Children's Home run by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 1 SC037657 Registered provider: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2023 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children have lived at the home for over a year, and they have made progress in many aspects of their lives. Staff provide warm, nurturing care and support to help children to develop a sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly. Staff have high expectations of school attendance, and the manager works alongside other professionals to ensure that appropriate support is in place. As a result, children are now engaging in their learning. Children are happy to attend school and are making progress. One child is preparing to take their GCSEs and staff support the child to attend extra classes each week after school. This is helping the child to gain confidence in their abilities.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to have regular quality time with their families. Staff encourage families to visit the home regularly and support family time in the community. One child was recently supported by staff to spend quality time with their sisters in Wales. This is developing strong bonds and positive shared experiences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are being met. Staff ensure that children have access to support from community and specialist health services and that children attend their appointments. This multi-agency working supports children’s physical and emotional health and well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and their interests are supported. One child attends weekly morris dancing classes even though at present due to health issues they are unable to participate. The child wants to continue to see their friends and support them in their competitions. This shows that positive friendships have been developed and maintained. Staff support the other child to regularly watch their favourite football team play. This support is developing children’s social skills, confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s achievements are celebrated. Staff give children meaningful rewards, based on their likes and interests. This positive approach helps children to develop a more positive view about themselves. Children’s wishes and feelings are actively encouraged through regular discussions. Children take an active part in making choices about their day-to-day lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has introduced more structured, planned discussions with children so that support is given to meet the needs identified in their care plans. However, this is not embedded in practice by staff. This means that children are not consistently supported in dealing with past traumas and for them to develop skills for the future. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 4

p.3

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

Children said they feel safe in the home. Children’s safety is consistently at the centre of staff’s practice. Staff speak to children regularly to ensure that they understand what to do if they had a concern. Children were clear on the process and there have been no complaints.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s behaviours and individual vulnerabilities. The manager is quick to identify emerging risk for children and is working with other professionals to ensure that children are safeguarded. To support the staff in managing these risks there are robust risk assessments in place and these are kept updated. There have been no missing-from-home incidents.

p.4

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

Significant incidents are well managed. Staff act appropriately to ensure that the safety of the children is paramount. The manager ensures that all appropriate professionals are informed.

p.4

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

Children receive support to manage their behaviours and emotions safely. Staff establish clear boundaries, and they are consistent in their approach. Physical intervention has been used on one occasion to keep the child safe. However, due to lack of key information in the report, the manager has not been able to evaluate the incident to see if the hold used was appropriate.

p.4

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

Positive behaviour is supported in the home. Staff talk to children about their feelings to help them understand their behaviour. When consequences to behaviour have been used, records show that the approach is restorative. There is clear management oversight to ensure that these are fair and effective.

p.4

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

The manager ensures that all health and safety checks are carried out. During the inspection, there were minor repairs identified. The manager took swift action and some of these were completed. However, there are still issues regarding a child’s bedroom furniture that need to be addressed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced, child-focused and aspirational. She has good management oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. The manager ensures that there is a stable staff team in place, which provides consistency for children. Staff said that they enjoy working at the home and feel supported by the manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has strong working relationships with other professionals and there is clear communication and multi-agency working. The manager sends out monthly reports and attends regular meetings to ensure that they are all working together to meet the needs of children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 5 The manager recently completed a review of the quality of care provided. She obtained feedback from children and professionals. However, she did not give an opportunity for parents or staff to give feedback. This has meant that she has not had a full overview of the care provided.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive training programme in place. The manager ensures that staff receive the relevant training to meet the individual needs of children. The manager also invites other key specialists into the home to conduct group training with staff. This ensures that staff are equipped to deliver a high standard of consistent care to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions and appraisals take place in the appropriate timescale. Staff can have an opportunity to reflect on their practice and this helps to develop their knowledge and skills. The manager has developed the appraisal form to ensure that staff are appraised on their role, and responsibilities and developmental areas are clearly identified to help and support them to develop their practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and this gives staff an opportunity to share experience and knowledge. The manager invites other professionals, such as an external therapeutic support service, to attend the meetings regularly to offer advice and guidance to staff. This helps the staff to develop their knowledge and meet the needs of children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.6

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.6

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”)—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 8 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are clear records of the specific physical intervention holds used and their duration, other people present, and the effectiveness of the measure used.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained and that any hazards identified are quickly repaired, such as the damage to a child’s wardrobe door and bedroom drawers. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are undertaking planned direct work to support children in meeting their needs identified in the care plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 16, paragraph 3.14)  The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulations at least every six months. This should include feedback from parents and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2)

p.7

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: SC037657 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children’s Services, Huyton Municipal Buildings, 6th Floor, Huyton, Knowsley, Merseyside L36 9YU

p.8

Inspector

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037657 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

p.9

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9