Children's Home run by Liverpool City Council in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 1 SC035969 Registered provider: Liverpool City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides short breaks for up to seven children with physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were staying overnight at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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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: SC035969 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2024 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 14/03/2022 Full Good 05/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff know each other well. Staff support children with kindness and compassion. The manager and staff consistently listen to children and act on their wishes and views. There is an emphasis on using each child’s preferred communication method, which may be Makaton, symbols or verbal prompts. This means that children can contribute to day-to-day decisions about their care. During their stay, children can choose their meals and activities, and they are supported to understand key information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with opportunities that expand their life experiences. They support children to experience a wide range of stimulating and age-appropriate activities to meet their sensory needs and their hobbies and interests, such as going shopping, having meals out, and going on trips to parks, the cinema, the seaside and the zoo. This means that children can access experiences that they may not otherwise be able to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s individual health needs. Specific health plans are created when necessary to provide information and strategies that enable staff to respond to significant health needs, such as anaphylaxis and epilepsy. Leaders and managers work with health professionals, such as the epilepsy nurse and the community nurse, to ensure that external support is available when needed for individual children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are committed to working together with parents, placing authorities, specialist health advisers and schools. They attend meetings and children’s review meetings. These positive and effective working relationships ensure that children receive consistent care and a wraparound approach to supporting their progress in line with their individual targets and goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Robust planning is carried out to help and prepare children who are new to staying at the home. Children are made to feel welcome in the home, which is achieved with clear planning and considering the children’s individual circumstances. This means that there is a child-centred approach to deciding if the home and staff team can meet the child’s needs before they commence their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a children’s guide that is designed to help them and their families understand what to expect from the home and to provide information about the home. However, the format of the guide does not meet children’s communication needs and abilities.

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

There have been no allegations, disclosures or safeguarding concerns since the last inspection. Staff spoken to were able to explain the process they would follow should a concern arise. Staff are also suitably trained in safeguarding. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 4 Plans and risk assessments are clear and comprehensive documents that are tailored to the specific needs of each child. They provide staff with all necessary information to provide consistent care and support for children.

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

Physical intervention is used minimally. When it is necessary, it is reasonable, proportionate and used for the minimum length of time needed. Following any incidents, staff have the opportunity to talk about the incident, and children are supported during and after the incident.

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

Suitable action has been taken in response to the requirement raised at the previous inspection relating to mechanical restraints.

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

Staff respond appropriately to incidents of self-injurious behaviour. They support children in line with their individual plans and offer medical support when needed. Records are kept of each incident, which include all the necessary information. However, due to being handwritten, these documents are not always legible.

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

There are systems in place for the safer recruitment of staff. However, these systems are not always effective. One recruitment record viewed did not have a reference from the staff member’s most recent employer, and the reason for their departure was not explored. This means that the employer cannot be satisfied that the staff member is safe to work with children.

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

There are suitable arrangements in place for the management and monitoring of health and safety in the home. Leaders and managers respond quickly to issues with the environment and ensure that these are repaired or resolved swiftly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and is supported by a deputy manager. Staff describe the management team as ‘supportive’ and say that the managers are always available for advice and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use internal and external monitoring of the home effectively and have an ambitious vision of the development they want to achieve, alongside an understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. This enables them to take effective action when required. However, the quality of care review does not capture an evaluation of the care provided and does not identify actions to improve or maintain the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and reliable team of staff team who know the children well and are suitably qualified and trained in relevant subjects to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision. Supervision sessions are also used as a supportive tool and a development opportunity for staff. In addition to this, team meetings are well attended, and staff understand the value of these meetings. They are Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 5 used for the team to meet and share information and updates about children who use the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service is held in high regard by families, social workers and other professionals. They all say that the care and support provided at the home are child focused and that there are excellent levels of communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff ensure that the home environment is safe and secure for children. The home is warm and welcoming with photos of the children throughout. Sensory equipment is available in communal areas of the home, such as the soft-play and light room, which helps to meet some children’s sensory needs and provides children with a comfortable place to relax and unwind. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 7 April 2025

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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

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document; 7 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 7 ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

the children’s guide. (Regulation 7 (2)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(d)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that the children’s guide is accessible to children in their preferred communication method.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (5)) 7 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful and clear recording, ensuring that handwritten records are legible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 8

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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: SC035969 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Liverpool City Council, Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool L3 1AH

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035969 10 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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