Children's Home run by Warrington Borough Council in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 1 SC442779 Registered provider: Warrington Borough Council

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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 run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021.

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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: 5 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/09/2023 Full Good 01/02/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Outstanding 23/10/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently one child living in this home. No children have moved into or on from this home since the last inspection. The child living in this home receives good care from a stable and nurturing staff team, who know them well. The inspector observed positive relationships between the child and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is a small family home that is comfortable and homely. There are plans in place to redecorate some of the downstairs areas. Photos of the child during their time living in the home are on display, and the child has been able to personalise their bedroom to their own tastes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is able to enjoy a range of activities with staff. They regularly attend a youth club and are currently making plans for the summer holidays. The child now has a ‘buddy’ to broaden their social networks, and has recently joined their local Scouts group. As a result, their confidence and skills are growing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s emotional and physical health are well considered. Staff support the child to attend relevant health appointments. They advocate for the child to ensure that any specialist support is in place, in order to better understand their individual needs. Staff have worked with specialist professionals to ensure that prescribed medication is reviewed and remains appropriate for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has 100% attendance in education. The manager and staff have a strong working relationship with education professionals. This means that when there have been issues at school, they have been quickly resolved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s time with their family is actively supported and promoted by staff. The child’s parent commented, ‘[Child’s name] has come on so much since moving there. They [staff] keep me in the loop and always make me feel welcome.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has regular opportunities to share their views about the home and the care they receive. The manager has taken appropriate action to respond to the child’s views, which means the child knows that their wishes and feelings are valued. The child told the inspector that they know that they could talk to the manager if they were unhappy and she would take appropriate action.

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

Risk management plans are in place and are regularly updated with current information. The practice of the manager and staff ensures that risks are managed effectively, but some of the written guidance in the child’s plans is unclear. The manager took action to address this during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 4 When incidents have occurred, the manager and staff have responded appropriately to keep the child safe. Follow up work is undertaken with the child and information is shared with relevant professionals. However, incidents have not always been shared with the regulator as appropriate.

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

The child’s behaviour management plan is detailed and helps staff to understand and respond appropriately to the child’s behaviours. As a result, there have been no incidents of physically holding a child since the last inspection. Consequences have been used to address negative behaviours. However, the manager has identified that these do not always have the desired effect and has moved towards a more restorative approach.

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

Direct-work sessions focus on the child’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. Staff will revisit key topics to ensure that the child understands what is covered during the sessions.

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

There have been no incidents of the child going missing from this home. Staff spoken to during the inspection were clear about the action they would take should the child go missing, including ensuring that they are provided with independent return-home interviews.

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

When there have been concerns for the child’s behaviour in the local community, these issues have been resolved swiftly. The manager and staff have met with those involved, and supported the child to reflect on and apologise for their behaviour. However, inconsistent recording does not reflect all that the manager and staff have done to build and maintain positive relationships with neighbours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. She is supported by a dedicated and consistent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoken to describe a supportive environment. Staff receive regular supervision and were positive about the support and guidance they receive from the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has undertaken relevant training to ensure that staff have the skills required to meet the needs of the child living in the home. Some staff have completed more in-depth training to further support their approach to working with children, with a plan for all staff to complete this in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff benefit from regular team meetings. They reflect on their day-to-day practice and how this can be improved, as well as the progress of the child. Other professionals are invited to participate in these meetings to share their views and knowledge on any specific areas of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with external professionals. External professionals spoke positively about the home and said that there is good communication about the child’s progress and any relevant information. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 5 The home receives monthly visits from an independent person. This supports the manager to understand the strengths and areas for development in the home. The manager’s review of the quality-of-care report identifies a number of actions to improve the home. However, the review does not include children’s views, as is required by regulation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the strategies detailed in the child’s risk management plans are clear and accurate. 3 July 2024

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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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 (4)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that serious incidents are reported to the regulator. 3 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality-of-care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 3 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 7 the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the quality of care review includes the feedback and opinions of children.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that clear records are maintained in relation to any interaction that is relevant to managing relationships within the local community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC442779 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Times Square, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 2AR

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC442779 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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