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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since August 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement

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requires improvement

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement

Date of last inspection: 6 September 2023

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requires improvement

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2023 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/03/2022 Full Good 27/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 3

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improvement

Leadership and management arrangements do not ensure consistency of care.

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improvement

Staff provide care for a child who has a specific disability. Some staff have experience and understanding of the condition. However, not all staff have received specific training relating to the disability. This means that they do not have the experience, knowledge or understanding to meet this child’s needs. This shortfall was identified at the last inspection and has not been addressed. This fails to show an understanding of the importance of staff having the right skills to care for all children.

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improvement

Children’s files do not always include the most up-to-date education and local authority plans. This fails to ensure that staff are fully informed about children’s plans. As a result, internal care plans do not contain the most accurate information.

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improvement

Educational outcomes are variable. One child’s education attendance has significantly improved. This is a huge achievement for this child. The other child is provided with a limited timetable. Staff carry out some educational activities with the child. However, there is limited challenge from leaders and managers to seek an alternative provision that can meet the child’s needs.

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improvement

Children take part in activities that they enjoy. Staff recognise that due to the children’s age difference, they require separate activities that are tailored to their age group. Supporting hobbies and interests helps children to build their sense of self and emotional well-being.

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improvement

Staff work hard to form positive relationships with children. They support children to see their friends and families. This ensures that children sustain close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

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improvement

Safeguarding arrangements are inconsistent. Staff have failed to check the identity of the visitors to the home. This fails to protect children from potentially unsafe adults.

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improvement

Children’s individual risk assessments identify their risks and vulnerabilities. These records identify risks which are unique to each child. Risk assessments are updated regularly.

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improvement

Behaviour support plans are tailored to each child and their behaviours. There is clear guidance in place for staff which outlines strategies to prevent incidents from escalating. These plans are regularly updated. However, there is no evaluation of patterns and Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 4 trends in behaviours. This limits staff’s understanding of effective behaviour management strategies.

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improvement

If children go missing from the home, staff ensure that missing-from-care protocols are followed. Following incidents of children being missing from the home, they have the opportunity to speak with an independent person. This allows children to share any concerns with a person independent of the home. Staff have honest conversations with children, which allows them to build trusting relationships. This means that incidents have significantly reduced.

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improvement

Processes are in place for the safekeeping and administration of prescribed drugs. Some medication errors have occurred. Actions have been taken to ensure that this does not happen again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The provider has failed to inform the regulator about changes in management arrangements. A manager has been in post since November 2023. However, they have failed to submit their application to register with Ofsted. Managing without registration is an offence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The supervision of staff is not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. New staff who have not previously worked in children’s homes do not receive the appropriate amount of mentoring support. Supervision records are poor. Records show that staff have had limited opportunity to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive annual appraisals. Therefore, their performance and learning needs are not formally assessed. This means that poor performance is not addressed in a timely way to bring about improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have access to a range of training that is focused on developing their knowledge and skills. However, they have not been provided with important training to understand children’s specific needs and how to manage allegations. This fails to ensure that safeguarding practice and children’s needs are understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers use some monitoring and reviewing systems. These are not wholly effective. Significant incidents are not evaluated. This is a missed opportunity to improve the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the provider ensuring that there is adequate management oversight and evaluation of information.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training to understand how to support children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and how to manage allegations. 23 June 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; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 23 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the manager submits an application to register with Ofsted .

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that all visitors are suitable to be allowed inside the home. 23 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive regular practice-related supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 23 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home maintains up-to-date care and education plans from the placing authority for each child. 23 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 7 In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers communicate with the wider professional group to ensure that all children receive their statutory educational entitlement. 23 June 2024

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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.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, notify Ofsted of the appointment of a new manager. 23 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 8 of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2509800 9

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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

Sally Mitchell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509800 10 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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