Children's Home run by PALS Residential Services in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2741726 1 Registered provider: PALS Residential Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider. The home’s statement of purpose states that care is provided 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 in February 2024. This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2741726 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the home was registered two children have lived in the home. Their transitions were detailed, child-centred and reflected their needs and cognitive abilities. This individualised support helped them both to settle quickly and excel from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are exceptionally well cared for by managers and staff who are knowledgeable and have high aspirations for children. All adults who are responsible for the care of children show a real commitment to meeting their individual needs and keeping them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff prioritise children’s wishes and feelings, and actively involve children in all decisions about their lives. Children are provided with lots of opportunities to comment on their care and express their views on other areas of their lives, including family time, education, health and activities. This has significantly increased children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are actively supported to attend health appointments and lead a healthy lifestyle. This has improved children’s emotional well-being. Children have weekly access to a therapist. This is helping them to manage their emotions. Staff work closely with the therapist and understand how research-informed practice benefits the children. Consultations with the therapist ensure that therapeutic plans help children to achieve improved communication and develop their self-observation skills. This results in improved impulse control and more adaptive ways of coping with anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The value of education is strongly promoted by the staff team. Managers and staff work closely with education professionals to ensure that the arrangements in place support children to make significant progress in their education. Since moving into the home, children have re-engaged in education and their attendance is excellent. Staff have high aspirations and consistently encourage the children’s learning in the home, with homework and reading activities consistently prioritised. This has supported children to make remarkable progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Family time is consistently promoted, when it is safe to do so. Children are encouraged to send cards to family members during key celebrations. Staff are creative and ensure that relationships are maintained through face-to-face visits. This helps children to improve and maintain relationships with important people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff provide the children with genuine warmth and affection. They know the children extremely well. From the time the children have moved into the home, they have made significant progress in all aspects of their lives. Children were all extremely positive about their care and talked fondly about the manager, staff and their lived experiences since moving into the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741726 3 The home is warm, welcoming and provides the children with a comfortable and homely environment. All required health and safety checks and procedures are up to date. Staff ensure that fire safety precautions are explained, practised and understood by the children. This helps them to keep safe.

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

Managers and staff are proactive in their approach to safeguarding, and consistently ensure that children’s safety is prioritised. Risk assessments and risk management plans are individualised and reviewed regularly, so that emerging patterns are identified and strategies to minimise risks are embedded into care practices. Consequently, the risks for children reduce.

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

Children are provided with clear rules and boundaries, and staff celebrate achievements and consistently use positive praise, which help the children to thrive. The staff are exceedingly nurturing. They remain calm in their approach to help children to understand clear and reasonable expectations using a restorative approach. This approach has supported children to respond appropriately and improve their behaviours.

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

Staff spend individual time with children and model behaviours that are acceptable and respectful. When children are in crisis, staff use humour to divert children’s behaviours. There have been no incidents where physical intervention has been used. Children say that they feel listened to by staff and can identify an adult responsible for their care who will help them if they are upset, angry or want to complain. This is helping children to build trusting and open relationships with the adults who care for them.

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

Medication practices are monitored, and regular audits are conducted by managers. Due to errors in medication records, managers arranged for all staff to complete additional advanced medication training and implemented additional safety measures to improve the quality of records available. This ensures that medication practice is safe.

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

Managers employ staff using safer recruitment processes that help to prevent unsuitable adults from working in the home. In addition, thorough induction assessments ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work safely and competently with vulnerable children. High quality supervision and feedback from managers underline the importance of reflective and transparent practice to help to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational and passionate. This passion is shared by the deputy manager and staff team. Managers and the staff know the children exceptionally well. Staff share the manager’s passion for achieving the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff thoroughly enjoy working in the home. They are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive from the registered manager and his enthusiasm to consistently promote an outstanding level of care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741726 4 The registered manager is aspirational for both staff and children’s development. He facilitates training about therapeutic approaches and research-led practices. This ensures that care practices are relevant, and all staff are kept updated to consistently provide high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has identified training and development needs for the staff team. He ensures that this is reflected in the development plan for the home. For example, staff have recently revisited how to improve their recording skills in medication, because monitoring of the home indicated shortfalls in this area. Staff training is readily available and of good quality. Training is regularly discussed to demonstrate that staff have gathered the skills required to support the individual needs of each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team provides staff with regular and effective supervision. This is in addition to monthly meetings where the managers recognise the positive work of the staff. Staff feel supported, valued and motivated as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has developed effective working relationships with children’s families and partner agencies. An independent reviewing officer said that the staff team ‘support the children’s needs, wishes and feelings, and act as strong advocates’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741726 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: 2741726 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PALS Residential Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 64 Mill Lane, West Derby, Liverpool L12 7JB

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, Regulatory Inspection Manager Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2741726 7 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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