Children's Home run by Eastfield Group in Sefton

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 1 SC064663

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to seven children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, six children were living in the home. All children were seen by inspectors, and three children spoke with the inspectors about their experiences living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was carried out to address specific concerns or allegations received by Ofsted .

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 3

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, four children have moved into the home and four children have moved out. Where possible, children have been supported to move into and out of the home in a planned way. Before children move into the home, their needs are considered alongside the needs of children already living in the home. However, two children have had to move on from the home when it has been identified that their needs could not be safely met alongside the needs of the other children.

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Findings from the inspection

Children say that they feel happy and safe living in the home. One child said, ’Staff are fair, the rules are fair. I think it is the best place I could be. I have a great bond with them all and I couldn’t ask to live anywhere better.’ Another child said, ‘They are all brilliant. It is an amazing place to live; they help me so much.’

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Findings from the inspection

The home is large and spacious, and children are helped to decorate their rooms to reflect their individual tastes. However, some areas of the home appear tired and are in need of redecoration, and some furniture and flooring in communal areas are in need of replacement or repair. This detracts from the homely environment and is something that the responsible individual is taking action to address.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are safeguarded effectively. The team is supporting one child through a traumatic life event and bereavement. During this time, staff ensure that the child’s needs remain at the centre of their practice. The child’s social worker is highly complimentary about the care and support provided and the progress the child is making.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s risks are well understood. Risk plans are updated, and concerns are appropriately escalated to the relevant safeguarding professionals. However, behaviour management in the home is not always effective, and there have been a number of occasions when the police have been called to manage children’s behaviour. This is not only distressing for children but has the potential for them to be criminalised. Evaluation of incidents by managers is limited, and opportunities to identify any learning from incidents to further develop practice in the home have been missed.

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Findings from the inspection

Children, staff and other professionals are highly complimentary about the support provided by managers. Any concerns regarding staff practice are appropriately raised and addressed. Team meetings and supervision sessions provide opportunities for staff to explore issues.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have completed training relevant to the needs of the children in their care. However, training records are not up to date, and it is not always clear which staff have completed training. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 4 Discrepancies in records identified during the inspection were swiftly addressed by managers. However, not all records are written in ways that are helpful for children or staff. A risk plan for one child, who has recently moved on from the home, was not accessible during the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager’s review of the quality of care report had not been submitted to Ofsted since the last inspection, and progress in this area could not be monitored. The requirement made at the last inspection in relation to this will be reviewed at the next inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2024 Full Good 05/03/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/08/2022 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 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 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

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality-of-care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality-of-care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the report is sent to the regulator within 28 days of completion.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 December

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect; 31 January 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 7 provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need on order to live their comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home is decorated and furnished to a high standard throughout, that all floor coverings are well maintained and free from hazards and that any damaged or worn furniture is replaced in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out —

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that behaviour management strategies support staff to respond to children’s individual behaviours effectively and do not result in unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviours in the home. 31 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff training records are kept up to date and are a comprehensive record of training completed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that electronic records are accessible. Planning should be in place to prevent loss or damage to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 8  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In addition, managers and staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be

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Recommendations

recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6d Ryeground House, 6b Ryeground Lane, Formby, Merseyside L37 7EQ

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Inspectors

Caroline Bertram, Regulatory Inspection Manager Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC064663 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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