Children's Home run by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council in Knowsley

Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 1 SC037657 Registered provider: Knowsley Metropolitan 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 provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home and spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023 and is currently on long-term leave. The interim manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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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: SC037657 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2024 Full Good 22/08/2023 Full Good 05/04/2022 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home has been there for over three years. They are settled and making significant progress in many aspects of their life. They have developed positive relationships with staff, who are caring and nurturing in their approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prepare children well for moving on from the home. One child recently moved out of the home in a planned and supportive way. They received the appropriate support to help them settle into their new home. The child regularly speaks to staff, and this shows the positive relationship they have developed with the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good health. Staff support the child to attend all routine health appointments. They work with other professionals to ensure that the child receives the appropriate health support when needed. Staff also educate the child on health-related issues to enable the child to make positive choices about leading a healthier lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is currently not attending school. The manager is working with other professionals to look at appropriate college courses for September. The manager ensures that the child has access to a tutor for three hours per week. However, the manager has not supported the child to have a clear structure to their day and opportunities to complete both formal and informal learning. This is not supporting the child to gain confidence and be prepared for the expectation of the college in September.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from positive family time. Staff support the child to have regular time each week with their father. Though the child’s mother, sister and brother live a distance from the home, the staff transport the child so they can spend time with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly encourage the child to express their wishes and feelings through daily conversations and regular planned discussions. The child can choose their meals and activities for the week and share their views on how the home could be improved. This enables the child to participate fully in the daily life of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support the child to develop age-appropriate life skills. This includes cooking, budgeting, helping with the laundry and using public transport. This is helping the child to start developing the independence skills they will need in the future.

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

The child’s safety and welfare are at the heart of staff practice. The child says that they feel safe, and they have built trusting relationships with staff. The child knows how to raise any issues. When they have raised concerns, the manager has appropriately Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 4 addressed these. The child’s wishes and feelings are gathered regularly and are acted on, which promotes a sense of security and belonging.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities, and they take appropriate action to address them. Staff are supported to manage the child’s risks by following clear and detailed risk assessments and positive support plans, which the manager regularly keeps under review.

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

Staff support the child to take age-appropriate risks as part of the child’s development for independence. This has meant that the child has increased unsupervised time in the community. The staff are proactive in their approach to educating the child on personal and online safety.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour. They provide consistent advice, guidance and support, which help the child to make safer choices. The child benefits from the nurturing support, and they respond well to this approach. Consequences are appropriate, and staff speak to the child so that they understand why any consequences used were necessary. This helps the child to develop more positive ways to express their emotions.

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

When an allegation was raised about a staff member’s practice, the manager took swift action to address this. The staff member had been removed from duty while an investigation took place. The manager informed the local authority. However, he did not notify the regulator in the appropriate timescales to ensure full transparency.

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

The child enjoys a comfortable and relaxed living environment, and the staff have supported the child to personalise their bedroom. The manager has created a safe environment, which is clean, tidy and free from hazards, and he ensures that all health and safety checks are completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has been recently registered. He is currently covering the absence of the registered manager. He has been internally promoted, and this has provided consistency for the child. The manager is child centred, enthusiastic and caring. He is working towards his qualification in leadership and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good systems in place to ensure that he has good oversight of the day-to-day practice. The manager has completed a comprehensive review of the quality of care provided by the staff. He has ensured that he has gained the appropriate feedback to give him an overview of the strengths and areas he needs to develop. However, he has not always ensured that he has shared this with other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team in place, and many of the staff have been there for several years and work well together. Staff know the child well and provide consistency and Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 5 stability for the child. Staff are highly complimentary about the support they receive from the manager, and staff morale is high. Staff are supported in their roles by having regular supervision sessions and appraisals. These are reflective, identify any areas for future development and give them an opportunity to discuss the child’s needs and risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an in-depth training programme available to staff. This gives them the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the child. Staff said that they value this training, and it gives them confidence in their roles. However, the manager has not ensured that all staff have completed their qualification in the required timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and are an opportunity for staff to come together and share information, knowledge and skills. This helps to support consistent practice across the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager communicates regularly with external professionals and parents. This ensures that all relevant people are kept updated on the child’s progress and that any changes are known or concerns are quickly resolved. Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children are not in formal education, they are provided with an alternative planned routine and structure of learning. 18 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or 18 August 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 7 a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have completed their qualifications in the appropriate timescales.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place that allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulations at least every six months. This report should be sent to the regulator and placing authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 65, paragraph 15.3)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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 Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 8 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: SC037657 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children’s Regulatory Services, 1st Floor Nutgrove Villa, Huyton Municipal Building, c/o Postroom, Archway Road, Huyton, Merseyside L36 9YU

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Teri Hannon and Daniel Sweeney

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Inspectors

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Shauna Morley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC037657 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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