Children's home run by Paramount Care and Safety Ltd in Fylde

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of young people since the last inspection. The inspection identified significant shortfalls in safeguarding practices and a deterioration in the management of the home, which have affected the welfare and safety of young people living in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s progress has declined. This is due to unsafe and serious risk-taking behaviour. Staff do not listen to concerns shared by young people or report allegations of child sexual exploitation at the earliest opportunity. Staff have also failed to report allegations of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home. This fails to keep young people safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s risk-taking behaviours have increased. There has been an increase in self-harming episodes, which include young people placing themselves on railway lines, using an iron to self-harm and being in the company of men who supply them with drugs and alcohol. Incidents have led to British Transport Police having to stop trains and an admission into a specialist mental health hospital. Room searches carried out in the home are random, and despite items of concern being found on the four occasions that they have taken place, no strategy has been implemented to undertake room searches more frequently. This fails to keep young people safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk management plans do not contain enough information to inform staff about how to manage incidents of self-harm or how to keep young people safe, both in the home and when they are in the community; in addition, the plans are not updated after incidents. Risk-management plans do not incorporate the recommendations from assessments about how to work with young people in order to promote their safety and well-being. Staff do not learn from incidents and they do not implement new ways of working with young people to try to prevent further occurrences. They work reactively when managing the day-to-day care of young people. Consequently, young people’s risk-taking behaviours continue.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inconsistent management oversight has a negative impact on young people’s risk management. A lack of clear and informative guidance from the management team means that staff do not know what to do in certain situations, such as when an allegation is made. Inconsistency has an adverse impact on young people’s emotional well-being and consequently risk-taking behaviours increase. Young people’s welfare has not been promoted since the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management monitoring within the home has declined. Management absence due to sickness, coupled with an increase in young people’s risk-taking behaviour, means that management oversight has not been as robust as it was at the last inspection. Arrangements in the interim have not been thought out clearly, and this has failed to promote young people’s safety and welfare. The registered manager has not reviewed or reflected on risk-taking incidents in order to find alternative ways of managing risk, and consequently keeping young people safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are in education. One child, who is 16, is due to start a new college course in September 2017. She is pleased about this. Throughout some challenging times at the home, young people’s education attendance and engagement have continued. This contributes to their educational attainment and helps them to develop relationships away from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a children’s home operated by a private company. It is currently registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person. The home cares for an individual young person with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is commissioned by one local authority to provide a service for them.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/09/2016 Full Good 27/01/2016 Full Requires improvement

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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

12: The protection of children standard This is that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. This is with particular regard to action taken following an allegation being made. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(iv)) 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard Assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; with particular regard to room searches. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)) 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)) 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

34: Policies for the protection of children Provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34 (2)(b)) 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)) 31/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Staff need the skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 40, paragraph 9.10)  Children must be listened to and enabled to report any allegations at the earliest opportunity. Staff should report any allegation of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 40, paragraph 9.15)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service 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’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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