Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations 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 owned. It provides care for up to 12 children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. At the time of this inspection, eight children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 12 December 2023, an assurance visit was carried out after concerns were raised about safeguarding practice in the home. Serious shortfalls were identified in relation to the care and protection of children. Compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) were issued and a notice restricting accommodation was served. On 25 January 2024, a monitoring visit took place to assess the provider’s progress with the steps in the compliance notices and to review the notice restricting accommodation. The Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 2 compliance notice issued under regulation 12 was found to be met. The compliance notice under regulation 13 was reissued. The notice restricting accommodation remained in place.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 5 March 2024, a further monitoring visit took place. The compliance notice under regulation 13 was found to be met and the notice restricting accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2023 Full Good 21/11/2022 Full Good 04/05/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 4

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improvement to be good

Although there have been some improvements made to the care provided in the home, this is not yet of a good standard. Children do not consistently receive the support they need from staff to engage with external professionals. Staff have not been able to encourage one child to attend meetings with health professionals since moving to the home. This leaves children with unmet health needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not recognise the importance of the specialist equipment that children need, nor do they ensure that children consistently use this. One child does not have regular access to an important communication device. This prevents the child from understanding what is happening next and from sharing their views. This is disabling for the child.

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improvement to be good

The home is in the process of being redecorated and is more homely in places than it was previously. This helps children to feel welcome and valued in the home. The manager has involved the children in choosing colours in their bedrooms and communal areas. However, work is outstanding and maintenance is required in some areas of the home.

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improvement to be good

Some children are making progress in the home and have independence plans to help them to prepare for the future. Most children now go out in the community to socialise and access local resources. Improved staffing levels have helped to achieve this. The manager continues to promote activities and outings for children. This supports children to be active and engage in the wider community.

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improvement to be good

Children have warm relationships with some staff and are building relationships with new staff in the home. Children speak warmly about the manager. They feel listened to and are confident to raise concerns with staff and the manager. Children and some of their families recognise the improvements made in the home in recent months.

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improvement to be good

The information recorded in children’s care plans is not always accurate and does not provide staff with guidance on how to care for children appropriately. Even when information is accurate, staff do not follow guidance properly. This is confusing for the children as they receive inconsistent care from staff. The manager has identified this shortfall in staff practice but has not yet addressed the issue effectively. This leaves children in a position where the care provided does not always meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Some children display behaviours that staff find challenging. Children are not supported by staff to understand and explore their feelings and emotions through discussions and Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 5 direct work. This means that these behaviours go unaddressed, and incidents continue to happen in the home.

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improvement to be good

The annual review of the location of the home has not been carried out effectively. The review identifies services in the local area that are of help to children, but the review does not identify current risks in the local area or help staff to keep children safe in the community.

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improvement to be good

Medication is usually stored and administered safely. There have been no medication administration errors since the last inspection. However, a historic practice around administration was identified. This could pose a risk to children if used. The manager addressed this issue immediately.

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improvement to be good

When physical intervention techniques are used, the manager reviews these incidents and consults with staff afterwards to ensure that holds are proportionate and carried out correctly. The manager gives feedback to the team about any holds used to keep people safe. The manager also analyses data from incidents to identify patterns and trends and to assess how incidents can be avoided. There has been a recent decrease in incidents.

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improvement to be good

Most children said that they feel safer living in the home now. Children rarely go missing from the home. On an occasion when a child did go missing, staff followed the child’s missing-from-home protocol and found the child quickly and supported them to return home safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s records do not contain accurate or up-to-date information relating to professionals involved with their care. This prevents leaders, managers and staff from developing and maintaining professional relationships that are relevant to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is implementing new monitoring and review systems for children’s records. However, these are not yet in place for all children. One child’s record does not contain relevant statutory documentation following a restrictive order imposed by the court. This makes it difficult for staff to understand and follow and to implement any restrictions allowed to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are supported to develop their skills and knowledge to support children. However, some staff have not yet completed the training to do so. This does not equip them with the skills and knowledge they need. The home’s therapeutic model of care training is not yet understood by all staff or embedded into their practice. This means that staff are not consistent in their responses to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not always notified the regulator of significant incidents. They have followed other safeguarding protocols to protect children and have shared information with safeguarding professionals. This has prevented the regulator from maintaining timely oversight of safeguarding practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 6 The manager has improved their general oversight of the home, and families speak positively of changes they have seen over recent months. Senior staff have new areas of responsibility. Staff are beginning to develop a clearer understanding of their responsibilities. Families believe that changes the manager is making contribute to the home becoming a safer place for children to live.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager follows safer recruitment practice and has recruited several new members of staff. Staff receive a thorough induction, which helps them to understand their role. New staff receive regular, planned supervision sessions where their training needs are identified, practice is discussed and they are supported to develop their skills and knowledge. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(c)) 5 July 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

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;

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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)(c)(h)) 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to fulfil their roles effectively.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must have oversight of documentation in the home and have systems to evaluate staff practice effectively.

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Requirement Due date

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 develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must keep accurate and up- to-date contact details of professionals involved in the children’s lives.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that statutory documentation is stored on children’s records. 5 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 9 expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1) (a)(b) (2)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (c)(e)) 5 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that repairs and maintenance issues are addressed in a timely manner so that the home remains comfortable and welcoming. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff fully understand the risks associated with any restraint techniques used in the home, and that those who commission training, assess the risk of administering medication during a physical restraint technique. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraphs 9.56 and 9.58)

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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: 1183911 10

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alexander House, Highfield Park, Llandrynog, Denbighshire, Wales LL16 4LU

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Inspectors

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1183911 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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