Children's Home run by Crossway Services Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 1 SC068206 Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties. It is run by a national provider of children’s homes.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 31 October 2022. They are also the registered manager for another of the provider’s children’s homes.

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: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the inspection on 4 May 2022, the inspector found serious and widespread shortfalls in the care and protection of children. Following the inspection, Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. At a monitoring visit on 1 July 2022, the inspector found the home had made sufficient progress to show that the compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/02/2020 Full Outstanding 01/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Renovations were carried out at the home between June 2022 and February 2023. The home did not provide care to children during this time.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house now provides the child with a homely environment. It is decorated and furnished to a good standard and well maintained.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child moved into the home in an emergency. However, the child is not currently living at the home as they are staying with a family friend, with the agreement of the placing authority. Staff continue to support the child and spend time with them each day. This is a temporary arrangement until the child moves to a permanent placement. The child was not present during the inspection and did not speak with the inspector.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before the child came to live at the home, the manager made sure that staff could respond effectively to the child’s needs. The manager and staff made sure that the child received a warm welcome. They arranged for one of the child’s friends to come for tea to help them to settle in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily with the child and build positive relationships. They understand the child’s needs and what is important to them. They provide the child with understanding and empathy.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respond appropriately to the child’s wishes and feelings. They listen to the child and encourage them to be involved in the decisions about their life. The child takes part in meetings about their plans. The child receives support from advocates to advise them and help them express their views.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support the child to take part in education and reach their potential. Staff have made sure that the child has their computer and books with them to be able to complete their work.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff collaborate effectively with schools and education providers. Together, they make sure that the child receives the right support to help them achieve their learning objectives. The manager has arranged for the child to have additional support from tutors to enhance their learning. The child engages positively with their work and the tutors.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and monitor the child’s health and emotional well-being. They make sure that the child receives safe and effective advice, support and treatment when they need it. They help the child to attend appointments with specialist health services. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 4

p.3

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

The manager and staff provide the child with a safe and supportive environment. The assessment of the home’s location and the local area shows that it is a safe place for the child to live.

p.4

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

Staff protect the child from the risk of significant harm. They understand the child’s vulnerabilities and the potential risks to their welfare. The child trusts the staff and tells them when they feel unsafe.

p.4

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

Staff understand their responsibilities for safeguarding children. They recognise the signs when the child may be at risk of harm, including from abuse or exploitation. Staff always take appropriate action when they have concerns about the child’s welfare, in accordance with statutory guidelines.

p.4

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

When the child has been missing from the home and been with inappropriate adults, the manager has escalated their concerns immediately. They make sure that multi- agency meetings take place to develop a strategy for understanding and managing the risks.

p.4

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

Staff actively and continually assess the possible dangers for each child. They follow up-to-date plans effectively to reduce the risk of harm.

p.4

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

Staff support the child to understand risks and how to protect themselves and other children from harm. Staff recognise the signs that the child may be involved in damaging relationships. They help the child to see how these relationships have a negative influence on their life and plans.

p.4

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

Managers follow safer recruitment procedures to make sure that staff are safe and suitable to work with children.

p.4

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

The home’s lone-working risk assessment does not consider the child’s individual needs and risks or the implications for their care of being cared for by only one member of staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is now registered with Ofsted. He has completed the required leadership and management qualification. The manager runs two children’s homes and demonstrates sufficient capacity to manage both homes effectively.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has improved the quality of care and protection since the last inspection in May 2022. He has addressed the serious shortfalls in safeguarding practice, the home environment and the leadership and management of the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides clear, accountable and effective leadership. They provide staff with the right support, guidance and oversight that makes sure that the child Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 5 receives safe and effective care that meets their needs. Staff morale is good. Staff work together as a team cohesively.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are sufficient staff working at the home to meet the child’s needs and to protect them from harm. The staffing arrangements make sure that the child receives continuity of care, so they can develop relationships over time with the adults caring for them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the information, skills and knowledge they require to understand the aims and objectives of the home’s statement of purpose, and their roles and responsibilities in caring for children and meeting their assessed needs. Staff receive suitable training relevant to the needs and circumstances of the child in their care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff receive regular supervision, which focuses on the child’s needs and their professional development. This includes reflecting on their work with the child and evaluating the impact of training and learning on the child’s experiences.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of the child’s plans and the progress they are making. The manager and staff maintain positive working relationships with other professionals and agencies, including the placing authority, education providers and health services. The manager makes sure that these partners play their role and provide the child with the high-quality support that they need, and at the right time.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual have shown tenacity in making sure that the placing authority provides them with up-to-date information about the child. They make sure that they receive the child’s relevant plan, education health and care plan and health assessment to enable them to understand the child’s needs and care for them effectively.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The external monitoring of the home by an independent person provides appropriate scrutiny of the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements and the standard of care that the child receives.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, the manager’s review of the quality of care does not evaluate the impact of the support that the child receives on their experiences, progress and outcomes. Also, the reports do not include the views of children, parents and professionals about the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 6

p.5

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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should make sure that lone-working risk assessments consider the circumstances and assessed needs of each child and the implications for the child’s care, including any likely risks. 31 March 2023

p.6

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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) (5))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must improve the evaluative content of the quality of care review and include the opinions of stakeholders. 30 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.6

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: SC068206 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068206 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9