Children's Home run by Supporting Futures Limited in Liverpool

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 1 Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited

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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 owned by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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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: 2509381 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

Children have positive and respectful relationships with the staff. They told the inspector that they feel safe and well cared for. Staff know the children well and invest time in them. Children say that they feel listened to and can talk to staff about any worries they may have.

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The care of children

Staff support the children to maintain good physical health. Staff have supported a child to be referred for a specialist assessment. Since moving into the home, one child is now up to date with all their immunisations.

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The care of children

Staff promote children’s education. They have advocated for a child to start school as soon as possible and supported educational activity throughout the day in the interim period.

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The care of children

Children are supported to develop their independence in accordance with their needs. Since the previous inspection, staff have supported a child to experience a positive and successful move into their own accommodation.

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The care of children

Children are supported to keep in touch with the important people in their lives and have new and exciting recreational experiences. One child has had their family dog to stay, and staff have supported a child to attend a local youth group each week.

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The care of children

The home is welcoming and comfortable. It is personalised to meet the needs of the children. Photos of the children are displayed in the lounge. The home’s garden is tidy and free of litter.

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The safety of children

Children benefit from the support of staff, whom they trust to help them to stay safe. Risk plans have been improved. This ensures that staff know what is expected of them when managing behaviour. Records of incidents are detailed and include management oversight.

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The safety of children

Staff spoken to know what to do when a child goes missing from the home. However, children’s missing-from-home protocol does not include the timescales for actions to be completed by staff to reduce risk. An independent return-home interview does not always take place when a child returns home after having been missing.

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The safety of children

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviours and feelings safely. Staff respond with clear boundaries about what is safe and acceptable. Staff are all Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 3 trained to use de-escalation techniques. These are effective and as a result physical intervention has not been used.

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The safety of children

Consequences related to behaviour are proportionate and effective. Positive behaviour is promoted through praise and incentives, and the records now include timescales for any consequences.

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The safety of children

At the previous inspection, two of the communal rooms had locks on the doors to restrict children’s access. These have now been removed, and children have access to all communal areas in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home is run by an experienced and suitably qualified manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is a stable core staff team in place. There are two staff vacancies. Staff from the home or elsewhere in the organisation cover any staffing shortfalls. This helps to ensure that there is consistency for the children. New staff are being recruited. Safer recruitment practices are followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The format of some children’s records has changed since the previous inspection. Staff spoken to said that these were now easier to understand.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Assessments and plans are reviewed and updated by staff throughout the month. However, robust systems for monitoring and reviewing all the children’s assessments and plans, and their progress in accordance with their relevant plans, are not yet in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager raises concerns about children’s plans with professionals. However, the manager does not always challenge and escalate effectively when statutory requirements for children are not being met by placing authorities. This means that children’s care plans are not always progressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff spoke positively about their work and the support they receive from the manager. They benefit from regular supervision and have access to mandatory and needs-led training. A staff training and supervision matrix is now in place; however, this is not fully up to date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has worked hard to address the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection. However, shortfalls remain in relation to the monitoring systems in place, and the requirement in relation to this has been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person escalating concerns effectively if the placing authority’s performance or response is inadequate in relation to their role. 31 May 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 31 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 6 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person needing to have robust systems in place to monitor and review all the children’s assessments and plans and their progress in accordance with their relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s missing-from-home protocol details the timescales for actions to be completed by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that a return-home interview takes place with an independent person within 72 hours of a child returning home when they have been missing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered manager should ensure that all staff monitoring systems are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 8 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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