Children's home run by My Life - My Choice Ltd in Hyndburn

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC489038 1 SC489038

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate up to eight children, irrespective of gender, aged five to 17, on a short-break basis. The home specialises in the care of children who present with learning disabilities. It is operated by a private organisation.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place after safeguarding concerns for children at this setting were shared with Ofsted. The purpose of the visit was to ensure that children were being kept safe while in the care of this short-break provision.

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This monitoring visit

On 12 April 2017, a six-year-old child with severe learning disabilities went missing while in the care of staff from the short-break provision. The child had made her own way from a sports centre to a local supermarket. It is unknown how long she was missing for, as staff had failed to notice her absence. The child walked along streets, crossed roads and accessed a car park to enter the store. The route is a 10- minute walk away, but for a small child could be longer.

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This monitoring visit

The parent of the child who had gone missing spoke to the inspector during the monitoring visit. She described her despair and shock that her daughter had been missing. She said that she was unclear about what had happened to her daughter during the period that she was missing, and because her daughter is unable to talk she would never be able to tell her. She also explained that she had trusted the staff but now this trust had been broken. She explained that she needs a respite service so badly, she was unclear what she was going to do now for support.

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This monitoring visit

Managers of the short-break provision had hired a sports hall at a local leisure centre. The care staff using the sports hall had minimal experience. None of these staff were qualified with a level 3 NVQ for children and young people. In addition, some staff at the centre were agency staff and were unfamiliar with the client group.

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This monitoring visit

The senior member of staff at the centre left the sports hall after lunch to collect Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC489038 2 three more children from the short-break service. Upon his return, he noted that a child was missing and proceeded to ask staff to look for her around the leisure centre. When she couldn’t be found, he asked staff at the short-break service to contact the police. The police had already been alerted by a member of the public about a child in the local superstore, and they returned her to the short-break service. She was collect by her mother.

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This monitoring visit

At the request of the local authority designated officer, the registered manager completed an initial fact-finding investigation into this serious incident. The registered manager found that when the senior member of staff left the leisure centre to collect three children from the short-break service, another two regular staff members decided to leave the leisure centre to have a cigarette break together. This left seven members of staff with 12 children. As a result of the staff actions, the registered manager has dismissed the two members of staff, and the senior member of staff, who was the manager of the day shift on that day, has resigned with immediate effect.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit identified that the effectiveness of the short-break provision has declined, and that as a result children are not being adequately safeguarded. As a direct result of staff actions, a child has been placed at serious risk of harm. This fails to safeguard children and demonstrates incompetency on the part of staff to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted will conduct further inspections to ensure the safety and well-being of children who use this setting.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/06/2016 Full Good 10/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC489038 3

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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, 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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, to enable children to be protected from harm the registered person must ensure the day-to-day care is arranged and delivered through effective care planning and risk management so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (b)) 22/05/2017

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC489038 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: My Life-My Choice Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Andrea Brighouse

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Inspector

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC489038 5 to 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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