Children's home run by Inspire Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2536395 1 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 company and provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: 14 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2536395 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2023 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2536395 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children maintaining contact with people who are important to them and are proactive in achieving and maintaining this contact. Staff ensure that they keep families and those important to children up to date with positive and challenging news.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Clear risk management plans enable staff to minimise risks to the children in their care. Social workers spoke positively about the actions of staff and how they are not afraid to challenge professionals about the standard of service that the child is being provided. Staff also maintain important conversations with relevant professionals, such as the missing-from-home co-ordinator, and use these relationships to keep children safer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the importance of education with children. They make sure that the children have good bedtime routines to help with their attendance and ability to learn. Subsequently, children have good attendance levels.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities together with staff but also with their families and friends. Clear risk management plans are in place to ensure that children are able to take age-appropriate risks safely.

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

Children are safe as a result of staff taking action to care for children in line with safeguarding procedures and involving relevant professionals to promote the safety of children.

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

Staff have remained vigilant in acting on information that is gained from conversations with children and intelligence that is identified. Staff ensure that intelligence is recorded and shared with relevant professionals. Staff make appropriate referrals to safeguarding professionals to ensure that they are kept up to date as information becomes available.

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

Staff are alert and will follow children when they leave the home. At times, this has resulted in verbal threats from others. A separate assessment of those risks would be beneficial to provide clear guidance for staff in terms of keeping themselves safe when trying to locate children.

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

The relationships that staff have developed with children enable ongoing communication between them. Direct-work sessions show that children discuss concerns with staff and also share their thoughts and wishes. Overall, documents are well recorded and reflect the needs and risks for children. However, they are large and repetitive and do not help staff to find information about how to keep children safe. Records are not always updated appropriately. Inspection report for children’s home: 2536395 4 Staff are trained in the safe administration of medication and follow these practices to safeguard children and promote their health. Staff promote the health of children through regular attendance at health professional appointments, as well as the safe storage and administration of medications. For one child, staff promote the importance of taking prescribed medications. This proved successful on the day of

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

the inspection, with the child agreeing to take their medication.

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

The premises are well maintained and homely. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks of the property to ensure that it continues to remain a safer environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a qualified and experienced manager. There is now a full staff team in place, which provides consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A high proportion of staff are qualified and experienced. Conversations with staff show that they are committed to the children in their care and share the aspirations of the manager for improving children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke highly of the support that they are offered by the manager and deputy, saying that there is always someone available for help and guidance when they need it. They also felt that training is varied and easy to access. The manager liaises with professionals, utilises their knowledge and arranges training for her staff at team meetings in relevant subjects, such as county lines and child exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that they say helps them to carry out their role. They say that the manager and deputy are always available to provide them with support, advice and guidance when needed. Staff work as a team and provide children with a consistent approach, so that they have clear boundaries and expectations in which to grow and develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an excellent knowledge of matters that are happening at the home, and records are reviewed regularly. However, there is not always a written record of reflection, learning and areas for improvement recorded. This would help staff with their development and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A range of both face-to-face and online training provides staff with the skills that they need to care for children. Staff speak highly of the quality of training that they receive and that it helps them to carry out their role well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers spoke about the professionalism of staff at the home, and of their ability to share intelligence appropriately with other agencies to safeguard the children in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2536395 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 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to capture the areas for improvement and demonstrate how they will be achieved. 30 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2536395 6

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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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Inspector

Julia Toller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2536395 7 regulates and inspects 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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