Children's Home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 1 SC042652 Registered provider: After Care NW Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024.

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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: 6 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/05/2023 Full Inadequate 09/08/2022 Full Good 27/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Significant improvements have been made to the home and garden since the last inspection. There are now individual homely touches around the house which reflect the personalities of the children living there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can identify some staff who they can talk to about their worries. Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in the management and staffing of the home, which has made children feel unsettled. Children are beginning to build positive and trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have fun and enjoy new experiences. Staff get to know children and find out about their individual interests. Staff use this knowledge to offer children activities which they will particularly enjoy. Staff keep a memory book for each child that is full of photos and reminders of special occasions. Children enjoy positive leisure activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical health needs are now being promoted. Staff help children to understand the importance of healthcare and support them to attend all appointments. When children have additional health needs, specialist services are quickly found to meet these needs. Staff understand how to help children lead healthy lifestyles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build effective working relationships with other professionals. Social workers said that communication is helpful, and any issues are shared quickly. However, staff do not always support children to voice their concerns to the local authority, for example through the use of an advocate. Some children feel excluded from their care planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not always use children’s background information to inform their day-to-day care. One child’s cultural heritage is not considered in how they are cared for. Additionally, staff and documents consistently misgender one child and use their birth name. This is a missed opportunity for staff to help children learn about all aspects of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to prepare for moving into or on from the home. Children are also given the opportunity to learn about the home before they move in. They are supported to learn important independence skills before they move out. Children have a positive experience of big life changes.

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

Children are safe from harm in this home. Comprehensive safeguarding training for all staff members helps them to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 4 Leaders and managers are improving processes for assessing risks to children. Currently, children’s risk assessments do not provide staff with all the information they need to manage identified risks. Plans about the risk of self-harm for one child do not include enough detail or clear actions for staff to take. As a result, staff are unclear about how to respond to this risk. Children may receive an inconsistent approach to their safety.

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

Staff regularly have useful conversations with children about important social issues. However, staff do not always talk to children after specific incidents. This is a missed opportunity to gain insight and help children to understand their own experiences.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. There are thorough procedures in place for all children should they go missing. If children go missing, staff follow their plans and update their family and relevant professionals quickly. Children are less likely to go missing again.

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

Staff support children through positive incentives, praise and encouragement. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques to help prevent crises. As a result, there have been no incidents when staff have had to hold children to keep them safe. Children maintain positive relationships with the people caring for them.

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

The manager regularly reviews the suitability of the location of the home. This review does not include actions to manage the identified risks. This could expose children to local risks.

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

There are some new staff members working at the home. Detailed checks are carried out to ensure that children are cared for by safe, well-qualified and experienced staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has the skills and experience to provide effective leadership. Since coming to work in this home, she has implemented a range of changes to bring about necessary improvements. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of her team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is improving. Staff confidence has been impacted by frequent staffing and leadership changes. With the arrival of the new manager and deputy manager, staff feel more supported and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meetings take place regularly and are a useful forum for sharing best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s meetings take place weekly. Currently, they are not being used in a way which is helpful for children, and the records contain confidential care planning information. No requirement is being made, as the manager already has plans to address this with her team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 5 Staff receive regular and effective supervision. The manager uses these meetings to discuss professional development and training. However, staff have not yet received an annual appraisal of their performance. Formal oversight of staff performance is limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a range of useful training which helps to equip them with the skills they need to provide good-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has carried out a review of the quality of care being provided to children. This now includes feedback from children and the people who are important to them. The manager has good oversight of children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home each month. Their report provides useful feedback. Leaders and managers use this information to improve the quality of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must make sure that children’s risk assessments and plans contain all necessary detail and clear strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also make sure that following any serious incidents, staff speak to children to help them understand their experiences and to ensure their welfare. 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 31 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 7 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s identity needs are understood and positively promoted.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 31 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that staff act as champions for children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC042652 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

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Inspectors

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Paulette Forbes, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC042652 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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