Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 1 Registered provider: Idem Living Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and provides care for up to three children who may have a learning and/or physical disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/07/2019 Full Good 22/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 3

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improvement to be good

Three children live in the home. The staff build good relationships with the children. One social worker said that their child has ‘developed positive relationships with the staff’ and that staff know the child very well.

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improvement to be good

Children attend school and college regularly. There is good communication between the staff and education providers. This is supporting children’s educational outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the children to maintain good physical health. Children are in a good routine with their medication and attend all their health appointments. The staff advocate for consistency in health care.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to see their family and they are welcome to visit the home. Children’s friends are invited for meals or to join in with fun activities. This is supporting the children to develop their sense of identity and self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of activities. One child goes swimming regularly and attends a youth club. Another child goes to watch his favourite football team. This is helping the children to learn new skills and enjoy different experiences. However, activity records are not always completed by staff to demonstrate the experiences that children have had.

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improvement to be good

Individual sessions are carried out with children on important issues. However, the records do not always include the children’s views, their understanding of the topics and how the sessions will help them.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have the current copy of all the children’s relevant plans, including the placing authority’s care plan, the pathway plan, health assessment and the personal education plan. Therefore, staff do not have access to up-to-date information about the children. This limits the staff’s ability to support the children and their development, and measure the children’s progress accurately from when they moved in. Managers have not taken immediate action to rectify this.

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improvement to be good

The home environment needs to be improved. Areas of the home looked unclean. A room described as the children’s games room had a lock on the door to restrict children’s access. The room was littered with household items, including the vacuum cleaner. Although it was reported that children could access this room, it was unsafe and required attention. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 4

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improvement to be good

Children living in the home say that they feel safe. They said that they can talk to staff about any worries they have. Children with non-verbal communication are supported to use pictorial communication aids if required.

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improvement to be good

Staff are clear about what to do when responding to concerns about the safety of a child or if a child goes missing. Risk assessments and care plans indicate that all children always have one-to-one staffing. However, at the start of the inspection, there were insufficient staff on shift to safely care for three children. This placed the children at risk of harm as the home’s policies were not followed.

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improvement to be good

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. De- escalation techniques are effective and physical intervention has not been used. However, staff do not always follow children’s behaviour support plans and bedtime routines are not followed consistently. This causes confusion and upset for children and some incidents have been prolonged due to inappropriate responses.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are in place. However, records of incidents are disjointed and lack clarity. In one case, although the manager reviewed the documentation, it is difficult to clearly understand the chronology of events and the outcome for the child. This does not demonstrate safe caring practices for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently demonstrate that they are aware of their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding and protecting children. One staff member had challenged a child when he raised a complaint about the way he had been spoken to. This escalated the situation and did not ensure that children can safely raise concerns about their care and protection. Although the manager did speak to the staff member about their actions, a decision was made to move the staff member to another home in the company, without identifying any further training or learning needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff record unexplained injuries identified on a child’s body on a body map. However, it is unclear what other actions have been taken in response to the concerns identified. Although the manager said he had noted that recording required improvement, it was unclear what other actions had been taken to safeguard all involved. The manager’s monitoring requires improvement to ensure that errors in these records are identified and rectified.

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good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified manager and a strong deputy manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 5 There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection and there remain two full-time vacancies. Staff work hard to cover the gaps in the rotas. Agency workers have been used to cover the shortfalls but this does not ensure that children receive continuity of care.

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good

Staff say that they are supported well and have regular supervision. However, the records of supervision do not always detail agreed actions or demonstrate that staff have had an opportunity to reflect on their practice. Team meetings take place each month and concerns are raised by the manager. However, this is not always effective as issues remain, for example, the cleanliness and tidiness of the home.

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good

Newly recruited staff have not completed all their mandatory training. Not all staff have completed training specific to the children’s individual needs, specifically, in personal care, autism spectrum disorder and sensory issues.

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good

Internal and external monitoring and review systems are not yet in place. Management oversight of safeguarding concerns, difficult situations and children’s views, wishes and feelings is not always evident. This means that the manager and staff do not always identify and act on shortfalls to improve the quality of care that children receive. In addition, not all records have been signed by the author or manager. Some records contain subjective and inappropriate language. The use of stigmatising language is not helpful in telling the story of the child’s time in the home.

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good

The independent person does not consult with a range of people to gain their opinions about the quality of care provided in the home. The report is often delayed and, despite the manager saying that he had raised concerns about the timeliness of the report, this has not improved. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 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, 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

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that the children live in a home that is clean, tidy and decorated to a good standard throughout. 6 December 2022

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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

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

ensure that staff— 6 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 7 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)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that children’s relevant plans are obtained from the placing authority to inform care planning to meet the children’s needs.

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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 requires the registered person to ensure—

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that there are always sufficient staff to care for children. 6 December 2022

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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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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; and 6 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 8 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person needs to ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are followed consistently by staff to protect children from harm and ensure their physical and emotional well-being.

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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

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager needing to have robust systems in place to monitor and review the children’s plans and their progress in accordance with their relevant plans. 6 December 2022

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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

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 6 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager needs to ensure that staff complete mandatory and child-specific training in a timely way.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 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)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to children’s views, wishes and feelings being obtained and detailed in their case records. 6 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 6 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 10 This relates specifically to the children having full access to the Rainbow Room.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

If they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the independent person should regularly consult with a range of people to gain their opinions about the quality of care provided in the home. The report should be sent promptly to the home and the regulatory body. 6 December 2022

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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 feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the need for children’s feedback to be detailed in the regulation 45 report. 6 February 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that the home’s record of any incident includes a clear description of action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)  The registered person should ensure that the staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 11

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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: 1240449 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Idem Living Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Stable Court Business Centre, Water Lane, Tarbock Green, Prescot L35 1RD

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 13 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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