Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned and managed children’s home provides care for up to 12 children with autism spectrum disorder or complex learning difficulties and/or challenging behaviour. The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

There are 12 children currently living in the home. The inspectors observed and/or spoke to all the children during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is located on the same site as a small, independent school that is owned and managed by this provider. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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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: 1183911 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Good 06/03/2019 Full Good 12/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children either say or show in their behaviour that they are happy, confident and relaxed in the company of their caring adults. The manager arranges staffing so that children spend quality time with staff who know them well. Staff demonstrate that they have a warm and nurturing approach with the children. This helps the children to develop strong, trusting bonds with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make happy memories while enjoying activities, outings and special holidays with staff. The support that children receive helps them to develop confidence to take part in new experiences. For some children, this includes progressing to join clubs in the community, which enables them to discover and pursue new hobbies and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote good health, including healthy eating. Children choose from a selection of healthy and nutritious meals, which they eat together with the staff. Mealtimes are an opportunity for children to spend unstructured time with each other. At these times, they experience an element of freedom to socialise and build friendships, while closely supervised by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a multidisciplinary team (MDT) that provides specialist clinical advice and support, who visit the home on a weekly basis. The manager and the children’s key workers meet regularly with the MDT. They work collaboratively to explore how best to meet the children’s needs. Children’s planning documents are promptly updated with any changes and specialist advice, so that the guidance provided to staff is current and supports consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and make good educational progress. Targets are shared across the home and the school, which promotes consistency and supports continued educational progression.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff incorporate learning about culture and diversity into the children’s daily lives. These conversations and experiences promote tolerance and acceptance, and help to expand the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a variety of communal areas that appeal to the children’s individual interests and suit their bespoke needs. Cosy quiet spaces contrast to bright and vibrant areas for more interactive play. Each child has an en suite shower, and there is an additional shared upstairs bathroom for children’s use. However, children are prevented from using the washroom facilities on the ground floor, which are for staff use only. This detracts from the otherwise welcoming atmosphere in the home.

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

The manager acts promptly when safeguarding concerns arise and shares information swiftly with the appropriate safeguarding agencies. The manager Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 4 ensures that any measures requested by professionals, to further enhance the child’s safety, are consistently in place.

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

Risk assessments and care-planning documents are individualised for each child and are subject to regular review. Staff demonstrate that they understand and closely follow risk assessments, and implement the necessary actions that help to keep the children safe.

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

Children are helped to understand how to alert staff if they have a concern. The manager uses the complaints process as an opportunity to identify and address practice issues with staff. The manager provides feedback to complainants, so that they know that their views are valued and that their complaints are taken seriously.

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

Staff use rewards systems to encourage positive behaviour that align with the children’s targets. Staff keep the reward systems under review to help to ensure that they continue to be suitable and effective. Staff praise and celebrate the children’s efforts as well as their achievements, which helps to keep the children motivated.

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

Children are encouraged to treat others with respect and kindness, which supports the children to live together harmoniously. Staff help the children to keep in touch with children they are friends with who move out of the home, so that these friendships are nurtured and continue.

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

Staff are watchful for the children’s cues, and quickly implement techniques to sooth and distract children to support them to remain calm. When children experience outbreaks of crisis behaviour, staff hold the children as a last resort to help to keep them safe. However, records of how long children are held are not always accurate, as they are often contradictory. Additionally, debriefs with children and staff do not always take place. These shortfalls demonstrate that there is insufficient scrutiny of this practice to help to ensure that it is proportionate and safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager welcomes internal and external scrutiny of the home and shares learning with her staff in team meetings. This helps to ensure that raising the standard of care is a continuous and collaborative approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment procedures follow safe recruitment guidelines. This gives assurances that the adults who are caring for the children are suitably vetted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular reflective supervision, which is used to discuss each child and to explore issues and concerns. The manager uses supervision with her staff to address shortfalls in practice, which helps to maintain a good quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff have completed all the organisation’s mandatory training. This includes courses to help staff to understand autistic spectrum disorder and self- harming behaviour. Although there has been a relatively high turnover of staff, the Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 5 rota is arranged to ensure that suitably trained staff are available to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all the staff have received an annual appraisal. This means that there is not sufficient focus on this aspect of the staff’s development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 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 registered person must ensure that all employees— have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 23 December

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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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

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)(iv)(b)(i)(c)) 23 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children can access all shared areas of their home, unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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, Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 7 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: 1183911 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 7 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD

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Inspectors

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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