Children's home run by Crossway Services Limited in Liverpool

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 1 SC064573

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Registered provider: Crossway 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 run and provides care for one child. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2016. She also manages another home in the organisation, which also provides care for one child.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

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: SC064573 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 child currently living in the home has been there for a short length of time. Staff are getting to know him and are gradually building relationships with him. The child told the inspector that he has good relationships with staff and can take part in activities that he enjoys, such as bowling or visiting local activity parks.

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The care of children

Since the last inspection, changes have been made to improve the home environment. The child’s bedroom has been redecorated and he has personalised it to his own tastes. The kitchen and bathroom have been fully refurbished. These changes make the home a nicer place to live.

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The care of children

The child living in this home has been out of formal education for a significant length of time. Staff have put in place an informal education plan to promote the child’s interests in learning and developing new skills. The registered manager is working with the placing authority and the virtual school to progress arrangements for the child’s education.

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The care of children

Staff promote the health and well-being of the child living in this home. However, the child’s plan does not clearly identify the support required to manage the use of e-cigarettes.

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The care of children

The child is given opportunities to share his views on his care and the daily routines of the home. The child told the inspector he feels confident that the registered manager and staff will respond appropriately to any issues or concerns he may raise. The child is aware of how to make a complaint, although none have been made since the last inspection.

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The safety of children

Staff spoken to during the inspection demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. However, the quality of written risk management plans is variable. Some risk management plans do not include all the strategies staff should use to keep the child safe. Some plans would benefit from being streamlined for ease of understanding.

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The safety of children

There have been incidents where the child has gone missing from this home. Staff have followed the child’s individual plans and taken appropriate action to keep the child safe and encourage him to return home. While appropriate action has been taken, the registered manager needs to ensure that the plans are updated with the most current information. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 3 The child told the inspector that he can talk to staff about any worries he has. Some records show that staff have spoken to the child about his behaviour, and there is evidence of the child listening to staff and making positive choices due to these discussions. However, records do not consistently demonstrate that follow-up work to address all behaviours of concern is undertaken by staff.

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The safety of children

There are shortfalls in staff training. Staff have received some training that is specific to the individual needs of the child and told the inspector that this has supported them in their role. However, not all staff have received training in online safety. During the inspection, it was identified that the child was accessing an inappropriate game. The registered manager took action to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is a suitable and experienced registered manager in post. There have been some staffing changes since the last inspection and the home is currently fully staffed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff spoken to during the inspection say that they receive regular supervision and are positive about the support they receive from the registered manager. Staff speak positively about their induction to the organisation, although the manager has not ensured that all induction records for new staff are up to date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager is familiarising herself with the organisation’s online recording system; however, there are some shortfalls in her monitoring and oversight of this. The registered manager has implemented a new audit tool to help her to identify areas for improvement, although this is not yet embedded in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home is visited by an independent person each month. Since the child moved into the home, the independent person has included their opinion as to whether the child is safeguarded effectively and the report has been sent to Ofsted in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home’s quality of care reports lack evaluation and do not include feedback from stakeholders to drive forward improvement in the home. Furthermore, the quality of care review report has not been sent to Ofsted within the correct time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager must ensure that the actual hours worked by her are included on the home’s duty rosters. This will ensure that accurate records are kept if there are any safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have not met all the requirements from the last inspection, and several requirements are repeated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/11/2019 Full Good 09/01/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 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 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 (1) 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that: risk management plans are accurate; all strategies in children’s risk management plans are recorded; and follow-up work is carried out after incidents.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 2 March 2023

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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— 2 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to meet the child’s individual needs and that there are effective monitoring systems in place to ensure that there is oversight of all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff receive an appropriate induction to the home. 2 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)) 2 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 2 March 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must improve the evaluative content of the quality of care review, ensure it is factually accurate and includes the opinions of stakeholders and is sent to HMCI in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being, including the use of e-cigarettes. These concerns should be recorded in children’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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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: SC064573 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064573 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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