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

Inspection report children's home: SC441410 1 SC441410 Registered provider: Inspire Childrens Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. The provider states in its statement of purpose that they provide care for up two children with social and or emotional difficulties.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was judged as inadequate following the inspection on 28 and 29 June 2023. Serious shortfalls were identified in relation to safeguarding practice and leadership and management of the home. Inspection report children's home: SC441410 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2023 Full Inadequate 05/04/2022 Full Good 09/02/2022 Full Inadequate 11/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC441410 3

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improvement to be good

Two children are currently living in the home. Children say that staff spend time get- ting to know them when they move in. As a result, the children have strong relation- ships with the staff team. However, children’s records do not demonstrate that staff spend time introducing children to the home or providing information to them about what they can expect when they live at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children move into the home in a well-planned way. Staff seek the views of the chil- dren already living in the home prior to new children moving in. Staff are attentive to meeting children’s basic needs when they move in. Staff welcome children into the home with warmth and empathy. They recognise children’s potential anxieties of moving into an unfamiliar environment. However, children’s records do not include plans of how their care needs will be met. This means that staff do not have guidance to follow to support the children’s individual needs. Furthermore, one child’s records included inaccurate information in respect of the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to move on from the home in line with their wishes. Staff provide support to children and their families after they have moved on from the home. This helps children settle back into living with their families.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to engage in new and existing hobbies. Children say that staff spend time with children to get to know their likes and interests. Staff identify activities in the community in line with children’s wishes.

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improvement to be good

The children living in the home are in full time education. Staff maintain communication with children’s educational placements. They recognise when education placements are not meeting children’s needs. They work with professionals to implement plans for the child to return to mainstream education. This means that children’s educational needs are met.

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improvement to be good

Staff respect children’s relationships with their families. Family members are welcomed into the home to spend time with them. Staff facilitate arrangements for children to spend time with family in line with their local authority plans.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records do not capture the children’s voices. Consultation with children on their plans is not reflected in their records. Children have not been provided with opportunities to express their views and wishes formally or collectively. Inspection report children's home: SC441410 4

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improvement to be good

Staff spend time getting to know children when they move into the home. As a re- sult, they understand the children’s vulnerabilities. They understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. However, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are not in place for all children living in the home. This means that staff do not have guidance on how to manage children’s risks or challenging be- haviour if incidents occur.

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improvement to be good

There are delays in care planning when children move into the home. This means that staff do not have access to clear guidance and strategies to support the chil- dren’s risks and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, children are not consulted on their pre- ferred approaches to behaviour management. This means that staff may not be sup- porting children in line with their wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

The staff work hard to develop strong and trusting relationships with children. How- ever, children’s records do not demonstrate that meaningful work is being under- taken. This is a missed opportunity to support children to develop skills and strate- gies to manage their emotions and behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children settle into the home when they move in. As a result, the chil- dren living in the home are settled and happy. They get on well with each other. Staff recognise the children’s individual needs. They understand how children’s indi- vidual difficulties may impact on their relationships. However, plans are not in place to support children to manage their own feelings or difficulties associated with living with others. Children’s records do not include guidance for staff to follow to promote positive behaviour in the home and maintain respectful relationships.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment of staff is safe. This ensures that only suitable people work are em- ployed to care for children.

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good

There is no registered manager in post. The manager has submitted her application to Ofsted. She is currently registered for another home in the organisation.

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good

The manager has worked hard to address the shortfalls from the previous inspec- tion. She is child focused and knows the children well. She has high aspirations for the children and staff team.

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good

Children are cared for by a new staff team. Several staff have moved to work in the home from other homes within the organisation. The manager considered the skills and personalities of the staff to best suit the children’s needs. However, the state- ment of purpose does not reflect the full staff team working in the home. Inspection report children's home: SC441410 5 Staff say they feel supported. Arrangements are now in place for regular supervision for all staff. However, team meetings are not taking place frequently. Opportunities for team discussions when new children move into the home have been missed.

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good

The manager has developed strong relationships with professionals involved in the children’s care. Social work professionals say that communication is good, and that staff are responsive to children’s needs.

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good

The manager has worked hard to address the shortfalls from the previous inspec- tion. However, records do not demonstrate that the quality of care is regularly moni- tored and reviewed. Internal development plans do not identify how the manager has made improvements to the home. Plans do not identify shortfalls or include clear actions for moving forward.

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good

Children’s records do not reflect consistent management oversight of the work being undertaken with children. Leaders and managers do not take action to address shortfalls in the delivery of focused work with children. Delays in care planning for children when they move into the home means that plans are not in place for the children’s individual needs in line with their local authority care plans. Children’s rec- ords do not reflect their everyday lives and the work being carried out with them. Inspection report children's home: SC441410 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, 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 care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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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

that arrangements are in place to— ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that leaders and managers ensure that plans are in place when children move into the home to manage risk and behaviour. 15 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; 15 January 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC441410 7 regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii); ensure that each child— is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about— the children’s guide;

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and (Regulation 7 (1)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(iii)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(v) 15 January 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC441410 8 Specifically, that leaders and managers ensure that meaningful work is undertaken with children and recorded in children’s records. 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 promotes their welfare.

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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 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 15 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is updated to include all staff working in the home 15 January 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC441410 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 children's home: SC441410 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Childrens Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Inspire Childrens 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

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC441410 11 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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