Children's Home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 1 SC062013 Registered provider: After Care NW Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately operated children’s home. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have complex needs, including social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/04/2022 Full Good 30/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a homely and inviting environment. They are supported to personalise their bedrooms, and there are photos and mementos displayed throughout the house. This environment helps children to feel calm and relaxed. One child said, ‘There’s nothing I would change about living here. It’s good, I like it here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s physical and emotional health. When children move in, staff quickly register them with relevant healthcare services and support them to attend all appointments. Staff share vital information with specialist healthcare providers to make sure that children are receiving the right diagnoses and treatment. Children’s health needs are always met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work in partnership with specialist therapeutic services. Staff’s practice is informed by an understanding of trauma and the psychological impact this will have on the children they are caring for. This allows staff to work with children in an empathetic way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children. Staff get to know children and understand their point of view. When children don’t agree with the opinions of professionals, staff approach this sensitively and help children to understand their own care plans. Children feel listened to and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not consistently encouraged to develop safe hobbies and interests. Staff have not identified activities related to one child’s existing interests. In addition, staff have not adapted the child’s plans to meet their needs more. In contrast, another child is being supported to engage in extracurricular activities and learn more about their areas of interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s files contain all the important documents. When children move in, staff gather relevant paperwork quickly. This helps staff to have all the information they need to care for children. However, staff do not encourage children to regularly access their files or make any meaningful contribution to them. Therefore, children’s files do not represent their voices or views. This was a requirement of the last inspection that has not been met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not always successfully promote children’s education. One child is thriving in school. They have excellent attendance and are making good progress, and their education is supported at home. By contrast, the other child is out of education, and staff are not engaging them in any form of alternative learning.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 4 There is a strong culture of safeguarding and risk management in this home. Staff know their role in a range of safeguarding scenarios, even in relation to risks that children are not currently facing. Staff can identify and respond quickly to a range of risks.

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

Staff know how to respond effectively when children go missing from home. The manager has developed a robust missing-from-care policy that staff consistently follow. As a result, when children go missing, there is a quick and coordinated response. When children come home, they do not always get the opportunity to speak to an independent person about what has happened. This could limit professionals’ understanding of children’s experiences.

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

Staff use a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviour. Staff understand what works well to de-escalate the behaviour of each child that they are caring for. This means that crises are avoided, and physical interventions have not been needed. This helps children to sustain positive relationships with the adults caring for them.

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

Robust checks are completed in relation to any potential new employees. This approach to recruitment ensures that children are only cared for by safe adults.

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

The manager completes a regular review of the risks and benefits related to the location of the home. The location risk assessment considers all local risks and includes intelligence from other professionals. This ensures the continued suitability of the location of this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably experienced and qualified manager leading this home. She gets to know the children well and understands their individual needs and potential. Her leadership is developing a motivated staff team, who are striving to provide good- quality care for the children they are looking after.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote effective multi-agency working. Good-quality relationships and information sharing with other professionals help to provide consistency in children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend a wide range of training to develop their skills and knowledge. This helps them to understand children’s needs and provide better care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a comprehensive assessment to gather information about children before they move into the home. Although a lot of useful information is gathered, this is not always critically evaluated. In one instance, a child’s placement has broken down.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality, reflective supervision. Staff performance is also reviewed annually via a robust system of appraisal. However, supervision is not taking place at Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 5 regular intervals, in accordance with the home’s workforce development plan. This limits the effectiveness of supervision for formal oversight of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel supported and enjoy working at this home. Although there have been some recent changes in the staff team, the manager has offered helpful support to ensure morale has not been affected. Children have not been impacted by staff changes and are receiving care from a motivated team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(iii)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 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;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 7 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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children are out of education, the registered person must ensure that useful strategies are used to find ways to engage children in learning.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are offered and engage in a range of positive activities. When children have specific interests, the registered person must ensure that they are given opportunities to explore and develop these interests. 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including leaders and managers, receive supervision of their practice regularly, as per the intervals detailed in the home’s workforce development plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, they have an opportunity to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: SC062013 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 10 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. 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

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Inspector

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 .

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Inspector

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Inspector

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