Children's Home run by Supporting Futures Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children`s home: 2509381 1 Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at the home since 12 September 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: 2509381 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 3

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improvement to be good

The child living at this home has positive relationships with the staff. During the inspection, the child was seen seeking out staff for support and advice. Staff know the child well, listen to them and invest time in them. There are, however, shortfalls in staff responding consistently to the child. This needs to be strengthened, to support them to develop an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging.

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improvement to be good

The child has not made any complaints. However, the complaints process is not easy to understand, which means that, if children needed to complain, they would not clearly understand how to. The acting manager has taken immediate action to put in place a clearer process.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of education. The child, who did not have a school placement, was not routinely provided with educational activities throughout the day. Staff have since advocated to secure a school place for the child. They also advocated for a specialist assessment to be undertaken so that barriers to learning can be understood. Despite this, the child is not making good educational progress.

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improvement to be good

Specialist advice and support are in place through the home’s independent psychologists. The child also receives support from child and adolescent mental health services. This supports them to develop skills and strategies to manage their own conflicts and difficult feelings.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home, they are welcomed sensitively. Children have their own bedroom, which is personalised. There are photos in communal areas of the child with the staff.

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improvement to be good

Children spend time with staff and have experienced a range of new and fun based activities, such as going to theme parks, camping and having ‘Come dine with me’ evenings in the home.

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improvement to be good

Plans set out arrangements for family time to be supported. However, shortfalls were found in these arrangements, with unnecessary restrictions in place. Strategies to prevent family time if the child’s behaviour is not positive do not support the child’s relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Individualised behaviour management plans are clear and set out strategies staff need to use. However, staff are not consistently following plans. For example, family time has been prevented as a consequence for poor behaviour. This is an Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 4 inappropriate response. Inconsistent responses to behaviour mean the child has not always been supported to manage their behaviour and feelings safely.

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improvement to be good

There have been occasions when children have needed to be held. These have been recorded effectively. Children understand the reason for the hold. Children’s views have been sought. However, following an incident when a child was held, an additional consequence was introduced that was not proportionate or reasonable. This was not addressed when the incident was reviewed.

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improvement to be good

The child said, ‘I feel safe. I have a good relationship with staff and I can speak to them when I am worried.’ Staff support children to learn about themselves and how to manage their feelings. When issues arise, staff take the opportunity to discuss a range of topics such as education, healthy eating and self-harm.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans are detailed documents and give clear guidance to staff, who put them into practice. Incidents of self-harm are understood, and clear action is taken to reduce risk, including the use of room searches. When searches are carried out, children have been told why this is happening, so that they understand.

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improvement to be good

There have not been any missing-from-home incidents since the last assurance inspection. When a child has been missing from the home, independent return interviews were not routinely taking place. Leaders and managers challenged placing authorities to address this. There is now a clear policy in place for return interviews to be carried out by an independent service so that they are completed without unnecessary delay.

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improvement to be good

Careful recruitment processes ensure that staff are suitable and safe to work with children. Children live in a well-maintained home that provides them with space and privacy.

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good

There have been recent changes in the management of the home. The registered manager recently left his position very suddenly. An experienced acting manager and deputy manager have been brought in by the responsible individual to have oversight of the home. They are suitably qualified and experienced.

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good

Staff spoken with during the inspection described an environment where they felt unsupported. Specifically, staff said they had challenged practice in relation to the lack of a consistent approach to guidance and boundaries for children.

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good

Some staff have not received regular and reflective supervision. This is a missed opportunity for staff to reflect and evaluate their learning, to improve their practice and skills. Staff have completed mandatory training and receive additional training specific to children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 5 Leaders and service managers became aware of practice concerns regarding management arrangements. A member of staff raised concerns through the whistle- blowing process. Immediate action was taken, with a member of staff suspended and disciplinary processes initiated.

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good

The staff team, although aware of the whistle-blowing process, did not feel confident to use this process in a timely manner. Although action was taken, there are shortfalls in having a lessons learned plan and in training for staff. This is a missed opportunity to develop staff confidence to improve outcomes for children and their care.

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good

The acting manager has identified the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Reviewing and monitoring systems have been introduced. However, they are not yet effective and not yet embedded in practice. The acting manager has a clear development plan in place to address the home’s weaknesses.

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good

The requirements and recommendations made at the assurance visit in March 2023 have mostly been addressed. However, a requirement was made for the registered person to have clear systems in place to monitor and review the home. This has not been met and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 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 protection of children standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff understand when and how to escalate concerns through the whistle-blowing process without delay. 17 November

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(i)) 17 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 7 In particular, staff should not use family time with parents as a consequence. Additionally, consequences that support good behaviour need to be reasonable and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive regular practice-related supervision from individuals who are trained and experienced in the supervision of staff. 17 November

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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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should have robust systems in place to monitor and review the home. Additionally, the registered person should have a clear understanding of the experiences that influence the progress children are making in respect of their plan and take effective action where necessary. 17 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 8 This requirement was made at the previous assurance inspection and is restated.

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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: 2509381 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Continuum Support - Care Services Ltd, Sinclair, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509381 10 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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