Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 1 SC456417

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Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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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 privately run home provides care for up to four children who may have social or emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in post. The post has been vacant since 1 November 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2023 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good 24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently four children living in the home. No children have moved in or out of the home since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and have good relationships with them. The inspector observed positive interactions between staff and children. Staff speak warmly and knowledgably about the children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s needs. Staff communicate effectively with children. Staff use children’s preferred methods of communication. This helps children feel respected and valued. Staff treat children with dignity and respect. Staff encourage children to build a positive view of themselves and empower them to progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the staff team is the work it does with children to develop their independence skills. Staff ensure that plans are individualised and tailored to each child’s needs. All staff advocate in the best interests of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff carefully plan children’s moves in and out of the home. Managers and staff ensure that this is in line with children’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend educational provisions where they are making good progress. Staff are aspirational for the children, and they support them to attend education in line with their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff’s ethos is that children have the same opportunities regardless of their ability or understanding. There are clear and consistent boundaries in place, which creates an environment with minimal disagreements or conflict between the children.

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

Staff know how to protect children living in the home.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. The staff team has good relationships with all relevant safeguarding professionals.

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

Children feel safe living in the home. The children who were spoken to told the inspector that they feel safe in their home. Children said that they can identify staff members to talk to if they are worried about anything.

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

Children understand why there are boundaries in place. Clear and consistent boundaries help staff to provide a safe environment with minimal disagreements or conflict between the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 4 There have been a limited number of incidents within the home. When incidents do happen, staff manage these well. Staff complete work with children to reduce the risk of incidents reoccurring.

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

Staff do not always report serious incidents to Ofsted in line with regulation. This means that the regulator does not have the most up-to-date information in relation to the home.

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

There have been no instances of children going missing from the home. However, staff know what to do if a child does go missing.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour. Staff give children individualised incentives for positive behaviour. This has resulted in minimal incidents and allows for children to be rewarded and feel respected and valued.

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

Safer recruitment processes are robust. This means that only safe adults are recruited to work with children.

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

The home is well maintained and a safe environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is no registered manager in post. There is an interim manager who has applied to register with Ofsted. The manager has high expectations and aspirations for all children. The manager worked well with the previous registered manager to ensure an effective transition.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are clear care plans in place for children. The plans accurately reflect the children’s needs and the plans of the local authority. These plans include information from other professionals who are working with the children. The manager regularly reviews children’s care plans. This helps him to continually monitor and review children’s experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some staff have not had relevant training to meet children’s individual needs. For example, some staff have not completed training in autism spectrum disorder, adverse childhood experience and online safety. This could impact on staff having the relevant knowledge to meet children’s current needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team receives regular supervision. Records from staff supervision demonstrate that staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their practice. Staff who were spoken to told the inspector that they are supported in their roles and leaders and managers help them to develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has good oversight of the home and monitors the quality of care provided to children effectively. There are clear and effective monitoring systems Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 5 in place, the outcomes of which are shared with staff both, in supervision meetings and in team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 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 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

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b) (2)(a)(c)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff have relevant and up-to-date training in relation to all children’s identified needs. 10 February

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 10 February Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 7 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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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: SC456417 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Rose Maddocks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456417 9 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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