Children's Home run by iMap Centre Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 1 SC481295 Registered provider: iMapcentre Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider that specialises in delivering services for children with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities and complex needs. The home provides care for up to five children. Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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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 requires improvement to be 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 November 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the previous full inspection in November 2023, this provider was judged to have been inadequate. As a result, compliance notices were issued. A monitoring visit took place on the 19 December 2023. The manager had not taken all the necessary steps to meet the compliance notices. Further compliance notices were issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 35, the behaviour management policies and records standard. During a monitoring visit on the 31 January 2024 the compliance notices were judged to have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Inadequate 13/03/2023 Full Good 08/12/2021 Full Good 08/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved out to live with their family since the last inspection. The child was pleased with this plan and is doing well. The child has stayed in touch with staff and another child. The staff and children were planning to visit the child and take home-made gifts for them. This shows that the child built positive relationships during their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has considered the needs of the children and has made some changes. There is now a sensory room with lots of equipment for the children to enjoy and their artwork is displayed on the walls. The garden is well equipped and staff have creative ideas to make this space even better for children, including a toy car track and a sensory garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Further improvements include the purchase of new sofas and carpets. The children have access to lots of toys, games and books for them to enjoy. Additionally, there are photo collages of the children around the home. Children are happy and have built positive and trusting relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are kept clean and are personalised. One child, who has complex needs and is pre verbal, has been supported to develop his tolerance of items in his bedroom over time. The child now has a large mural of a rainbow on his wall which he chose by saying ‘bow’. The child also brings toys to his bedroom. This is a significant achievement and shows that children are settled in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend full time education and staff work closely with the schools to share ideas on how best to support children. As a result, children are making progress at school and enjoy attending.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical health needs are well met. However, one child who is prescribed glasses is not encouraged and supported to wear these when he needs to. This could have an impact on his vision in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of activities that they request including farms, aquariums and visiting the seaside. Children are encouraged to learn about different seasons, events and celebrations throughout the year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage children to engage with them and learning continues in the home. For example, children are making progress with their independence and life skills due to targets being set and reviewed robustly. As one child approaches adulthood, there has been progress with their skills in shopping, cooking, personal care and changing his bedding. These skills are important for the child’s future. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 4

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

There has been a reduction in both incidents and restraints. Staff know the children well and are good at using de-escalation techniques. This is being further enhanced by the introduction of specific behaviour support competencies that staff are required to meet.

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

Two children are subject to a deprivation of liberty orders, the details of which are included in their plans. Staff understand them and how the differ for each child.

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

When incidents do occur, new and robust processes for recording and evaluating the records mean that the manager has a good oversight. Staff are able to reflect on incidents to see what could be done better next time. Children are always offered the opportunity to speak with staff following an incident. When necessary, information is shared with any relevant people to ensure that the child’s voice is heard.

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

Staff have conversations or communicate with children using their preferred communication method, to support their understanding of risk and how to keep themselves safe. As a result, children’s individual risks have reduced.

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

The staff have attended a wide range of training since the last inspection that supports their understanding of protecting children. This has included specific safeguarding disabled children training, as well as in house workshops refreshing their knowledge on policies and procedures. This ensures that the staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to keep children safe.

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

The manager follows safer recruitment processes so that only suitable adults are employed to work with the children.

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good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She has taken many steps to improve and develop the care provided and the staff’s skills since the previous full inspection. The staff receive regular supervision which they say is helpful. There are thorough induction and probation processes in place that ensure staff are well supported throughout this period.

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good

The manager is a good advocate for the children and is keen to ensure that children are happy. However, in doing so, some of her decisions can result in some of the children’s needs not being identified. For example, one child has not received sufficient emotional support regarding family relationships.

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good

There are clear systems to support staff development and a more robust out of hours support procedure. This ensures that staff are guided by others with experience when they are unsure how to respond. There are regular team meetings Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 5 held and the manager also attends monthly clinical meetings to review children’s progress and behaviour with the organisation’s clinical lead.

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good

The manager has improved her oversight of the home since the last inspection. However, there are gaps in her approach to the fire safety of the home that have not been addressed. These include recommendations from the fire service not being completed and staff not completing fire drills. In addition, the manager has not encouraged all children to become familiar with the fire evacuation process with the aim of avoiding the children feeling distressed. There is a reliance on the potential use of intervention outlined in their personal evacuation plans.

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good

The manager works closely with external professionals and delivers appropriate challenge to ensure that children’s plans are accurate so that their need are met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 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, 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire;

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the manager completing the recommendations made by the fire service in August 2023.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to ensuring that all staff have and continue to take part in fire drills.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates specifically to supporting children to take part in fire drills. 17 April 2024

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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;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 17 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 7 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that children receive appropriate support for their emotional wellbeing.

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Requirement Due date

This additionally relates to the registered person ensuring that children are supported to spend time with their family in a way that is agreed. It further relates to children being supported to understand their families and the impact that their families may have on the children.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. Where children are prescribed glasses staff should encourage and support children to wear these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)

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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: SC481295 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: iMap School, Barrowmore Estate, Barnhouse Lane, Great Barrow, Chester CH3 7JA

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Inspectors

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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