Children's Home run by Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 1 SC063284 Registered provider: Building Bridges Care 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 owned by a private company and provides care for up to five children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2022

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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: SC063284 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/11/2021 Full Good 15/01/2020 Full Good 12/12/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 3

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improvement to be good

Leaders do not fully assess children’s suitability prior to moving into the home. Plans do not identify robust strategies to ensure that the staff can manage children with similar needs. As a result, some children’s placements end abruptly.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is now improving its relationships with children. Regular changes in the staff team hampered this in recent months. This affected staff’s ability to provide continuity of care and appropriate boundaries for children. One child said, ‘They didn’t know how to do things for me, and I used to get angry. It’s a lot better now.’

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improvement to be good

Children make progress with their education. Two children returned to education following a significant period of non-attendance. However, staff do not have clear plans in place to support children’s learning when they are not attending school.

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improvement to be good

Staff listen to children’s wishes and feelings. However, staff do not always consider the child’s best interests when making decisions. On one occasion, staff took a child to an unknown address without any prior knowledge of who lived at the property.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to spend time with their families and people who are important to them. This helps children to develop relationships and support networks. One child successfully returned to live with their family following a planned process.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to take part in activities. All children enjoyed holidays over the summer and gave positive feedback about their experience. This helps to build their confidence and social skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently follow agreed strategies to keep children safe. They contact the police when they cannot manage children’s behaviour. This means that children are unnecessarily at risk of criminalisation. In recent weeks, the manager has made improvements to staff’s safeguarding practice, and this has helped to reduce incidents.

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improvement to be good

Parts of the home need decoration and cleaning. One of the fire escapes is obstructed by bedding and a fire extinguisher. Furthermore, the manager does not ensure that repairs are completed promptly. This detracts from the home being a safe and welcoming environment for children to live in. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 4 Staff support children through a multi-agency approach. They encourage children to read their plans and attend their review meetings. One social worker said, ‘All the agencies work together as one team.’

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child refused to return home following a serious assault by another child living in the home. Staff now help children to build relationships with one another. As a result, children said that they felt safe living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff now engage children better with key-work sessions. This helps children to reflect on their experiences and understand their vulnerabilities.

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improvement to be good

Previously, children were regularly missing from the home and at risk of potential harm in the community. The manager continues to make improvements to staff practice and safeguarding processes. In recent weeks, this has helped to significantly reduce missing-from-home incidents.

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good

The registered manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the staff team. The manager and staff continue to learn from incidents and make changes to staff practice. This is helping to improve the quality of care that staff provide for children.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision from their manager. They reflect on their performance and any safeguarding incidents. One member of staff said, ‘It’s amazing, I really enjoy working here. I have a good bond with the children and there is a good team ethic here.’

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good

Staff attend training to develop their knowledge and skills. However, not all staff are trained in line with children’s current vulnerabilities. This means that there are gaps in some staff’s knowledge, which prevents them from fully meeting children’s needs.

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good

Staff do not consistently follow the provider’s policies and procedures. This may lead to poor outcomes for children and compromise their safety.

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good

Management arrangements are not effective in meeting several elements of the home’s statement of purpose. Staff are also uncertain about the underlying theoretical approach. This means that children’s care is inconsistent.

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good

The manager completes a workforce development plan, which helps them to monitor staff’s skills, experience and training. However, the plan is not up to date and does not include all members of the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 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, 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 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

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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow children’s risk management plans and prevent incidents from escalating. Also, ensure that the home is clean, well maintained and free of hazards. This includes the need to keep all fire exits free from obstructions. 31 October 2023

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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. 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 6 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children are robustly assessed prior to moving into the home and that current children’s needs and the skills and experience of staff are fully considered.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 7 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)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that a full staff team with the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience is recruited, and that staff are provided with relevant training to meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 8 the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)) 31 October 2023

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 9 protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children who are not participating in education are engaged in suitable and structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that the workforce development plan includes up-to-date details of staff, qualifications and training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff follow internal policies and procedures for the benefit of children in the home and maintain confidentiality at all times. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: SC063284 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mill Farm, Bull Bridge Lane, Liverpool L10 6LZ

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC063284 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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