Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 1 Registered provider: Guidance 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 privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2022

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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: 2558681 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have left the home since the last inspection and there are currently three children living at the home. Children spoke to the inspectors as part of this visit. Children are positive about staff and say that the home is a good place to live. Observations and discussions with children identified that they have trusted and secure relationships with staff. Managers and staff provide the children with nurturing care which enables children to have positive experiences and make progress from their starting points. One social worker said, ‘It is working so well for [name of child], the change in him is brilliant.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff know the children well. Staff listen to children’s wishes and feelings and respond appropriately. Staff support children to prepare for meetings and advocate for children when needed so their voice is heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education planning for children has not always been carefully considered. When education settings are not meeting children’s specific educational needs, there is a lack of challenge from the manager. When children are not engaging with education or are absent from school, staff do not make any alternative arrangements. Therefore, it is difficult for staff to know if they are supporting children to achieve their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and monitor children’s individual health needs and emotional well- being. Children are registered with all relevant health services and are supported to access the appropriate service when needed. Staff help children to understand the risks of misusing cannabis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff have positive relationships with family members and social workers to ensure that children can spend time with their families in line with their care plans.

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

Children have trusted adults who they can talk to about any concerns. They are safe and well cared for. Children do not make any complaints about living at the home. However, they know how to make a complaint if they want to. One child told the inspectors, ‘Staff are nice. I can talk to them if there is an issue, they check I’m safe when I’m out.’

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

Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques. These are effective because there has not been any incidents of physical intervention. Staff maintain positive and healthy relationships with children.

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

When children go missing from home, staff follow the procedures that are in place and children return home safely. Staff carry out debriefs with children following Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 4 missing-from-care episodes to help to prevent any further incidents . One social worker said, ‘While there have still been missing from home, these have reduced significantly. When missing from homes have occurred, they have been dealt with swiftly and appropriately.’

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

Children’s risk assessments are not always kept up to date. Therefore, current risk assessments do not reflect children’s current vulnerabilities, current behaviours or risks for all children. Risk assessments do not provide staff with clear actions to follow in the event of an incident.

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

The registered manager follows safer recruitment procedures, and staff are suitably vetted to ensure children’s safety.

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

On occasions, staff check children’s bedrooms to ensure that there are no items that can harm them. Children are informed of the reasons why they need to take place. Room searches are appropriately recorded. Children are present during searches and relevant key-work sessions are held with children following the search to reflect on the outcome. This promotes a child’s understanding and helps to prevent incidents from reoccurring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified manager who is motivated, child centred and committed. The manager is supported by a newly appointed deputy and dedicated lead practitioners. Together, they ensure that the home is run to a good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are held in line with the provider’s statement of purpose. Supervision sessions focus on the progress of children and areas of development for staff. New members of staff receive a well-planned induction. There are four members of staff who carry out supervision. However, it is not clear if the manager has oversight of the overall progress of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff do not consistently demonstrate professional curiosity when talking to children. One child told a member of staff about concerning messages on their mobile phone. However, the member of staff did not report this. This was addressed during the visit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a training programme in place to equip staff with the required skills to meet the complex needs of the children in their care. New members of staff have been enrolled on the appropriate diploma in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings take place, which are well attended and recorded. However, concerns were highlighted regarding some of the words staff use in their records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is maintained to a reasonable standard; however, the children’s bedrooms need to be updated and personalised. This will allow children to feel more settled and valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 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

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

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))(vii)(viii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children attending education. Where children are on a reduced timetable, staff should 4 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 6 ensure that they are supported to access educational activities.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments identify how risks will be mitigated and monitored. 4 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. 4 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 7 (Regulation 14 (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that impact risk assessments consider the needs of the child and if staff are suitably trained to meet their identified needs. It also relates to having access to up-to-date care plans for the children.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ and supported to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policy on record-keeping. Records should be objective and should not stigmatise children. Information should be recorded in a way that will be helpful to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Sovereign Court, Wyrefields, Poulton-le- Fylde FY6 8JX

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Inspectors

Kayleigh Treanor, Social Care Inspector Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2558681 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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