Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 1 SC022442

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PIC Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit 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 by a private company. The home is registered to care for one child or young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There is currently no registered manager for this home.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 7 December 2018. 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 children. When there is serious concern about a child’s welfare, effective action is not always taken. Furthermore, the registered manager failed to demonstrate that she was leading and managing the home in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in the statement of purpose and which ensures that the care being delivered meets the needs and promotes the welfare of those accommodated at the home.

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This monitoring visit

On 29 January 2019 and 19 March 2019, a social care regulatory inspector completed unannounced monitoring visits to the home. The purpose was to assess the progress made by the home regarding compliance notices issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. This related to Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, Regulation 13 the leadership and management standard and Regulation 14, the care planning standard. it was not possible to establish at either visit whether the steps set out in the notices had been embedded into practice. This was because no children have been accommodated at the home since the full inspection on 7 December 2018. Furthermore, during the course of the monitoring visits, it was found that the independent person’s visits had not been undertaken in line with regulation and a further compliance notice under regulation 44 was issued.

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This monitoring visit

A further inspection was completed on 9 May 2019. It had remained the case that Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 2 no child had been resident at the home since the full inspection on 7 December 2018. During this inspection, it was found that the provider had taken sufficient steps to improve staff responses to safeguarding concerns. Notably, team meetings have taken place and within the meetings, staff’s roles and responsibilities with regards to safeguarding practices were re-enforced. The interim manager and new operations manager used these meetings as an opportunity to highlight areas that required improvement in relation to safeguarding, risk assessments and the recording of care planning documentation. The staff have undertaken training in safeguarding and managing self-harm. Furthermore, managers and leaders have completed advanced training in safeguarding. This step in the compliance notice has

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers were required to ensure that all the children’s risk assessments were reviewed. This review has happened, amendments have been made and a new risk assessment format has been created. This assessment now focuses on current and emerging risks for children. This further supports the health and safety of children as the staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to concerns. This step in the compliance notice has been met and overall the compliance notice has been met.

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This monitoring visit

New care planning documents have been implemented. These plans clearly identify short-term goals and are formatted to enable progress and outcomes to be measured. Furthermore, the new format ensures that care plans are updated after any significant incident, or a ‘child looked after’ review. A staff member commented, ‘The new care plans and new risk assessments are much clearer and easier to understand.’ This step in the compliance notice has been met and overall the compliance notice has been met.

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This monitoring visit

There is currently no registered manager for this home. The home is being managed by an experienced and qualified interim manager, who is in the process of applying to Ofsted to become the registered manager. An experienced operations manager assists her. The interim manager has introduced a management checklist, which enables her to routinely monitor, evaluate and analyse the work undertaken by the staff. Daily, weekly and monthly monitoring takes place and has helped her to identify weaknesses and to take remedial action. As a result, the quality of the records and practice has improved since the previous inspection. Overall, the compliance notice has been met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has now appointed a new independent person, who has visited the home once each month for the past two months. The reports produced by the independent person are thorough and clearly identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, copies of the reports are now received by HMCI in a timely manner. The compliance notice has been met.

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This monitoring visit

Progress towards meeting the requirements made at the full inspection in December 2018 was not examined during this monitoring visit. These requirements are Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 3 therefore repeated below.

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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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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2019 Interim Not judged 06/12/2018 Full Inadequate 07/11/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 4

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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 health and well-being standard is that the health and well-being need 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to— 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)) 27/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revision and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. The registered person must ensure that the home is always conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b)(5)) 27/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(c)) 27/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 27/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that, within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 27/05/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 5 a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered

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Requirement Due date

person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)) In particular, ensure that the records include a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rotas worked, and a record of any persons who work at any time at the home. 27/05/2019

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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)) 27/05/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 6

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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: SC022442 7

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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

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022442 8 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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