Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited in St. Helens

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 1 Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who experience social, emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous manager recently resigned, and a new manager has been recruited.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Inspection date: 27 November 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 27 November 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children said that they like living in their home and feel safe. Staff encourage them to develop interests and hobbies. For example, one child is learning to play the keyboard. This helps children to develop new skills and a sense of belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has been without a registered manager for four months. An interim manager has recently resigned but the registered person has taken swift action to recruit a new manager.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders need to embed effective monitoring, evaluation and oversight to provide consistent oversight of children’s care. The manager does not always monitor whether consequences are effective, for example. This means that the team of staff do not know if their actions help children to become safer.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager recently completed their quality of care review report. However, this was not completed within the required time frame. This is a missed opportunity to regularly evaluate and make improvements to the quality of care.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s relevant plans are now in place and up to date. This helps staff to provide care that is planned effectively as part of a multi-agency response.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s attendance in education is inconsistent, and staff do not consistently provide children with planned educational activities to support their learning. This prevents children from reaching their full potential.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been several serious safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. Staff respond appropriately to manage incidents and safeguard children. Staff share information with relevant partner agencies, including Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff generally develop good relationships with children. However, staff have been unable to consistently engage with one child to help them to stay safe. As a result, their placement ended prematurely.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff follow clear missing-from-home protocols. This helps staff to return children safely back home and reduce the duration of incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff said that they feel supported by the leadership team. They attend regular supervision, training and team meetings. However, staff also said that communication across the team needs to improve to provide a consistent approach. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 3 Records frequently contain jargon and judgemental language which is not helpful to children. This does not promote a culture of child-centred practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not met all the previous requirements and two are restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2022 Full Good 28/11/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff help children to manage their behaviour safely and that children can talk to staff about their concerns.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 December

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 28 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 6 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)(b)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that communication systems support effective teamwork in the home. In addition, ensure that managers fully utilise review systems to improve the quality of care in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 22 December Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 7 (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff help all children to engage in education as part of a daily structured and planned routine, in accordance with the children’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 22 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5)) 30 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records do not contain judgemental and unhelpful language about children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Inspire Children’s Services, Unit 3, Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens WA10 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Bradshaw

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1241757 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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