Children's Home run by Attivo Care Ltd in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 1 Registered provider: Attivo Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to two children. The staff team specialises in caring for children who may have social, emotional and mental health needs.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a new children’s home with currently two children living there. Children live in a bright, welcoming home with modern furnishing throughout. One child said, ‘I love it here; it’s a great place.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is aware of children’s health needs, and it helps them to access local health services. Children say that they’re eating more healthily and doing more exercise. As a result, children are making good progress with their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop positive relationships with children, with clear and consistent boundaries in place. This means that children experience stability and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team helps children to maintain family time with the people who are important to them. There is a focus on establishing children’s support networks and links with agencies. This promotes children’s emotional health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager challenges the placing authority to help meet children’s needs. As a result, children are now accessing education following a considerable period of absence. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] is making good progress and is engaging in education for the first time in over a year, which is a vast improvement.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not always access children’s relevant plans when children move in. As a result, one child’s needs were not fully known, and this adversely affected the child’s outcomes and experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not encourage children to access their case records or contribute to them. This limits children’s understanding about their experiences and background.

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

The manager promotes a positive safeguarding culture that helps to protect children. Staff work closely with statutory agencies in order to promote multi-agency working. As a result, children say that they feel safe.

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

Each child has their own missing-from-care procedure that staff follow to reduce missing-from-care incidents. This means that children are rarely missing from care. However, on one occasion, a return home interview was not provided. This was a missed opportunity to help the child reflect on the incident.

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

Staff support children to stay safe online. Staff have a range of strategies to protect children from risks online. Staff also raise children’s awareness of risks through key- work sessions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 4 Staff regularly update and review children’s risk management plans. This ensures that all staff are aware of the strategies that are in place to reduce the likelihood of harm to children.

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

Leaders and managers do not consistently follow good practice when recording and reviewing episodes of restraint. As a result, this limits staff’s learning from incidents and the prevention of future incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager is in post following the resignation of the registered manager. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the quality of care that children receive. The manager has a clear vision for developing practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Relationships between leaders and staff are positive. This helps to promote good teamwork. One member of staff said, ‘It truly makes me happy to work with such a positive team that really pushes for the child’s needs and well-being.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably trained. They also benefit from monthly supervision to discuss their work and reflect on their practice. This ensures that staff are suitably equipped with the knowledge and skills to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the home is adequately staffed. Staff are suitably vetted, and managers follow a robust recruitment process. This helps to promote a safe environment in which children can flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are good working relationships between staff and external agencies involved in children’s lives. Social workers say that staff regularly keep them updated and that staff are proactive in helping children make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers respond quickly to complaints and make improvements as a result of investigations. They also use internal and independent monitoring on a monthly basis. This helps to improve practice and children’s care and support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 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, 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 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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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)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person is to ensure that children’s relevant plans are consistently used to inform care planning from the beginning of their placement. 16 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the 16 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 6 measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s views are taken into account with regards to any missing-from-care incidents and help them to access a return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 7 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: 2680573 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Attivo Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 18 White Moss Business Park, Maple View, Skelmersdale WN8 9TG

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 9 regulates and inspects 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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