Children's Home run by Pinnacle Care NW Ltd in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 1 Registered provider: Pinnacle Care NW Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in August 2024 and is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities and/or alcohol dependency and/or drug dependency.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see their family and the people who are close to them. The staff maintain regular communication with parents and keep them updated about their child’s progress. This helps the child to maintain their identity and continue to see people who are important to them. The child’s parent said that their child has completely turned things around thanks to the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff understand barriers to the child’s academic achievement and challenge the local authority when there are delays in identifying appropriate education. They encourage and support the child to engage in informal education as an interim measure. The child has now enrolled at a local school and is making good progress despite almost two years away from education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External professionals spoken to feel that the staff communicate well, advocate for the children and keep them informed about any issues arising and any progress made. A social worker said that they do not have any concerns with the way the home is managed and that they are ‘delighted’ with the support provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a warm and inviting environment, and staff help the child to personalise their bedroom. However, there are some areas of the home which require attention, such as a missing gate, damaged shed roof and some general decorating.

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

Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting to work at the home. These checks ensure that only suitable staff are employed to work with children in the home.

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

The child’s risk management plan and care plan are regularly reviewed by the management team. They are understood and followed by staff. This ensures that staff follow the most up-to-date plans for the child.

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

The child has a bespoke missing-from-home plan, and staff are aware of the procedures to follow if the child goes missing from the home. Missing-from-home incidents are managed consistently, which leads to a reduction in the frequency that the child goes missing. The staff collaborate with specialist agencies to ensure that they are aware of the changes in risk and trends in the area, which helps them to manage missing-from- home incidents.

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

Staff support the child with their emotional health and well-being. Staff are trained to recognise and respond to the child’s emotional needs, providing a nurturing environment that encourages open communication. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 3 Physical intervention is rare and is used as a last resort. When physical intervention is used, the manager reviews the intervention and determines if it is necessary and proportionate to safeguard children and others effectively. However, not all staff are aware of when to use physical intervention as the process lacks clarity. Two new members of staff have not received physical intervention training, which means that their response is likely to be inconsistent with good practice should they need to use physical intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led and managed by an ambitious and knowledgeable management team. There is a stable staff team and a good emphasis on the staff building positive relationships with the child. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and the expectations of them in relation to care planning and safeguarding the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff demonstrate a clear understanding of therapeutic approaches when supporting a child with complex needs and ensure that they implement these in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working with professionals is a key strength of the manager and staff team. Feedback from professionals is positive. One youth offending team professional said that the child is making really good progress from their starting point and that the staff are responsive to any safeguarding incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported in their roles by leaders and managers. They say that leaders and managers listen to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular support through team meetings. Significant changes or increases in risk are cascaded to staff effectively so that they can amend their practice to manage risk and meet the needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions and inductions are an integral part of the support system for their development. These sessions provide staff with time to reflect on their practice, discuss challenges and receive constructive feedback. However, not all staff receive supervision or probation reviews in line with the timescales outlined in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager reports significant incidents to Ofsted. However, some of these have been delayed, which limits the oversight of the regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 4

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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 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

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that any use of control or restraint is kept under review and that staff are trained and empowered to use restraint if necessary. 3 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that Ofsted is notified if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  The registered person should have systems in place so that supervision takes place in line with the timescales outlined in the statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. Any damages should be quickly repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 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: 2798687 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pinnacle Care NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair Accounting Co Ltd, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rachel Springford

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Inspector

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2798687 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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