Children's Home run by Continuum Care Support – Care Services Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509802 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Ltd

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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 children’s home is privately owned and operated. Staff can provide care for up to two children, who may be experiencing social or emotional issues.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection there were two children living in the home, both of whom were present.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2022.

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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: 13 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: 2509802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2023 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Good 10/08/2021 Full Good 16/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509802 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a comfortable, welcoming environment. Children’s photos are prominently displayed in communal areas. Staff have supported children to personalise their bedrooms and one child has a pet hamster. This homely environment helps children to feel settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build good relationships with staff. This helps children feel confident to talk about their thoughts and feelings. One child said that she trusts staff and feels heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make good progress in relation to education, training and employment. When children are out of education, staff try hard to support children back to learning. Managers robustly advocate for the needs of children when education planning falls short. One professional said, ‘She [the manager] really champions his [the child’s] education. She doesn’t sit back and wait for other people to get things done.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health needs are well managed. When needed, staff work closely with specialist services to meet children’s needs. This includes advocating for further assessment for one child. The local authority nurse said, ‘They [staff] are doing everything they need to, you couldn’t ask for more.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly have useful conversations with children about important topics. Staff show curiosity and interest about children’s lives, which helps them to understand children’s experiences. Managers have good oversight of these records. Children’s voices are listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of leisure activities. This includes taking part in fundraising events and charity work. Children’s experiences are well documented with photos, diaries and mementos. Children have fun and feel part of their community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s time with their family members well. Staff communicate openly and take a non-judgemental approach. As a result, the children can enjoy more time with their family.

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

Children feel safe and supported. Staff understand how to safeguard children effectively and work closely with partner agencies. One professional said, ‘Joint working and communication is great.’

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

Staff complete risk management plans for each child. This helps staff to recognise and understand children’s risks. Staff review these plans regularly and the manager provides useful oversight. This helps staff to provide a consistent approach to children’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509802 4 There have been few incidents since the last inspection. Staff know how to support children in managing difficult emotions. Each child has a detailed behaviour management plan which includes a clear guide for staff to follow. Staff use rewards and incentives effectively to celebrate children’s achievements. Children live in a calm and settled home.

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

Physical interventions have not been necessary. This helps to protect children’s positive relationships with staff.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. Staff keep children safe by following robust missing-from-home protocols for each child. This ensures that staff can act quickly to prevent incidents from occurring.

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

Allegations are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Children are kept informed throughout the process. This helps children to feel listened to and valued.

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

The manager regularly reviews risks associated with the local area. This includes gathering important information from the police and other agencies. This means that children can be protected from any local concerns.

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

Managers recruit staff safely. Before adults come to work in the home, thorough background checks are completed. This ensures that children are only cared for by safe adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager leading this team. The manager has a thorough understanding of the children she is responsible for. She always listens to children’s views and considers their wishes and feelings. This helps children to share the high aspirations the manager holds for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers escalate concerns when services provided by other agencies are not satisfactory. The manager has been particularly persistent is trying to resolve an issue with the education provision for one child. This approach helps make sure that children receive the support they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. The manager has not yet included feedback from children or professionals into annual appraisals. Staff say supervision helps them to feel supported in their role. As a result, staff turnover is low, and children are cared for by a motivated team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are clear and child friendly. Plans clearly explain the progress children are making and what support they need. Written information helps support children’s understanding of their journey.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend a variety of training. This includes courses which are relevant to the specific needs of the children they are looking after. This means staff can provide better care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509802 5 Leaders and managers use effective processes to monitor all aspects of care. Managers generally identify any weaknesses and take effective action to improve the quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have started to encourage staff to consider more relevant research and practice guidance. Members of the team present information about different research topics in team meetings. Training and research are discussed in supervision. Staff have the most up-to-date information about how best to meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509802 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of children and other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2509802 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St. Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509802 8 and inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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