Children's Home run by Continuum Support - Care Services Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732421 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care 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 privately operated and provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this 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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2732421 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home was registered, the staff recruited to work at the home were moved to other homes within the company. This led to a six-month delay in children moving into the home. However, at the time of this inspection, one child had moved into the home, and a full staff team was in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child experienced a carefully planned move into the home, with several visits before they moved in. This positive support before the move helped the child settle in well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys a range of activities and particularly enjoys swimming. During the inspection, the child was planning activities with staff for the upcoming Easter holidays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff nurture the child’s relationships with their family and friends. The child’s family has visited the home and helped to decorate the child’s bedroom. This helps the child to maintain important relationships and gives them a sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aware of the child’s health conditions and have received training to enhance their understanding and knowledge of them. However, the child’s health conditions are not documented or referred to in their records. This makes it unclear how the child’s health conditions impact on them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is safe and well maintained. The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. Care has been taken to provide a calm, welcoming home with a family feel. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are encouraging and supportive towards the child. Staff regularly seek the child’s views. This helps the child to build positive relationships with the staff caring for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives good-quality key-work sessions to help them learn about their environment and community. However, these do not cover all known key issues in the child’s life and behaviours. This is a missed opportunity to support the child and educate them further.

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

There have been no safeguarding concerns for the child since they moved into the home. The child’s risk assessment is followed by staff. Behaviour management strategies are effective in ensuring that the child is safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732421 3 Risk assessments for the child are in place and are monitored and updated to ensure that they remain relevant and accurate. Staff supervise the child in line with their risk management plan. This keeps the child safe in the home and in the community.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child and their individual vulnerabilities. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep the child safe.

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

All staff are suitably checked and vetted before starting work at the home. The recruitment process is robust and thorough. This ensures that the staff caring for children are safely recruited.

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

The home is safe and secure. Staff complete regular health and safety checks and procedures to protect the child from potential hazards.

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

Praise and rewards are used regularly to celebrate and promote positive behaviour. Consequences are not recorded, despite being used to manage behaviour, which means there is no management oversight to ensure that they are fair and proportionate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He has been in post since the home was registered. Several new workers have been recruited due to staff moving to other homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have positive experiences of working at the home and say that the manager is supportive. Team meetings take place on a regular basis and are well attended. The staff’s views are valued by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has created and maintained positive working relationships with the child’s family and partner agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are efficient monitoring arrangements in place to monitor and review the child’s progress. Questionnaires provide feedback from the child and professionals; this helps leaders and managers to develop the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The child receives care from a diverse and flexible staff team. Staff are proud of their good teamwork and continuity of care provided to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732421 4

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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 registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(iii)(vii)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all behaviour management strategies used are recorded, including any consequences given to children. 1 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732421 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the health of looked after children is assessed at regular intervals and the child’s care plan must include an individual health plan setting out the approach that the placing authority will follow, and the desired outcomes required to meet the child’s health needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.4)

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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: 2732421 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St. Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732421 7 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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