Children's Home run by Tressell Homes Ltd in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 1 Registered provider: Tressell Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The home is privately owned.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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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: 1 December 2021

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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: 2585139 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive and respectful relationships with the staff. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has made progress in terms of building and maintaining relationships with staff.’ Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and speak positively about them.

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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.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living in the home does not have an education provision. This has delayed their learning and outcomes. The manager is working with the local authority and education professionals to address the delays and concerns about the long-term impact on the child. However, staff have not provided the child with a daily routine with educational activities to support their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to. They are involved in decisions about their care and planning for the future. Monthly meetings take place with the child, and family members can also attend. Direct work sessions are completed with children on important issues such as school, relationships, fire drills, medication and safety, and risk-taking behaviour. The records include the children’s views and their understanding of the issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to engage in activities, such as going to the gym. This is at the child’s pace. However, staff are not always proactive and creative in encouraging and supporting children to engage in a range of activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to carry out daily tasks independently in line with their individual needs, for example personal hygiene, washing and cooking. This is helping the children to prepare for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work hard to promote children’s family time and rebuild family relationships. The staff maintain regular communication with children’s family members. Children are supported to have overnight stays with their family, and families are welcome to visit the home. This helps children continue to see those who are important to them and maintain a positive sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively and with the best possible planning. When children are preparing to leave the home, staff support them to experience a smooth transition and positive ending.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a homely environment. However, some areas of the home are unkempt and in need of refurbishment. The kitchen is not well maintained. The manager has requested that the kitchen be refurbished; however, this has not yet Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 4 taken place. The staff bedroom was also untidy and cluttered. This was rectified on the day of the inspection.

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

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. Behaviour support plans help staff to understand children’s behaviour and support positive change. Positive behaviour is promoted. Children are praised and receive incentives for doing well. Consequences are proportionate and fair.

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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. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques. Records of incidents are detailed, and management evaluation is evident. However, body maps have not been completed after injuries.

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

There have been no instances of children going missing from the home. Experienced staff have a good understanding of the procedures to follow should this happen. However, the manager does not ensure that new staff have a thorough understanding of the missing-from-home protocol in a timely manner.

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

Children know how to make a complaint. Children are kept fully informed throughout the process and understand the actions that are taken because of their complaint. Their complaints are treated seriously, and learning reviews take place to help improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The manager is child-centred and passionate about obtaining positive outcomes for the children. The manager knows the children well and will advocate for what is in their best interests. This helped one child to return to live with their family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed for the child currently living in the home. There is a stable core staff team in place, which helps to ensure consistency for the child. Agency staff are used on occasion. However, the manager has made an effort to ensure that the agency staff working with the children are consistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. The manager has a good understanding of what is working well for the children. Direct work sessions are planned and targeted, there are monthly reports on progress and managerial audits ensure that progress is monitored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well with children’s families and all relevant agencies. The manager and staff engage in regular statutory care planning meetings. One social worker said, ‘Communication is excellent.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as being supportive and say that they enjoy working in the home. Team meetings take place regularly, which allow for feedback and Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 5 discussion. 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 the manager to gain a clear understanding of staff strengths and areas for development.

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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 behaviour as communication and protecting children from grooming and exploitation. This helps staff have a good knowledge and skill base to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 6

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that the children live in a home that is clean, tidy and furnished to a good standard throughout, most notably the kitchen. The registered manager also needs to ensure that the staff sleep-in room is clean, tidy and maintained to a good standard. 22 March 2023

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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; 22 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 7 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

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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that the staff support children to attend school, as detailed in their relevant plans. When a child is unable to attend school, the staff need to support children to engage in home learning and independent study and provide them with educational activities.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that the home’s record of the incident includes a body map if a physical injury has occurred. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)  The registered person should ensure that all new staff know what procedures are to be followed when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28) Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 8

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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: 2585139 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tressell Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 41, Price Street Business Centre, Price Street, Birkenhead CH41 4JQ

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2585139 10 regulates and inspects 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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