Children's Home run by Crossway Services Limited in St Helens

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 1 SC063498

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Registered provider: Crossway Services 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 owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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Inspection date: 2 January 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 2 January 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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 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: SC063498 2

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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

A child moved out of the home in January 2024 and no children have lived in the home since then.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager has completed a qualification relevant to her role and registered with Ofsted in November 2024. The manager is also responsible for another home within the organisation.

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Findings from the inspection

Improvements have been made to the environment. The home has been decorated and recarpeted throughout.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a plan for a child to move into the home. The manager has gathered relevant information from professionals. She has completed an assessment of the child’s needs, considering how these can be met by the staff team. There is a plan in place for the registered manager and staff to visit the child and for the child to visit the home prior to their moving-in date.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager now has systems in place to ensure that the child’s views are captured. New staff spoke confidently about promoting the child’s involvement in the day-to-day running of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager has recruited a new staff team. Staff spoken to describe a supportive environment. They have regular supervision and say that their views are valued by the registered manager.

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Findings from the inspection

The staff have undertaken a range of training. They have recently completed further training, specific to the individual needs of the child who intends to move into this home.

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Findings from the inspection

Safe recruitment procedures are in place for new staff, to ensure that children are protected from unsuitable adults being employed to work in the home. However, the registered manager does not have access to all necessary information regarding staff working within the organisation.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has continued to have monthly visits from a newly appointed independent person. The reports now cover details required by regulation and have been sent to the regulator within timescales.

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Findings from the inspection

During the visit it was identified that internal fire doors did not close correctly. The registered manager has raised this with the organisation’s health and safety department to ensure that it is rectified swiftly. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 3 The remaining requirements raised at the full inspection were not looked at during this visit. Therefore, they remain requirements until the home’s next inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/12/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s records are regularly reviewed and updated, that they reflect all known risks and that staff are provided with clear and specific guidance to support children’s risks. The registered person must ensure that the internal fire doors close automatically. 28 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is effective oversight of practice, the work being undertaken with children and the recording of this work in children’s records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 28 February 2025

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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 the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 28 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 7 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any psychological interventions provided to children are reflected in the children’s plans and that this is used to guide staff practice in the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 28 February 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crossway Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063498 9 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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Inspector

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