Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St. Helens

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 1 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social, emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager is vacant. The manager has appropriately submitted his application to be registered.

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Inspection date: 11 January 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 11 January 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

The inspector observed caring and supportive relationships between children and staff. Children are listened to and are included in team meetings and planning arrangements to meet their care needs. Children’s views are valued, and staff carry out meaningful work with children and respond to their individual needs.

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The care of children

The home is well presented. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms and are provided with appropriate furniture and storage. Children have access to bright and welcoming communal areas of the home where they can spend time together.

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The care of children

Children have detailed and relevant plans. However, the plans do not consistently identify the date they were created nor the author. Furthermore, care plans have not been updated for all children to reflect current placement information. The manager has escalated requests to the placing authority for updated documents.

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The care of children

Children’s moves into the home are well planned and consider the views of other children living in the home. However, placement endings are not as consistent because some children experience abrupt and poor endings to their placements.

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The care of children

Not all children are attending school or accessing appropriate education. Leaders and managers have liaised with relevant agencies and services to access alternative learning opportunities.

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The safety of children

There is a strong response to risk. Managers and staff understand and manage risk effectively. Detailed risk assessments are in place and include appropriate actions for staff to follow in practice to reduce risks to children. Staff know the children well and can identify triggers to behaviour. Staff are skilful in de-escalating incidents.

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The safety of children

Missing-from-care protocols are in place and staff understand these. Staff can describe appropriate responses and procedures to various safeguarding scenarios presented to them.

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The safety of children

Incidents are well managed. Physical interventions are minimal and only used when proportionate and necessary. However, children are not always spoken to about the measure used. Not only is this a breach in regulation but also a missed opportunity to listen to what the child says so that staff can consider the quality of care they provide. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 3 Children benefit from a consistent staff team. Staff have relevant skills and training to meet the needs of the children in their care. Specific needs-led training has been facilitated to ensure that staff can safely and knowledgeably support children who have recently moved into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home is managed by an enthusiastic manager who is familiar with the home. He has submitted his application to Ofsted to become registered. In addition, an experienced deputy manager has been appointed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Practice in the home is reflective, and staff say that they feel supported and involved in decision-making. Managers have made good use of external monitoring and have implemented new audit systems to support development and care practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers have answered complaints effectively and recorded concerns. The manager has appropriately responded to complainants and carefully considered the views of others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager ensures that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. The manager provides staff with relevant training to help them to develop in their roles and meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have responded to previous requirements. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2022 Full Good 28/11/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 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, 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 21 February 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 6 (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children should be supported to attend education. Leaders and managers should understand the barriers to children not attending and take action to raise concerns and promote informal opportunities for children to learn.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Children should have up-to-date and relevant care plans. Furthermore, children should have positive experiences of arriving at and leaving the home. 21 February 2023

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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— 21 February 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 7 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 effectiveness and any consequences of the use of 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)(v)(vii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 21 February 2023

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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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Bradshaw

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 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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