Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 1 Registered provider: Idem Living 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 organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have a learning and/or physical disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2022

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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: 1240449 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are cared for by staff who know them well and speak warmly and knowledgeably about them. The staff build good and meaningful relationships with the children. Staff were observed interacting with the children in a positive and respectful way during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are engaging in education. Staff work closely with schools, and there are open lines of communication. One external professional said, ‘[Name of child] is making great progress at school.’ Staff support the children to engage in education meetings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to maintain good physical health. The children are encouraged to eat healthily and attend all their health appointments. This helps children access specialist support to improve their physical health and well-being. For example, managers were proactive in obtaining a shower chair for one child, and another child is supported to attend specialist counselling at hospital.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy different activities and experiences. Providing such opportunities is a real strength of the home. Children attend a range of activities including a scout group and drama lessons. Staff recently took one child on holiday to a theme park in Paris, and another child is going on an activity holiday for children with physical, learning and sensory disabilities. These opportunities support the children to develop their social skills and resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their family and friends. Children are encouraged to interact with others and friends are invited to join in activities or come to the home. This helps the children to maintain their identity and continue to see the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to and their views are acted on, as appropriate. Children’s meetings take place regularly. This helps promote communication and understanding between the children and staff and ensures that the children’s views are heard and that they can take an active part in decisions about their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with choices so that they are more in control of their life. They can have a say in day-to-day decisions. For example, one child uses the picture exchange communication system (PECS) to choose food and decide what activities to do.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Direct work is carried out with the children on important issues such as personal space, sharing and family time. Staff use social stories that describe social situations to help the children to learn what to expect in different situations and why. This work is focused and specific to the children’s needs and daily experiences. However, Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 4 the records do not always evidence how the direct work has supported the child, and some issues are not revisited.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to an independent advocate. This helped one child to make a complaint to their placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to carry out daily tasks independently, in line with their individual needs, for example, personal care, making their bed, cooking and travelling on a bus. One child is learning to eat more independently and brush their teeth. This is helping the children to prepare for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively and with the best possible planning. Staff created a social story that describe social situations about how the children already living in the home manage another child moving in. This is being made into a book. When children are preparing to leave the home, staff support them to experience a smooth transition and positive ending.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress. One external professional said one child had ‘come on leaps and bounds’ since moving into the home. Another said a child had grown in confidence and their ‘communication with others has greatly improved’. The staff complete digital records of the activities and progress children make; however, these are stored electronically and not easily accessible by children.

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

The children have a high level of supervision which is consistent with their plans. This means that they can develop their independence while staff ensure that they are safe.

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

Individual assessments of risk are in place and updated regularly. The staff understand the children’s vulnerabilities and identified risks, and the strategies used are clear and effective. Staff are clear about what to do when responding to concerns about the safety of a child. This means that the children are safeguarded effectively because of the care they receive.

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

The physical environment is adapted to meet the individual needs of the children. There are risk assessments in place for mobility aids and mechanical devices used for lifting.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff are clear on what action they would take should a child go missing.

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

Children receive help and support to manage their behaviours and feelings safely. Staff provide the children with clear routines and boundaries, and children receive praise for positive behaviour. De-escalation techniques are effective and physical intervention has not been used. This helps promote a positive environment where children can flourish. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 5 Medicines are stored correctly and there is good management oversight of the records. However, the children’s health plans do not always state how medication is administered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified manager. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager. The managers know the children well and are positive role models for staff and children. Managers ensure that the children’s plans identify their individual needs and consider the local authority care plan for each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. The manager carries out regular audits to ensure that they have oversight of what is working well for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is adequately staffed for the children living there. However, agency staff are used on occasion. This does not help promote consistency of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that the managers are supportive and that they enjoy working in the home. Staff receive regular supervision and records demonstrate that supervision is of good quality and gives staff an opportunity to reflect on their practice. This helps the managers to clearly understand staff’s strengths and areas for development. Team meetings take place regularly, allowing for learning, feedback and discussion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment practice is followed and new staff coming into the home receive an appropriate induction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the children’s individual needs. For example, staff have had training in topics such as global developmental delay, personal care and supporting children with autism. The positive behaviour support lead for the company provides advice and guidance to staff. This ensures that staff have good knowledge and skills to safeguard and support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person carrying out the external monitoring of the home does not always communicate with the children to get their views about living at the home and the care they receive. This limits their ability to understand the children’s lived experience and the impact of the quality of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the independent person should regularly consult with a range of people to gain their opinions about the quality of care provided in the home. 26 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s health plans detail how medication is administered, specifically, medication that is given covertly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that all direct work with children is detailed in their records, including how the direct work has supported the child. This can be used to further inform the children’s assessments and plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)  The registered person should ensure that there is a full staff team in place that can provide consistency of care for the children which meets their needs and keeps them safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)  The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to keep

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Recommendations

appropriate memorabilia of their time living at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 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: 1240449 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Idem Living Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Stable Court Business Centre, Water Lane, Tarbock Green, Prescot L35 1RD

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1240449 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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