Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St. Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 1 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services 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. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social, emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2022 Full Good 28/11/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 3

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improvement to be good

There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection. Children say that they are happy living in the home and are supported to personalise their own bedrooms. Children talk about the positive relationships that they have with staff, who care about them and know them well. The inspector observed warm and nurturing relationships between staff and children.

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improvement to be good

Children feel valued and listened to. Staff regularly gather the views of the children to support them in the planning of their daily care. Staff explain decisions in a way that children understand. This ensures that children understand the decisions that staff make in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Children are in full-time education and training, where they are making progress. One child is attending college and works as a volunteer. Staff support children to attend education and complete homework. The children’s achievements are rewarded, and their self-esteem is enhanced knowing that staff are proud of them.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the children to maintain good health and emotional well-being. Staff have developed positive links with external professionals, including specialised health services, to meet children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the children to engage in activities and leisure interests, including attending the gym, youth clubs, playing American football and attending music clubs. Staff promote relationships between the children through days out and activities together.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with family and friends, including those who live abroad. This helps children to maintain relationships and develop their identity.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that all children’s care is planned well. One child does not have an appropriate plan to consider his forthcoming move into semi-independent living and staff have not completed specific work for the child to prepare the child for this significant move. One child who moved into the home does not have current plans from the placing authority. This does not enable the manager to plan for the child’s care effectively.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and homely and there is a large, enclosed garden that provides space for children to play and relax. However, potential risks in the home environment are not sufficiently addressed by the manager. For example, there are chemicals in the garden area that pose a risk to children. The garden shed was significantly damaged and rubbish in the garden area had not been removed in a timely way. These concerns were rectified by the manager during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 4

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improvement to be good

Children feel safe and are supported by staff to make positive choices and understand any potential risks to their safety. Managers ensure that there are individual risk management and behaviour support plans in place. This provides staff with guidance on how to manage and reduce risks to children. However, staff do not always follow plans to keep children safe. This does not demonstrate that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding incidents are generally reported appropriately and responded to in a safe way. However, one significant safeguarding incident was not managed appropriately by the manager or the senior leadership team. Internal investigations were not completed in line with the organisation’s procedures. Concerns about staff practice were not sufficiently addressed by the manager or reported to the local authority designated officer (LADO) in line with safeguarding procedures.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of the risks for children who go missing from home and actively search for children and liaise with other professionals to ensure a collaborative approach. There are detailed records of the actions taken when children go missing. However, independent return home interviews are not offered by the placing authority. This is a missed opportunity to talk to children about the reasons they may be going missing from home and to consider further protective factors.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer nurturing support to children who display self-injurious behaviour. This has assisted in the reduction of self-injurious behaviours. One child said: ‘Staff do all they can to keep me safe. They offer me space and time to talk when I am ready.’ Managers have identified patterns and triggers for self-injurious behaviours and have implemented clear plans for staff to follow. Staff include children in these plans, so they understand what is happening.

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improvement to be good

Staff who administer medication are trained and medication is stored appropriately. However, staff do not adhere to procedures to manage controlled medication as this is not accurately recorded. The manager has not provided clear guidance for staff when medication is being taken away from the home. His oversight is poor as he was not aware of the discrepancies in medication records.

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improvement to be good

Children’s privacy is compromised as alarms on bedroom doors are used when there are no specific risks identified or assessed.

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improvement to be good

Visitors to the home are not routinely checked for identification and records of who has been in the home are not routinely used. The lack of oversight of who is in the home could place children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain memories of their time in the home. Photos and videos show the activities and progress they have made. The staff have access to a work mobile for this purpose. However, staff use their personal devices to capture Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 5 photos and videos of children. This is in not in line with the company’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

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good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and qualified manager. The manager is supported by a qualified deputy manager.

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good

The manager knows the children well and wants the best for them. The manager has positive relationships with the children and listens to their wishes and feelings.

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good

The manager has a good understanding of his role and responsibilities. He has ambitions that will enhance staff knowledge, skills, and therefore children’s experiences. However, he has been unable to implement these plans due to the impact of managing two different homes within the organisation. The lack of effective management oversight has been recognised by the manager.

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good

Staff rosters do not include the actual hours that the manager is working in the home. Rosters demonstrate that the manager spends little time at the home. He recognises that this is impacting on his overall monitoring and review. In a two-week period, it was recorded that the manager had only been in the home for less than 12 hours. This does not allow the manager to have sufficient oversight of the home and staff practice. The manager recognises that this is impacting on his overall monitoring of the home.

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good

The manager ensures that staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of the children. Agency staff are used when needed and the manager tries to use the same staff where possible to ensure that there is a consistency of care for children.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported by the managers. Supervision, team meetings and appraisals are valued by staff and provide opportunities to discuss practice and development opportunities. The manager highlights good practice and areas for improvement with staff and he is devising plans for staff who require additional support to ensure that all practice and care delivered is to a good standard.

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good

Staff are provided with opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through regular training. Most staff have completed identified training. However, training identified to meet the specific needs of children has not been completed by one member of staff or by the agency staff who regularly work with the children. This limits staff’s understanding and ability to meet children’s individual needs.

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 6 ‘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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand how to keep children safe and follow plans to reduce the risk of harm to children. The registered person must ensure that the home’s child protection policies are 26 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 7 effective and that safeguarding concerns are appropriately investigated and reported to the LADO. The registered person must ensure that hazards in the home are identified and rectified in a timely manner and that identification of visitors to the home is checked routinely.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that controlled medications are handled appropriately and that there is a clear policy in place for when medication is taken off site. 26 June 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 26 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 8 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—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight of the quality of care and practice in the home. The registered person must ensure that all staff, including agency staff, have training that is relevant to children’s specific needs.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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

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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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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; 26 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 9 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they receive relevant documents from the placing authority when children move into the home, including care plans and placement plans that are consistent with their current plans. The registered person must ensure that children and young people have transition plans in place to support their move to semi-independent living. This is a repeat requirement.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that internal bedroom door alarms are not used unless carefully assessed alongside any specific safeguarding risks. 26 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff rotas include the manager’s actual hours worked and that records of all visitors to the home are kept, including their name and reason for visiting. 26 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 10

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they are aware of the responsibility of the local authority to provide children with an opportunity to have an independent return home interview after being missing from care or away from home without permission, and challenge this when it is not happening. The responsible person should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘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: 1241757 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens WA10 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Bradshaw

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Inspectors

Jenni Gadsby, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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