Children's home run by Independent Living Services (North West) Limited in St. Helens

Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 1 SC431192 Registered provider: Independent Living Services (North West) 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 home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living in 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

Dates of last inspection: 8 and 9 October 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: The children’s home was judged inadequate following the inspection on 8 October 2024, due to serious concerns about the care and protection of children. Two compliance notices were issued under Regulations 12 and 13. During the monitoring visit on 4 December 2024, the inspector found that the provider had taken appropriate action to meet the requirements of these notices, which were successfully addressed. Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Inadequate 03/07/2024 Full Inadequate 26/06/2023 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A new responsible individual has been appointed, and while there is no registered manager, an experienced manager has been appointed and applied for registration. Staff and children are positive about the improvements made by the new manager and responsible individual.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s unique needs. Personalised care plans address the children’s social and emotional requirements. By following these plans, staff ensure that children are flourishing, feel listened to, and experience a sense of safety and security in their home environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a large, warm and welcoming home environment. The home is decorated to a good standard, and the children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their individuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and emotional needs are prioritised. Staff support children to attend routine health appointments and specialist appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has returned to education and is making good progress. Staff continue to advocate actively for the other child to make positive choices in terms of their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff capture the children’s views during key-work sessions and direct work. Children are supported to try new activities. This means they undertake individual activities they have specifically chosen, such as boxing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support and promote activities such as art and music, allowing children to communicate their thoughts and feelings in various forms of self-expression.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of family and friendships in the children’s lives. They encourage and facilitate opportunities for the children to spend time with their family members and friends, both at home and away. A family member said that communication is frequent, and they are kept well informed about the child’s life. Children are supported to maintain their identity and stay connected to the people who matter most to them.

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

The known risks for both children have been greatly reduced since they moved into the home. There have been very few incidents of the children going missing from home. When children have been reported as missing from home, staff follow the agreed missing-from-home protocol. This means that there is a quick and coordinated response from all professionals to keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 4 Staff support children to stay safe online. Staff monitor children’s use of social media effectively. Children have regular opportunities to talk to staff about staying safe and healthy relationships. This raises children’s awareness of risks.

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

Due to the positive relationships that staff and the management team have built with the children, they are able to successfully de-escalate incidents effectively by using praise before it is necessary to physically hold a child to keep them safe. This helps the children to manage their feelings and emotions.

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

Staff tailor activities to promote children’s sense of independence, and they work with children in a compassionate way to enable them to reach goals at their own pace. For both children living in the home, they have been able to engage in social and physical activities over time. This sense of independence and responsibility for their own behaviours has resulted in the removal of a deprivation of liberty order for one child.

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

Staff offer carefully planned support when children transition into or out of the home. Older children are supported to develop key skills for independence. As a result, children have positive and smooth experiences during these transitions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new leadership team has effective oversight of children’s plans, assessments and records. There are systems for monitoring and auditing in place. These are being used effectively to identify and address issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual are child-focused and ensure that children receive a model of care that meets their individual needs. The result of this is that the children can name several staff members who they can talk to for support and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team recognises the importance of staff needing to feel valued, trusted and listened to. This means that staff are happy in their roles, which enables them to provide good-quality care to the children. One member of staff commented that she had planned to terminate her employment but has now retracted this due to the improvements made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the home. Supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. Furthermore, the induction process has now been developed and is comprehensive, and staff benefit from the consistent support from managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is skilled at handling and managing complaints effectively. They make appropriate use of the local authority designated officer process and maintain clear and consistent communication with relevant agencies to ensure that issues are addressed promptly and effectively. Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 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: SC431192 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Independent Living Services (North West) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4 Ena Works, Volunteer Street, St. Helens, Merseyside WA10 2AY

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Inspector

Mathew Morris-Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC431192 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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