Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 1 SC456417 Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to care for up to four children who may have social or emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 6 September 2022

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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: SC456417 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Good 24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are four children living in the home. Children say that they are happy and like the staff who care for them. Staff know the children well and want the best for them. The inspector observed warm and nurturing relationships between children and staff throughout the inspection. One social worker said, ‘You can see it’s not just a job for them [the staff]; they invest in children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide opportunities for children to share their wishes and feelings, taking account of their individual needs. Staff use different methods to talk to children, such as visual aids and recorded information. Staff help children to understand why decisions are made about their care and how to make choices in their lives. Staff advocate for children, and children know how to make a complaint. However, staff do not provide children with the opportunity to speak to somebody who is independent from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education, where they are making progress. Staff have excellent relationships with education providers. There is frequent communication between staff and educational professionals, which enhances children’s experiences in school. One headteacher said, ‘[Child’s name] is thriving. They [the staff] act as any parent would; they recognise that he is a teenage boy first and foremost, they put the child first, not their additional needs. Staff help children experience the world in an appropriate way.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop independence skills in line with their individual needs. Children receive positive praise and rewards that improve their self-esteem and confidence. Staff offer children choices, and this helps children to have a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager limits children from having chocolate and crisps by locking these away. This means that children are not supported to develop their understanding of healthy food choices. The manager rectified this at the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to develop interests and engage in activities that they enjoy, including horse riding, visits to local farms and the zoo, youth clubs and swimming. Staff promote positive relationships between children and with their family members. Children who spend time with friends in the community are supported to do this in a safe way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and homely. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. Staff support children to safely care for animals, including a pet hamster and one dog who regularly comes to the home. Children have a large garden where they can relax and play. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 4

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

Children feel safe and have trusted adults who they can talk to. Staff spoken to demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities. Staff work closely with external professionals. This multi-agency approach helps to identify and reduce risks to children.

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

The manager ensures that risk assessments and behaviour support plans are of a good quality. These documents provide staff with clear guidance to ensure that children are safeguarded. Staff provide consistent routines and boundaries for children, which helps them to feel safe and secure.

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

Medication practices in the home are safe. All staff are trained and there are suitable arrangements in place for the storage and administration of medication. This helps children to stay safe and supports their health and emotional well-being.

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

Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted prior to starting work. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

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

Allegations of abuse are generally reported appropriately and responded to in a safe way. However, on one occasion, the manager and staff failed to recognise that a child had made an allegation. The manager worked with the child and their placing authority to ensure that their needs were met and that they were kept safe during and following the incident. However, this was not reported to the local authority designated officer in line with safeguarding procedures. The manager rectified this during the inspection.

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good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager in the home. The manager has worked in the home for several years and is supported by a deputy manager.

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good

The management team have a good understanding of the children’s needs. Staff receive training that is specific to the needs of the children. As a result, the children are supported by staff who are suitably trained and fully understand children’s needs.

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good

There is a consistent staff team who feel supported by the manager. Staff receive regular supervision and attend monthly team meetings. These provide opportunities to reflect on practice and discuss development needs, as well as the needs of the children.

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good

The manager communicates well with external professionals to meet the children’s needs. However, the manager had not challenged the local authority in a timely way Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 5 to ensure that key documents for children were received, including health and education plans. This means that staff may not always know the most up-to-date plans for children. The manager was able to obtain these documents during the inspection.

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good

The manager’s monitoring of the home is not robust. The manager has not submitted a review of the quality of care for children. The statement of purpose does not include staff changes, nor does it detail staff supervision arrangements.

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good

Staff rosters do not include the actual hours that the manager is working in the home. In a two-week period, it was recorded that the manager had only been in the home on one occasion. This does not allow the manager to have sufficient oversight of the home and staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 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, 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 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

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

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)(v)(vii)(b)(d)€)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that allegations are recorded and reported to the local authority designated officer and to Ofsted in line with safeguarding policies.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that dog waste collected from the garden is disposed of immediately. 17 July 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. 17 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 7 The registered person must—

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff rota’s include the manager’s actual hours worked.

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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.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 17 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 8 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)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request to—

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Requirement Due date

a child, or a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered;

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Requirement Due date

a parent of a child, or a parent of a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered;

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a qualifying school, the Secretary of State.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

If a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with—

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Requirement Due date

any other provision of these Regulations; or 17 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 9 any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e) (3)(a)(b) (4) (5) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that details of the management and staffing structure are recorded, including arrangements for the professional supervision of staff and staff who are commissioned to provide education or healthcare.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children can access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child's needs. Any decisions to limit a child's access to any area of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child's welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child's needs, be properly recorded, and be kept under regular review. The registered person must ensure that food items are not locked away and that children are supported to develop skills to make healthy food choices. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person must ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and, where possible, this should be provided by a person who the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate

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Recommendations

to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that relevant plans for children, including care plans and any health or education plans, are received from the local authority in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 11.1)

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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: SC456417 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Jenni Gadsby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 11 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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