Children's Home run by Crossway Services Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 1 SC386810 Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides 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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The interim manager has been in post since December 2021 and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living in this home receives good care from a consistent staff team that knows them well. This has helped the child to feel secure and be able to express their individuality.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to take part in social activities outside of the home. They enjoy trips to the seaside and amusement parks and have weekly singing lessons. Staff are creating memory folders of activities and important events so that the child has a record of their time living in this home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to develop their independence skills appropriately for their age. They are making progress with tasks such as cleaning their room, budgeting and cooking and have recently updated and handed out their CV to employers in the local area.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made good progress with their education from their starting point. They have recently taken their GCSE exams and have a place to study at a local college after the summer break. Staff are working with relevant education professionals to ensure that the child is well prepared for the transition to college.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff liaise with relevant health professionals to ensure that the child’s health needs are met. The child has also begun to engage with therapeutic services to support their emotional well-being. The child is encouraged to eat a balanced diet and adopt a healthier lifestyle, improving their fitness as a result. However, there is no record of the child’s annual health assessment on file. This hinders the manager’s ability to demonstrate how the home supports the child to make progress in this area.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s room is personalised, clean and tidy. Since the last inspection, improvements have been made to the home environment. The child has recently chosen some new furnishings for the living area and there are plans for a new bathroom to be fitted. The manager recognises that these improvements are ongoing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to spend time with the people who are important to them. Consideration is given to the distance from the home of the child’s family and friends and staff plan this time well, in a way that meets the child’s best interests. This means that the child has sustained relationships with the people who are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child said that staff listen to them, and that they know how to make a complaint, although none have been made since the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 4

p.3

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

Detailed and individualised risk management plans are in place which identify the strategies staff are to use to manage and minimise risks to the child. Plans include the child’s view of risk and are updated following incidents to ensure that they contain the most current information.

p.4

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

Staff spoken to have a good understanding of the child’s key needs and vulnerabilities and the action they are to take in order to keep the child safe. However, not all strategies in place are always followed by staff. For example, during the inspection, the child was seen on one occasion vaping in the home, which was not challenged by staff.

p.4

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

Staff are supporting the child to take age-appropriate risks in a planned and safe way. For example, the child has recently been given a mobile phone. A risk management plan and a contract of expectations around the use of the phone were agreed with the child. Additionally, they have undertaken online safety work to further support their knowledge and understanding around the safe use of their phone.

p.4

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

When searches of the child’s bedroom are undertaken, the actions are appropriate to keep the child safe. However, the recording of this is inconsistent. It is not always clear if additional staff have been used, if the child was present or if they have given permission for the search to take place, meaning that the records lack transparency.

p.4

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

A detailed behaviour management plan is in place which provides staff with strategies of how to best support the child. Staff use rewards to reinforce and encourage positive behaviours. As a result, consequences have not been used in this home and there have been no incidents when staff have needed to physically hold the child.

p.4

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

Following a recent safeguarding concern, the manager shared information with appropriate agencies. Feedback from professionals, including the child’s social worker and independent reviewing officer, is positive. They say there is good communication with the manager about the child’s progress and any incidents that have occurred.

p.4

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

There have been no incidents of the child going missing from the home since the last inspection. There are plans in place that detail the actions staff should take should the child go missing.

p.4

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

Safe recruitment procedures are in place for new staff. This means that children are protected from unsuitable adults being employed to work in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management arrangements have changed since the last full inspection. An acting manager is in place and she has submitted her application to register with Ofsted. She is child-centred and knows the child well.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced a challenging period due to staffing shortages. This meant that the manager worked a number of shifts at the home, to ensure that the child was cared for by people they know. A deputy manager has been recruited and is due to join the organisation in the coming weeks.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoken to were complimentary about the support they receive from the manager. Staff supervision sessions now take place regularly, however, records are brief and do not consistently demonstrate how staff are helped to improve their practice. Additionally, not all staff have received their annual appraisal. This limits the manager’s ability to continually evaluate staff practice to improve the child’s care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended by the staff team. Records show discussion about the child’s needs and key areas of risk. The child has been able to attend meetings, which gives them the opportunity to contribute to the running of their home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. A number of improvements have been made since the last inspection. The manager was aware of some recording shortfalls but has been able to evidence how improvements have been made and there is a detailed plan in place for the continued improvement of the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed a range of training to support them in their roles, including training relevant to the specific individual needs of the child living in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External monitoring has supported the manager’s development of the home and she has responded to the actions identified by the external visitor to improve the quality of care provided to the child. However, the home’s quality of care report has not been submitted to Ofsted within the correct timescales, as required by regulation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all strategies identified in children’s plans are followed, to reduce risk. 22 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.6

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 22 September

p.6

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality-of-care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the review of the quality of care is undertaken and sent to the regulator within timescales required by regulation. 22 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that rooms are only searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. The registered person should ensure that this is clearly recorded in the child’s records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect on their own feelings and behaviour and how their own feelings and behaviour may affect the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

p.7

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: SC386810 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC386810 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9