Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 1 SC065789

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Good Foundations Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a children’s home for up to three young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home is owned and operated by a private company.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 21 and 22 November 2017. The inspection found that the arrangements for safeguarding children were inadequate. The registered manager and staff were not fully aware of their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting young people and effective action was not always taken when there was serious concern about a young person’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

On 14 December 2017, Elaine Allison, a social care regulatory inspector, completed an unannounced monitoring visit. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the home regarding a compliance notice issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. This related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard. At this visit, the inspector found that the provider had taken steps to improve staff responses to all safeguarding concerns. For example, all staff have attended in-house training on how to respond to safeguarding concerns and the steps to take thereafter. There is evidence that new systems have been introduced so that decision-making processes relating to safeguarding are clearly recorded. This further supports the health and safety of young people as staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to concerns. A social work manager confirmed, ‘I have

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This monitoring visit

faith in the organisation as a whole and have no doubt that the young people are safer since your last inspection. They have put in more robust risk assessments and I feel that they are working.’

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This monitoring visit

Young people’s risk assessment documents have been reviewed and improved to ensure that young people’s needs are clearly identified and that strategies are put in Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 2 place to manage these in line with the local authority care plan. This further supports the health and safety of young people. As a result of these changes, young people’s welfare is promoted more effectively and staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to concerns.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now been trained in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This means that staff are now equipped to meet the individual needs of the young people living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

No further enforcement action is planned. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these improvements are being embedded to improve the quality of care provided.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/11/2017 Full Inadequate 06/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Outstanding 14/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 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, 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and that they use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; and help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)) 08/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7(1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that young people feel listened to in respect of meeting the clothing requirements for education placements and that planned, agreed holidays with young people take place. 08/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their education potential and are helped to do so. 08/01/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non- attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(iv)(viii)(ix)) 10: The health and well-being standard

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Requirement Due date

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 that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children receive health assessments without delay. 08/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, and to have 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 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, 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 08/01/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 5 child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust, understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that young people are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(iii)((vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)) 12: The protection of children standard

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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 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act on signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

ensure 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. Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 08/01/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 6 In particular, ensure that all identified risks and the strategies to reduce those risks are recorded effectively in each child’s relevant plans. Ensure that this is done in a manner that enables staff to follow them in the delivery of care.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are familiar with and follow the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that care is delivered in a manner which takes into account the risks identified in relevant plans, and that measures identified to reduce those risks are implemented and delivered by staff so that those receiving care are safe and protected. 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 fulfil their 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and that delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 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 provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 08/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 08/01/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 7 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs or if the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments are thorough and undertaken prior to a young person coming to live in the home. Ensure that all care planning documents and agreed. 36: Children’s case records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 08/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 08/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 8

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065789 9 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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