Children's home run by PIC Children’s Services in St. Helens

Inspection report children's home: SC022445 1 SC022445 Registered provider: PIC Children's Services 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

The home is one of several owned and managed by a limited company. It is registered to care for one child who has emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children's home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people‟s safety, health and education needs are not consistently met. Inspection report children's home: SC022445 2  Risks to young people are not clearly identified, understood or managed by staff. The failure of staff, including managers, to respond appropriately to potential or actual safeguarding concerns has left young people at risk.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The procedures for the recording and administration of medication are unsafe. This exposes young people to the risk of the maladministration of prescribed medication.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Internal and external monitoring of the home is ineffective because potential risks are not identified or addressed. In particular, the monitoring of the home fails to identify weaknesses in practice, such as those found at this inspection.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Care plans, risk assessments and key worker records are not detailed or reviewed effectively to address the changing needs of the young people.  Poor recording fails to provide a factual record of young people‟s care experience.  Parts of the home environment are unsafe and are dirty. This potentially affects the safety and well-being of young people.  The health and safety of young people has been compromised. This is because fire evacuations have not taken place as required within the home‟s own policies and fire risk assessments have not been updated.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The senior managers took immediate action to establish a robust management response to put right the shortfalls identified in this report.  There is some evidence of positive relationships between young people and other professional, such as social workers.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/12/2016 Full Good 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/12/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC022445 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

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

that staff help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child overcome any such barriers; maintain regular contact with each child‟s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child‟s education and training to maximise the child‟s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i) (iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff are knowledgeable about the training courses young people are attending and what the expected educational outcomes are for each young person. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard The health and well–being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being: and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child‟s relevant plans; and to understand and develop skills to promote the child‟s well-being. 31/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC022445 4 (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2) (a)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff support young people to stop using illicit substances, such as cannabis. In addition, ensure that the young person‟s health care plans and records contain accurate information about the support and guidance provided.

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults:

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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

that the staff meet each child‟s behavioural and emotional need, as set out in the child‟s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding; communicate to each child expectations about the child‟s behaviour and ensure that the child understands these expectations in accordance with the child‟s age and level of understanding; help each child to understand in a way that is appropriate according to the child‟s age and level of understanding, personal, sexual, and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(i)(i)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the young person‟s plans are structured to show that the staff effectively challenge the use of inappropriate sexualised language and language that makes reference to the taking of illegal substances. In addition, ensure that incentive plans are appropriate for the age and level of understanding of the young person to enable them to make progress. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe:

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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

that staff assess, whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and it 31/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC022445 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (2)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the young person‟s risk assessment reflects their current risks and that staff talk to the young person about how they can keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe:

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12 (2) (d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that maintenance work is reported and carried out swiftly concerning the damaged bedroom furniture, window dressings, the graffiti wall, the holes in the walls and ceilings, the frayed carpets, the leaks in the bathroom and from external waste pipes and that there is sufficient crockery available. They must also improve the cleanliness throughout the home. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to their full potential and promotes their welfare.

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provision in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) 31/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC022445 6 In particular, that the registered person ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and that there are robust internal monitoring procedures; which allow staff and managers to effectively scrutinise and analysis the quality of care, the progress of the young person, record keeping and the maintenance of the premises.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medication received into the children‟s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medication which is prescribed to the child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and no other child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(b)) In particular, ensure that prescribed controlled medicine is administered safely, especially when young people are away from the home. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must;

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children‟s‟ home; provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire; ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonable practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that fire drills are undertaken on a regular basis and the fire evacuation procedure and fire risk assessment is revised on the installation of the new window. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child, which include the information and documents in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of the entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the records, such as key worker reports, are sufficiently detailed and provide insight in the young person‟s time at the home. In addition, ensure that all risk assessments and care plans are up to date and demonstrate the actual care and support being provided to the young person. 31/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit 31/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC022445 7 (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular the independent persons opinion as to whether the children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b))

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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 the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order or improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 31/10/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The current standards of care and support provided at this home mean that the young person‟s safety, health, emotional well-being and education needs are not met. This is because the quality of the care planning is poor. The young person‟s care plan does not contain vital information about their welfare and emotional and social needs. For example, how the young person is to be supported to decrease their use of cannabis. As a result, the young person continues to smoke cannabis on a daily basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The care plan states that staff should carry out a room search if they suspect that a young person is smoking cannabis or cigarettes in their bedroom. This is not happening. Only l two room searches have been conducted since August 2016, which related to concerns about a missing knife and screwdrivers. The key worker sessions are ineffective. There is little evidence of positive engagement to change young people‟s behaviour and to educate young people about the dangers of using drugs. For example, on the day of inspection drug paraphernalia was clearly visible in a young person‟s bedroom. Staff had not removed this. In addition, the level of use poses a considerable risk to the young person, and is not being effectively managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The lack of important information to inform practice and risk management extends across young people‟s education and health needs. The young person currently in placement was expelled from his school in January 2017. He then received home tuition from school, which staff said was for „about an hour a day‟. This is not recorded in his care or education plan. Importantly, this arrangement failed to meet the statutory level of education that the young person is entitled to. There was little evidence of what action the staff or manager took challenge this. The young person has recently started a college placement. However, staff do not know the level of the course the young person is undertaking, or what qualification the young person is hoping to achieve. Staff also Inspection report children's home: SC022445 8 failed to consider possible barriers to the young person‟s successful engagement at college, such as the impact of their prior criminal background. There is little evidence of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

the steps taken to support the young person‟s education effectively or of the guidance offered to help the young person to plan for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The administration of medication is poor. Staff failed on numerous occasions to administer a controlled medication in line with the prescription. This is because the young person was spending time away from the home out and staff did not seek guidance as to whether the medication could be given later in the day. This does not support the young person‟s health and well-being. The procedure to provide medication when a young person is on contact are unsafe. This is because staff are dispensing the tablets into a weekly tablet box that does not contain the name of the medication, the dosage or when it is to be given. Managers and staff have not sought advice from a pharmacist as to how to transport medication safely. Furthermore, staff‟s practice is not supported by the homes medication policy, as it does not provide guidance on how this is to be managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Important aspects of young people‟s health needs are either not identified or, if they are, decisive action is not taken to manage these. This is because the healthcare plan, which was reviewed in June 2017, does not provide any guidance to staff about managing the young person‟s medication, or about what steps they should be taking to support young people to reduce their cannabis use, or to manage their mental health or sexual health needs. These shortfalls highlight significant gaps by staff in identifying health needs or managing known health risks that can seriously affect the young person‟s well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The young person does not engage in activities with staff. He chooses to go out with his friends. However, these relationships are not always a positive influence because of the increased risks of involvement in criminality and drug use. Staff have struggled to help the young person to develop the skills to identify and understand if a relationship is positive or potentially harmful to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

On a positive note, the young person has been supported to develop and maintain family contact. This has meant that they have kept their sense of belonging to and attachment with their families.

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

Safeguarding practice is poor and does not promote the welfare and safety of the young person. This is because they are failing to identify risk and take suitable action to reduce or eradicate the risks. For example, when the young person has returned home and has been suspected as being under the influence of drugs, staff have failed to complete the necessary checks to ensure that the young person was safe and well during the night. This has significant implications for the young person‟s safety and does not demonstrate safe practice in the home. Inspection report children's home: SC022445 9 There have been 27 incidents whereby the young person has been missing from home since March 2017. The young person regularly leaves the premises at night by climbing out of his bedroom window or bathroom window. A new window has been fitted in his bedroom to try to prevent this happening. However, there has been little initiative used

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

to work with the young person so they understand the risks they are exposing themselves to by leaving the safety of the home late at night. Staff are often unaware that the young person has left the home and there are no effective measures in place to alert the staff so they can take action to deter the young person from placing himself at risk.

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

Behaviour management plans, placement plans and risk assessments do not accurately reflect or address the current needs of the young person. Staff have not ensured that all risk assessments are reviewed and updated after incidents, such as after a serious incident which occurred in August 2017, or when new information becomes known. In addition, the young person has access to a graffiti wall in his bedroom. While the original intention was to provide a means for the young person to express himself this has not been monitored and has resulted in the young person writing highly inappropriate sexualised and derogatory language about women. Staff have not challenged the young person about this language. They have not identified seriousness of the content and wording. The failure to address this does not help the young person to develop socially aware behaviour or encourage them to take responsibility for their own actions.

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

Staff use incentive plans with the young person to attempt to encourage behaviour that is more positive. However, these are inappropriate for a young person of his age and have had little, if any, influence. These are a „tick box‟ exercise and do not provide any value to the young person. The home is in an extremely poor condition. This has declined considerably since the last inspection. A significant leak in the bathroom has seeped into the lounge, leaving the carpet soaking with water. There is now a strong, unpleasant smell in the lounge. Staff said this leak happened overnight. There is significant staining on the kitchen ceiling. A plumber arrived that day to repair the tap. However, following this, the bathroom tap was left on and this caused further flooding in the lounge. The waste pipe in the rear garden has been damaged and has been leaking for eight weeks. This has not yet been repaired. Consequently, this has left what appears to be green mould and damp on the

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

There are holes in the walls in the lounge and on the ceiling at the bottom of the staircase; some kitchen cupboard doors need attention. The carpets in the lounge and staircase are frayed and are a trip hazards. The bannister rails, skirting boards, flooring and coffee table in the lounge are sticky and dirty.

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

The young person‟s bedroom is in an extremely poor state. There is no bedroom furniture except for a broken draw unit. The walls are stained and the curtains that were removed by the young person two weeks ago have not been replaced. Therefore, the young person has no window dressings, which compromises his privacy and dignity. The floor is littered with cigarette papers, and approximately 40 to 50 cigarettes butts were Inspection report children's home: SC022445 10 found under his bed. The young person smoking in their bedroom presents as a serious fire risk. The young person‟s clothing is thrown into a corner of the room, as he does not have a wardrobe in which to put them. This is not a warm, welcoming, homely environment for the young person and the home in its current state compromises the young person‟s health, safety and well-being and is not fit for purpose.

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

The fire risk assessment has not been updated for some time and does not include information about the young person‟s means of escape, especially since the installation of the new window in the young person‟s bedroom. There have been no fire drills or evacuations carried out in the home since March 2017. This fails to ensure that staff and the young person are aware of what to do in the event of a fire and places staff and the young person at an unacceptable level of risk.

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

A senior manager for the provider took immediate action in liaison with the placing authority to relocate the young person to another home in the organisation. The responsible individual has subsequently decided to voluntarily cancel the homes registration.

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

The social worker team leader said that the decline of the service had overshadowed the positive work that he believed the staff at the home had completed with the young person. He said, that the staff had worked hard to provide the young person with stability and commended the staff for their work in helping the young person to reengage with his family. He said that missing from care continues to be an issue for the young person. However, he commented that the staff had worked in partnership with the placing authority and the carers of his friends to attempt to reduce this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is without a registered manager. The previous registered manager left the position in the middle of August 2017. An acting manager was appointed on the 1 September 2017. Day one of the inspection was the first time he had been in the home. He was not aware of the current state of the premises. However, he immediately began to take action to clean the home and to consider the shortfalls in record keeping.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has been unsuccessful in inspiring the staff or leading a culture in the home that helps the young person to aspire to full their potential or promote their welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The young person lives in a home that is poorly managed. The staff are unclear about the ethos and philosophy of the home, as described in the statement of purpose. There have been failings in management oversight and monitoring of the home to identify areas of weakness and to take decisive action to resolve these. As a result, the young person‟s progress and safety is compromised. Inspection report children's home: SC022445 11 Staff said they have regular supervision, but it is ineffective. This is because it does not focus on the young person‟s experiences, needs, plans and feedback. Supervision records do not follow the agreed agenda and the registered manager had not implemented the organisations new supervision format. Consequently, the home is unable to demonstrate how staff are supported and challenged, so they are making a difference to the young person‟s life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records do not provide an insight into the young person‟s life. For example, the records of key worker sessions are very limited in detail. They only reflect informal discussions, rather than offering a comprehensive account of the planned objectives. This means that there is limited information to measure the young person‟s progress or identify the effectiveness of the support being provided. There are various omissions within numerous records, such as the entry not being signed, dated or reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Internal and external monitoring is very poor. As a result, the quality and standard of care has fallen to an unacceptable level. The manager has not effectively reviewed the records or effectively evaluated incidents that have occurred. This means shortfalls in staff practice are not identified. Subsequently, areas for development are not clearly highlighted, and there is no meaningful development plan to address areas of concern. This means that leaders and managers are not taking action to improve the experiences, care and safety of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring by the independent person is weak. Reports by the independent visitor are not sent to Ofsted within the prescribed times frame. For example, Ofsted did not receive April‟s report until August. Their reports have not identified the numerous shortfalls found at this inspection or helped the registered manager and staff to drive forward improvements. A new independent person has been appointed and Ofsted is receiving their reports. However, they are not providing their opinion as to whether the young person is effectively safeguarded and that the conduct of the home promotes the young person‟s well-being.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the 'Social care common inspection framework', this inspection was carried out Inspection report children's home: SC022445 12 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 children's home: SC022445 13

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Children's home details

Registered provider: PIC Children's Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC022445 14 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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