Children's home run by Continuum Support - Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support Care Services 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. It is registered to care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 1 September 2023.

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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

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2022 Full requires improvement to be good 15/03/2022 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home has built up trusting relationships with staff. The staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and are passionate about their work. There is clear evidence that the child is making progress in all aspects of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently moved from the home. He wanted to move closer to his family. The manager worked with external professionals to ensure that there was a clear plan and ongoing support put in place for him and his family. This enabled the child to move on positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child now at the home continues to have planned family time. The staff ensure that they work with other professionals to ensure that the child can maintain their relationships with the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager promotes the importance education for the child. The child was having difficulties in his previous school. The manager, working alongside other professionals, has enabled the child to attend a more local school to better meet their needs. The staff have regular contact with the school and the child has started re-engaging in classes and is now talking positively about their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has built good working relationships with other professionals. The manager attends all meetings and advocates for the child. However, the manager does not currently have clear oversight to ensure that all the documents required are in place and up to date. The manager has not yet obtained a personal education plan for the child or shared this with the child’s new school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and monitor the child’s health and emotional needs. The staff are working with health professionals to ensure that the child receives support, advice and treatment to meet their needs. This is leading to the child having a healthier lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly involve the child in positive activities to develop their interests and hobbies. The child is a keen member of a local cadets group. The child has attended regular camps and developed positive friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s achievements are celebrated. The child has a memory book, started from the day they moved into the home, which is full of pictures and positive comments about the activities they have taken part in. This. The manager shares the achievements with other professionals through regular reviews of the progress the child is making. Photos of the child are displayed throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is starting to develop age-appropriate life skills. They have weekly targets which include doing domestic tasks in the home, cooking and shopping. This is helping them to become more independent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 4

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

The child feels safe in the home and the local community. The child said, ‘I feel safe and the staff look after me. I can talk to my key worker if I am worried about anything.’ The child has not made any complaints.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. They follow robust risk management plans, which are regularly reviewed and updated with clear strategies for staff to follow to keep the child safe. Staff support the child to understand any behaviours that may cause them harm, and this has led to a reduction in the child being at risk.

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

Staff have built up positive relationships with the child. Staff can de-escalate behaviours that are challenging at an early stage. There has been one physical intervention. Staff used this as a last resort to ensure the safety of the child. There have been no missing-from-home incidents.

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

The child has a good understanding of their plans. The manager has created a child- friendly booklet, with input from the child, around their behaviour support and risk assessment plans. This enables the staff to use appropriate strategies that the child has said help them when they are in crisis.

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

Staff work closely with the police and other safeguarding agencies to ensure the child’s safety. Staff respond to incidents quickly and take action to prevent further harm to the child.

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

The staff educate the child on how to keep safe online. The manager has used other professionals such as local police to support giving advice to the child. There are safeguards in place so that when incidents online happen, there is a quick response from staff.

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

The home is a safe and welcoming environment for children, and all health and safety checks are completed by the staff. The home is equipped with age- appropriate toys and games.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team is led by a qualified, dedicated, child-centred and aspirational registered manager. The manager has taken steps to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection and is committed to continually improving the quality of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are adequate numbers of staff to meet the needs of the child. There are robust recruitment procedures in place. The staff are committed and child-centred and they feel supported by the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 5 The manager has clear oversight of the day-to-day events in the home. She has recently carried out a detailed quality of care review for the last six months. This has enabled her to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the care provided. However, the previous quality review report was not completed, therefore, that six- month period was not evaluated to help review the care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive training programme for staff. All staff have completed their mandatory training as well as specific training to meet the needs of the child. Staff receive a full induction when they start working for the company. This helps them to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have an opportunity to reflect on their practice through regular supervision, team meetings and appraisals. This enables the staff individually and as a team to develop their working knowledge and practice. There is a sense of shared ownership in the team. Staff take on additional responsibilities to support the development of the care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the review of the quality of care is undertaken every six months. The report should be sent to Ofsted and the placing local authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.3)  The registered person should ensure that the latest education documents are available to staff, so they have knowledge and understanding of the child’s educational targets. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11) Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 7

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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: 2593261 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Continuum Support Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593261 9 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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