Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 1 SC067771 Registered provider: Good Foundations 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 company and provides care for up to four children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 17 July 2019.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/06/2021 Full Good 02/07/2019 Full Good 03/10/2018 Full Good 03/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at the home are happy. Inspectors observed positive relationships between children and staff. Professionals reported that the children enjoyed living at the home and were happy there. As a result, children are having a positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in education. All children living at the home are attending full-time education. A child who had not been attending prior to his move to the home finished his final year with full attendance and passing all exams. Consequently, children recognise the importance of education and the positive impact of this for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are a priority. Staff register all children with relevant health professionals and encourage children to attend all appointments. Arrangements for managing medication are safe and effective and staff have positive relationships with health professionals. Children living at the home are healthy and well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote family time for all children in line with plans in place by the local authority. Children reported that they get to spend time with those who are important to them. Children can maintain their sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively. Staff visit the children before they move in, and children are invited to visit the home for tea on a few occasions. Staff talk with all professionals before the move to make sure that the children are ready. As a result, children moving into the home feel settled and at ease.

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

There are individualised risk management plans in place for children. Staff are knowledgeable about the children’s risks and the strategies to keep children safe. All identified risks have been assessed. However, some assessments would benefit from clearer strategies within them. Managers and staff safeguard children living at the home.

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

Incidents of children going missing from home are infrequent. However, when children do go missing, the staff team responds effectively. Staff follow relevant plans for the children and document their actions clearly. Return home interviews take place swiftly and are completed by an independent service.

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

Children can identify members of staff who they can speak to if they are concerned or worried. Children spoke about how staff support them to keep safe, including conducting regular checks on devices. Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 4 Staff complete regular training and are knowledgeable about the risks identified for the children. For example, the team has completed specific training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, child exploitation and sexually harmful behaviours. As a result, staff have a good knowledge and skill base to identify risks and safeguard the children.

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

Concerns regarding exploitation are well managed. Staff are knowledgeable about behaviours that indicate exploitation and act upon them quickly. The manager has established an effective working relationship with other safeguarding professionals. Consequently, children are being protected effectively from exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced manager who is child-focused and has high aspirations for children. The management team ensures that it knows children well and it recognises and celebrates progress. Children spoke positively about how they felt listened to by the manager. This supports positive outcomes and a sense of achievement for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they feel supported by the managers. Feedback from other professionals is good, and the leadership team’s communication and commitment were highlighted as a particular strength.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are clear care plans in place for children. The plans accurately reflect the children’s needs and the plans of the local authority. The manager regularly reviews the care plans, and they include input from involved professionals. This results in the manager being able to evidence progress effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular supervision sessions are taking place for all staff. Supervision sessions are utilised as a time for reflection and to review any training that staff have attended. However, both parties do not physically sign the records of supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has completed a locality risk assessment for the home. However, this does not contain consultation with relevant people. The document lacks rigour and would be strengthened by the inclusion of this feedback. Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 5

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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 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.

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Requirement Due date

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 quality of care provided for children;

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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

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to evaluating clearly the information within the report and including direct feedback from children about the home. 22 September 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that strategies within risk assessments are clear and specific. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 6  The registered person should ensure that there is a gender balance within the staff team to enable children to maintain relationships with people of both genders. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 54, paragraph 10.22)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for covering outcomes of supervision and to ensure that both the person delivering the supervision and the staff member have a signed copy of the record. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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: SC067771 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Rose Maddocks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067771 8 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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