Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 1 SC405448 Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. The provider states in its statement of purpose that they provide care for one child with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2010 and the manager registered in December 2022.

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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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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the last full inspection, on 12 and 13 April 2022, the home was judged as requires improvement to be good. At an assurance visit on 4 August 2022, Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and poor leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued an emergency suspension notice.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Monitoring visits took place on 14 September 2022 and 21 October 2022. No children were living in the home and the provider continued to comply with the suspension notice. A new manager and staff had been recruited. Ofsted found that Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 2 the grounds for suspension were no longer in place and no further enforcement action was necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Inadequate 26/11/2019 Full Outstanding 26/09/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home. The child is happy and settled. The child has developed strong relationships with the staff team. Staff worked hard to get to know the child before they moved into the home. This included visiting the child and sharing videos of the home and the staff team, which helped the child to feel welcomed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to access an extensive range of activities, such as horse riding and wheelchair basketball. They promote existing hobbies and help the child to develop new interests. Staff recognise the challenges for children in developing new friendships and relationships. Activities are organised with children from other homes within the organisation. This helps the child to develop new friendships and enjoy social activities with other children. The child enjoys attending a local youth club, where they are able to socialise with children who have similar needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in meeting the child’s health needs. Staff research alternative medicines when the child is struggling to take prescribed medication. They are strong advocates for the child with health professionals, to ensure that they are able to access the most appropriate treatment options to meet her needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends an on-site school and is making good progress given their starting point when they moved into the home. The child attends full time and has good attendance. The child is provided with a good range of educational opportunities at school and in the community. Staff maintain close relationships with education staff. This ensures that the child is provided with consistent care in school and at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support to the child in relation to their identity. They treat the child with respect and dignity. The staff and child recently attended an awards evening to celebrate being recognised for their good practice and commitment to the needs, issues and barriers facing LGBTIQA+ people in the region.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child well when they are unable to spend time with their family. They recognise and understand the emotional impact this has and are child-focused and empathic in their approach. They advocate on the child’s behalf to rebuild relationships with those people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child knows how to make a complaint and is provided with good support when they raise any issues or concerns. The child has access to an independent advocate.

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

Staff know the child’s risks and vulnerabilities well. Staff are child-centred and empathic in their approach. They understand the child’s behaviour and recognise their underlying needs. Staff engage the child in meaningful direct work. This Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 5 supports the child to develop alternative strategies to communicate during times of distress. As a result, risks for the child have reduced.

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

Risk assessment and behaviour support plans are detailed. They provide clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow. However, some records include conflicting and inaccurate information. Additionally, appropriate risk assessments are not in place for planned activities. This means that staff do not have access to relevant guidance to support the child if needed when engaging in activities away from the home.

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

Staff have a good understanding of online safety and the potential risks for the child online. Appropriate measures are put in place to safeguard the child from these risks.

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

Incidents of challenging behaviour are managed well. The strong relationships between the child and staff mean that staff are able to support the child at times of distress. Reflective work is undertaken following incidents. This helps to develop the child’s awareness of their own behaviour and to develop strategies to manage their emotions more effectively. Staff understand the child’s triggers and the function of behaviours. Staff respond to the child with empathy and compassion.

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

Incidents of physically holding the child are rare. Restraint is used as a last resort to safeguard the child and others. Opportunities to reflect on incidents help the child to express their views and feelings. Staff are provided with time to reflect on their own practice and learn from incidents. Detailed and reflective managerial evaluation identifies any shortfalls or further learning needs for staff.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour through clear boundaries and appropriate consequences. Meaningful restorative work is undertaken with the child following incidents. This helps the child to understand the impact of their behaviour on others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership and management are key strengths of the home. The registered manager and home’s manager are ambitious and aspirational. They have high expectations for the child and the staff team. They provide a warm and comfortable home environment. Activities for children with specific needs were carefully considered, using research when designing and furnishing the home. However, some areas would benefit from attention. The bathroom looks tired and dated and the lighting in bedrooms is not conducive to the warm homely environment the managers strive for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child is cared for by an experienced and established staff team. Staff speak highly of the support they receive from managers in the home. They feel supported in their roles and involved in decision-making. Staff new to the home feel welcomed and involved from the start. As a result, they are happy in their roles and work hard to provide high-quality care to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 6 Staff benefit from regular and reflective supervision. Team meetings provide opportunities for staff to reflect on practice and seek support from their colleagues. Staff have access to the training they require to meet the child’s needs. Consultation with the in-house clinical team provides staff with opportunities to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the child’s needs. They are also able to use this for their own personal support when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Strong relationships are maintained with professionals involved with the child and with the local community. External professionals are complimentary of the managers and staff team and the care that they provide. The managers and staff work in partnership with others to ensure that the child’s needs are met. The registered manager offers professional challenge when there are delays or difficulties in the child receiving the care they need. The manager uses the local offer well to ensure that the child has access to services and activities in the community in line with their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Oversight of staff practice is robust. All work undertaken with the child is reflected on and evaluated. This means that the management team has a strong understanding of the care being provided to the child. Weekly and monthly manager’s audits support them to identify any shortfalls and areas for improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 7

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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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person ensures that appropriate risk assessments are in place for all planned activities. 7 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are updated and reviewed and that all information is accurate. 7 December 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the decor and fittings in the bathroom are updated and lighting in children's bedrooms is changed to provide a warm Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 8 homely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC405448 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspector

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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