Children's home run by Warrington Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 1 SC442777 Registered provider: Warrington Borough Council

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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 local authority children’s home offers short breaks for up to a maximum of three disabled children at any one time.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children staying at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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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: 27 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Outstanding 08/02/2023 Full Outstanding 27/07/2021 Full Outstanding 28/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are making excellent progress. They enjoy well-planned short breaks that enhance the quality of their lives. One parent said: ‘When I pick her up she always has a smile on her face and I know that she is happy when she’s there.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are learning skills that will increase their independence and improve their long- term outcomes. For example, staff are supporting children to make choices, communicate their feelings and to be more independent with their mobility and personal care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff understand each child’s unique methods of communication. Listening to children and actively seeking ways to amplify the voice of the child is a strength of this home. Children are empowered to voice their wishes and feelings in the knowledge that they will be heard and responded to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are cared for by a consistent and highly skilled staff team. Many staff have worked at the home for a long time, and this allows children to build lasting and trusting relationships. Parents and professionals consistently say that children look forward to staying at the home. One professional said: ‘Our children love it there – they are made to feel special and loved.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to think of others and make a visible contribution in their community. For example, children have visited a home for older people, and they also helped to deliver provisions to a food bank.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help children to understand significant events in their lives. For example, staff created a bespoke social story to help children to understand bereavement. This helped children to ask questions and to think about how they felt.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s introductions to the home are sensitively planned and done at the child’s pace. The manager gathers a wealth of information about the child to ensure that the appropriate resources are in place prior to the child’s first stay. As a result, children settle quickly into the nurturing environment. One professional said: ‘Children look forward to going. It’s like a little family, it’s a happy place.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s stays are carefully planned to ensure that the children are compatible with each other. Children are asked about who they would like to stay with. Staff respect children’s wishes, and this enhances their enjoyment of staying at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager has sourced specialist advice to ensure that the home is furnished and decorated in a way that ensures it is accessible to all children. For example, a red cabinet has been placed at the end of the corridor. This helps children with a visual impairment to identify where the corridor ends. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 4 Children benefit from specialist resources that have been carefully sourced to enhance their experience of staying at the home. For example, staff have found a specialist service to convert a child’s favourite stories into Braille. In addition, staff have received some training in Braille. This means that they can support the child to identify letters if she gets stuck.

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

Children are safe and protected from harm. They have high levels of supervision and support that is in line with their complex needs. Parents have a high level of trust and confidence in the staff team’s ability to meet their child’s needs.

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

The manager has embedded a strong safeguarding culture in the home. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. In addition, the manager has invested in specialist safeguarding disabled children training. This has equipped staff with the skills to help children to learn how tell someone when something is worrying them or if something hurts.

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

Children’s stays are carefully and sensitively planned. As a result, children are generally happy and settled during their stays. Staff have an in-depth knowledge of children’s needs and behaviours. They can identify potential triggers and interpret signs that the child may be getting upset and/or anxious. This helps staff to defuse situations quickly and safely.

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

Staff rarely need to hold a child to keep the child safe. The manager encourages staff to reflect on their practice to shape future approaches. In addition, she is committed to ensuring that the voice of the child is heard. For example, the manager has created an accessible toolkit to help children to communicate what happened and how this made them feel.

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

Children’s complex health needs are well understood by the staff team. There are comprehensive health plans in place that give staff clear instructions. These plans are supplemented with photos to help staff to set up and use the specialist equipment children need. This helps staff to respond to children’s health needs in a consistent and safe way. Robust risk management plans ensure that children’s disabilities are not a barrier to participation or social inclusion. Risks are balanced and managed to ensure children can access activities in the local area. Staff understand the risks to children and the steps they should take to minimise risks.

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

Safe recruitment practices are in place to prevent unsuitable people from working at the home. Children are encouraged to take part in interviewing new members of staff. This demonstrates to children that their views are important and influential. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by an experienced and qualified manager. She is passionate about ensuring that children fulfil their potential. The manager has a clear vision for the home. She inspires a culture that nurtures and empowers children. The staff team shares her commitment to securing the best outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children are cared for by a highly skilled and experienced staff team. Staff enjoy working at the home and as a result, staff retention is high. This provides children with continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff are committed to ensuring that children’s voices are heard, valued and acted on. The manager has created an environment that maximises opportunities for children to communicate. This enables children to make choices and have more control over decisions about their day-to-day care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme that equips them with the skills to work with disabled children. Furthermore, the manager sources specialist training that is bespoke to the children who stay at the home. For example, training in sleep hygiene has helped night staff to develop new approaches to children’s bedtime routines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has embedded a culture of continuous professional development. Staff are enthusiastic and embrace new knowledge and learning. Managers and staff research good practice and generate creative ideas to sustain high-quality care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers understand the impact that restrictions of liberty can have on children’s lived experience. The manager ensures that any restrictions are necessary to keep the child safe and are the least restrictive option. Consent for restrictions is obtained and the manager ensures that the necessity for them is kept under review. The manager also ensures that best interests discussions take place in a timely way. This helps to prepare parents for changes in their ability to consent to restrictions as the child gets older.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision that helps them to reflect on their practice. In addition, staff receive an annual appraisal of their performance. The appraisal could be strengthened by capturing and considering the views of professionals and children. A recommendation is made in relation to this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has forged close working relationships with social workers, schools and health professionals. This means that children get the support they need to meet their complex needs. Feedback from professionals is consistently positive. They spoke about the significant progress that children make at the home. One professional said: ‘It is a home away from home and the children are very settled there. The staff go above and beyond for the children. They know them inside out.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that appraisals of staff performance take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘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: SC442777 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Warrington Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Council Offices, 1 Time Square, Warrington WA1 2NT

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Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC442777 8 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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