for each child in a ‘praise book’. They also encourage children to eat healthy diets. This reinforces children’s positive behaviour and promotes children’s health and well-being.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to make savings on a weekly basis. This helps children to think about their future in line with their plans for independence.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children do not always contribute to their care plans. As a result, children’s voices and their feedback are not included in their plans. This reduces the opportunity to improve the quality of care for children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are not receiving all the support as detailed in their plans. Children who have experienced a significant amount of trauma are not benefiting from therapeutic strategies to help them overcome adversity. This means that children are not making progress with their emotional health and well-being.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff challenge children when they use inappropriate or offensive language. They also use key-work sessions to discuss bullying. This helps to educate children and promotes an environment which is inclusive and safe for them to live in.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is spacious and welcoming and provides a good environment for children. It has a calm and relaxed atmosphere which helps children to feel safe and secure.

p.3

improvement to be good

The manager reviews the suitability of the location of the home to ensure that it is a safe area for children to live in. She includes crime hotspots in the assessment to help children to avoid high-risk areas. This helps to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 4 The manager is improving risk management processes and communication. Children’s plans are child-friendly and detail current areas of concern. This ensures that all staff are aware of the risks to children’s health and well-being.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff struggle to develop and maintain positive, warm relationships with children. As a result, staff are unable to provide continuity of care for children. This hampers their ability to support children’s development and to keep them safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

During the inspection, it was evident that children smoke in their bedrooms. Staff provide children with smoking cessation resources; however, the effect of these is limited. This means that children do not have the skills or knowledge to keep themselves safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff follow clear and robust safety plans when a child is missing from home. This includes searching for the child in known locations and contacting friends and family. However, the number of missing-from-home episodes for one child is escalating. This means that current strategies to reduce risks are not working.

p.4

good

The manager is developing new processes, structures and procedures. This includes the recent completion of the workforce development plan. This ensures that staff training is mostly up to date and under regular review. This helps to motivate the staff team and promotes their development.

p.4

good

The manager understands the importance of building trusting relationships with children. However, children do not currently engage with staff on a consistent basis. This means that children are unable to reach their full potential.

p.4

good

Leaders do not consistently review and evaluate incidents. Similarly, leaders do not consistently evaluate sanctions used against children. This limits staff’s learning and the development of good practice to prevent issues recurring.

p.4

good

The manager actively pursues a multi-agency response to safeguarding concerns. She challenges the wider workforce if responses are not satisfactory. This promotes information-sharing and reduces drift and delay.

p.4

good

Staff feel supported by the current manager. They attend regular team meetings, appraisal and supervision sessions. This helps staff to reflect on their performance and to identify training to meet children’s needs. This also keeps staff focused and motivated in their roles.

p.4

good

The registered person does not report all significant events to the relevant authorities. This means the regulator has no oversight of what action is taken to keep children safe. This affects children’s welfare and safety. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.5

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children understand the home’s expectations in relation to children smoking and that staff adhere to written policies in relation to children who smoke.

p.5

Requirement Due date

This also relates to the registered person helping children to understand risks that could put them in danger and how to keep themselves safe. 31 May 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 6 that staff help each child to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

p.6

Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(x)) 31 May 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 31 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.7

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.7

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.7

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xi))

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care 31 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 8 to each child.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(g)(i)(ii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.8

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(f)) 24 June 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(e)) 31 May 2022

p.8

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: SC063673 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport, Merseyside PR9 0RT

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

p.9

Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10