Children's home run by Supporting Futures Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 1 SC381667 Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that this home provides care for up to four children who may experience emotional, social and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 2015

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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 for children’s home: SC381667 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Good 12/02/2020 Full Good 06/06/2018 Full Good 05/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a consistent team of staff who know and understand the children well. Strong and positive relationships mean that children benefit from stability. Children say that they can speak to staff about anything that is troubling them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff receive regular advice and guidance from a clinical psychologist. This means that they can support children with additional needs. One child has learned more about his diagnosis and how it affects him. This has been important in helping the child to have a better understanding of himself. However, staff are not supporting all children in a targeted way, which includes where children would benefit from life-story work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager understands the importance of education. When children are not attending education, the manager escalates his concerns. He is proactive in identifying options that will meet children’s needs. The manager and staff have acted when children have been struggling with school. As a result, children continue to attend and do well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence skills. The support is relevant to their age and understanding. For one child, this means that he can now independently go to the shops. Children who are preparing to move out of the home are supported well. One parent said, ‘The staff were great, they wanted the best for [name of child] and that’s what he got.’ As a result, children develop in confidence and feel prepared to move on. However, some children are not helped to keep their bedroom clean.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy some activities with staff. However, children will often choose to stay in the home or spend a lot of time with their friends. This means that children are missing out on social activities and building on the relationships between children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with family and others who are important to them. Families feel welcome at the home and get to enjoy special occasions with their children, such as Christmas. One child has an independent visitor and a respite carer, who he has important relationships with. These relationships are encouraged by the manager and ensure that the child has positive relationships with adults outside of the home.

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of children’s individual risks. Placement plans and risk management plans are kept under constant review and are Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 4 updated regularly. This shows that the staff reflect and use learning to plan and reduce risk for children.

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

When restraint is used, it is as a last resort and to prevent injury. The use of restraint has reduced since the last inspection. Children receive debriefs and a chance to reflect on the incident. Staff use positive consequences more routinely than negative consequences. This means that children are benefiting from positive behaviour support.

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

When children are missing from home, staff actively look for them and share information they receive with others. Detailed records are written, and the manager evaluates any incidents so that any learning is captured and children’s plans remain current. This means that staff have the information needed to keep children safe.

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

Staff are recruited following safer recruitment processes. This means that staff employed at the home are suitable to care for children. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. As a result, children are kept safe.

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

The physical environment is safe for children. The manager’s monitoring of health and safety in the home contributes to children being protected from harm. However, the children have bedroom alarms fitted to their doors, which impacts on their privacy. The manager has not kept the use of alarms under review.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has been registered for several years. He has a sound understanding of children’s lives and has high aspirations for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff speak highly of the support that they receive from managers. Staff are appropriately trained to meet the needs of the children. Staff receive regular supervision, which develops them in their role. This means that children are supported by knowledgeable and committed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly. The manager ensures that the agenda is distributed so that staff have the opportunity to contribute. The meetings have a strong focus on children. This means that staff have the relevant information needed to support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good monitoring systems in place to give him good oversight of the events in the children’s lives. However, not all children’s current local authority care plans have been received. This limits the staff’s ability to support children to achieve the aims and objectives from the placing authority, as they are not reflected in children’s plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent visitor visits the home monthly. The manager has challenged poor- quality reports. When needed, he has changed the visitor to ensure that reports are thorough and returned in a timely manner. The manager communicates well with Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 5 staff at other agencies and seeks their feedback to improve the care provided and the experiences for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that 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 personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(b) (2)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to children having more varied social experiences and interactions.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to staff supporting children who need extra help to keep their bedrooms clean. 5 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager removing door alarms on children’s bedrooms and ensuring that their use is reviewed. 5 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that children’s placing authority care plans are current and on file. 5 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff play a full role in life-story work. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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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: SC381667 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch-Mahoney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC381667 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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