Children's Home run by Considerate Care Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 1 SC059261 Registered provider: Considerate Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with social and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in 2016.

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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

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2022 Full Good 22/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Three children live at this home. Children spoken with said that they like living in the home and feel listened to. One child said, ‘I like the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Staff know the children well. Children have positive relationships with those caring for them. One parent commented, ‘[Name of child] is showing improvements in everything – behaviour, confidence, and communication.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

The quality of children’s care plans is inconsistent. Some information included in children’s plans is conflicting. Children’s information is held in different documents. This gives a disjointed picture of children’s needs and of the actions staff take to support children. This makes it difficult for managers to monitor children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

The provider has a therapist who is involved in overseeing children’s care. However, strategies identified by the therapist are not included in children’s plans. This is a missed opportunity to provide staff with clear strategies to follow to help and support children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Staff put routines in place to minimise children’s individual barriers to learning. This is helping children make variable progress in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Staff speak to children about their likes and dislikes. Staff provide children with opportunities to explore their interests and to try a range of new experiences. For example, one child has a interest in pets, and staff support this by helping to care for their pets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Staff know that children need support and guidance to develop their independence skills. However, managers and staff do not closely monitor the planning and reviewing of children’s care to ensure that staff can consistently help children prepare for their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: requires

Staff support children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. This means that children sustain these relationships and attachments with those who are significant to them.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff know children’s individual vulnerabilities. They involve other agencies to work at reducing risk. One social worker said, ‘I don’t think they could do any more than they do’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 4 Risk assessments are in place. However, they do not include updated information or clear and focused strategies for staff to follow in practice. Risk assessments do not include management oversight. Therefore, it is not clear if strategies to reduce risk remain current and are effective.

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improvement to be good

Staff know how to respond when children go missing from the home. Records are detailed and describe the actions that staff take to support children to return home safely. Staff actively look for children when they are missing and liaise with professionals to work at reducing this risk. When there are escalated risks for children, managers and staff are trying to address these to prevent potential risk of harm in the community.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of physical restraint. This demonstrates the positive relationships between children and staff.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that safer recruitment practices are followed when considering employing new staff to work in the home. This means that only the most suitable staff work at the home and that it is a safe place for children to live in.

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

The home is managed by an experienced manager. The manager is supported by a deputy manager. They know the children well and want the best for them.

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

There are gaps in the manager’s overall monitoring and review systems. For example, children’s plans are not always up to date and do not reflect their needs or the actions staff need to take to support children in all aspects of their lives. This does not ensure that managers are assured that children are reaching their full potential.

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

Shortfalls in monitoring and review systems led to a requirement at the last inspection. The registered manager has not taken sufficient action to meet this requirement, and this is restated. Another requirement is also restated from the last inspection.

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

Staff spoken with were positive about the management team. Staff describe good morale and a sense of shared ownership about their practice. They have regular supervision with the home’s manager, which includes the opportunity to discuss children’s progress and working in the team.

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

Staff have regular team meetings. Team meetings are well attended, and records demonstrate that staff discuss children’s needs and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff attend various training courses to help them develop their knowledge and skills in line with children’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated and is in relation to ensuring that managers implement robust monitoring systems. 1 July 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that children’s care is well planned, with clear actions for staff to follow to support children to reach their full potential. 1 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 6 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s assessments contain up-to-date information and clear actions for staff to follow in practice to reduce the risk of harm. 1 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are updated, signed by staff and reviewed to include all accurate information. 1 July 2024

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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: SC059261 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Considerate Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys PCE Limited, Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Cathy Trengove, Social Care Inspector Catherine Fargin, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC059261 8 to 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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