Children's Home run by Considerate Care Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 1 SC062674 Registered provider: Considerate Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2006.

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: SC062674 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/10/2019 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children live in the home. The staff build good relationships with the children. The staff know the children well and speak warmly and knowledgably about them. Children say that they feel listened to. One child said that the staff are ‘amazing’, and another child said that the staff ‘care’ about them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are attending school regularly. There is good communication between the staff and education providers. One teacher said that communication with the staff is ‘excellent’. The staff are strong advocates for the children. This has helped the children to attend schools that are specific to their needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to maintain good physical health. Children are encouraged to eat healthily and attend all their health appointments.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities. One child goes to a drama group every Saturday and art lessons once a week. Staff support another child to go fishing out of the area at the weekends and during school holidays. This is helping the children to learn new skills and enjoy different experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Individual sessions are completed with the children. These are focused and specific to the children’s needs and daily experiences. For example, the children have been consulted about the recent refurbishment of the house.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect and promote the children’s cultural needs. This supports children’s sense of belonging and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive behaviour is promoted. Children are praised for this and receive incentives for doing well. Consequences are proportionate and fair.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to see their family, and family members are welcome in the home. The staff maintain regular communication with parents. One parent said that the staff are ‘always there’ and communication is good. This helps the children to maintain their identity and continue to see the people who are important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move in to the home in a planned way. This has helped them to settle on their arrival. When children have left the home, staff have remained in contact with some of them. However, managers need to ensure that when all children leave the home, they do so in a planned way and in collaboration with their placing authority. This will support the children to have a positive ending to their time at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not have the current copy of all the children’s relevant plans, including the placing authority’s care plan. They have not escalated things effectively to make sure that they receive the plans in a timely way. Therefore, staff do not have access to up-to-date information about the children. This limits the staff’s ability to support Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 4 the children and their development, and measure the children’s progress accurately from when they move in.

p.3

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

Children who are currently living in the home say that they feel safe. They can talk to staff about any worries they have. They understand that the boundaries put in place for them are there to protect them.

p.4

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

Assessments of risk are in place and updated regularly. There are strategies in place to protect children from harm. This means that the children are safeguarded effectively because of the care that they experience.

p.4

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

Managers and staff respond to incidents appropriately and know what to do when a child goes missing from the home. However, managers need to ensure that Ofsted are notified of any serious incidents without delay.

p.4

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

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. Staff provide the children with clear boundaries. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques, and there have not been any physical interventions.

p.4

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

Accident records are in place; however, they do not always detail if medical intervention was required and the outcome. This makes it difficult for managers to evaluate what happened and prevent accidents from happening again.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. There are two experienced deputy managers in place. The managers know the children well and are positive role models for both staff and children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed for the children currently living in the home. New staff have been recruited since the last inspection, and the safer recruitment policy is followed. When additional staff are required, agency workers who have worked in the home before are often used, which helps to ensure consistency for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. The managers understand what is working well and the areas for improvement. This means that the managers and staff can identify and act on shortfalls to improve the quality of care that the children receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the children’s individual needs. For example, staff have completed training in radicalisation and extremism, social media, self-harm and behaviour management strategies. As a result, staff have a good knowledge and skill base to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 5 Staff describe the managers as being supportive. Staff have regular supervision, and records demonstrate that supervision is of good quality and gives staff an opportunity to reflect on their practice. This helps managers to gain a clear understanding of staff strengths and areas for development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 6

p.4

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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuing that children’s relevant plans and documents are obtained from the placing local authority to inform care planning to meet the children’s needs. 1 February 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to— 1 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 7 ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that pre-admission planning robustly considers the needs of any new child and those of all children already living in the home, and how any risks can be minimised. The registered person should also work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s move out of the home is planned, and each child is prepared for leaving both practically and emotionally.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.7

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.7

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.7

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that regulation 40 notifications are sent to Ofsted without delay.

p.7

Recommendations

The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. When a child has an accident, managers and staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 8 need to record whether medication advice and/or treatment was required and the outcome. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33 paragraph 7.3)

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: SC062674 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Considerate Care Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys PCE Limited, Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesoqen, West Midlands B63 4AH

p.9

Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062674 10 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.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10