Children's Home run by Exceptional Care Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 1

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Exceptional Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that is registered for four young people who may present with a range of complex needs and functioning complications, including emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home caters for three young people in the main part of the house and one young person in the attached apartment. The manager started working at the home in October 2018, and was registered with Ofsted in March 2019.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 15 and 16 May 2019, the home was judged inadequate. Several shortfalls were identified. These included the lack of awareness and understanding of serious safeguarding matters by the registered manager and staff, notably that the registered manager and staff did not recognise, assess and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns or allegations made by a young person. The lack of robust safeguarding practice compromised young people’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

Additionally, the ineffective management of the home impacted adversely on the quality of care and support provided for young people. Two compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000 in relation to: regulation 12, the help and protection of children standard; and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

On 2 July 2019, Lisa Mulcahy, social care regulatory inspector, completed an unannounced monitoring visit. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the provider regarding the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has taken sufficient steps to improve safeguarding practice at the home. Risk assessments have been revised, and now accurately identify the Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 2 individual risks to young people and changes in risk levels. Furthermore, risk assessments provide staff with practical strategies to help them to keep young people safe. This approach ensures that risks to young people are managed consistently by the registered manager and the staff team, and means that appropriate support is in place to promote the safety of young people. Consequently, the levels of risk regarding missing from home and self-harm have reduced for one young person.

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This monitoring visit

Staff provide the young people with suitable support that is targeted according to their needs, for example in relation to reducing young people’s exposure to and the consequences of substance misuse. Regular key-work sessions, alongside accessing specialist substance misuse advice and support, have meant that young people are learning how to keep themselves safe.

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This monitoring visit

Recording, sharing of information and management oversight have improved. For example, all incident records and updates to placement plans and risk assessments are now placed in a ‘read and sign’ file for all staff to view after the manager has read, approved and signed them. A safeguarding log has been introduced to ensure that there is a comprehensive record of the action taken in response to safeguarding concerns, such as allegations being made.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff have received additional training in safeguarding, and were due to complete reporting and recording training the day after this monitoring visit. Furthermore, the registered manager has completed safer recruitment training. This range of training opportunities is helping to enhance the knowledge and skills of the registered manager and staff. Additionally, all staff have been provided with a copy of the home’s safeguarding policy to refresh their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The senior management team has taken effective action to address the shortfalls and to support the registered manager and staff to improve. Regular meetings and supervision have taken place with the staff team, management team and senior leaders of the company. This has enabled them to reflect on practice, the shortfalls identified at the last fullinspection, the action required to make the necessary improvement, and the needs of the young people. Accordingly, the registered manager and staff team feel supported and are more confident about safeguarding young people and providing a good quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

Improved monitoring systems are helping the registered manager to identify and act to address shortfalls. An action plan has been implemented and members of the senior management team have completed weekly monitoring visits and audits to monitor progress. Additionally, staff receive clear management direction and support. As a result, safeguarding practice and the quality and consistency in care have improved.

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This monitoring visit

The two compliance notices have been met. No further enforcement action is planned. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 3 improvements are being embedded into the home’s practice, and to ensure that the home’s ongoing development is sustained.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/05/2019 Full Inadequate 08/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 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 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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete the independent study; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; 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; that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 27/06/2019

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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 27/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation (1)(2)(i)(v)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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 delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a)) 27/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

Employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1))(3)(d)) 27/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must prepare and implement a policy(‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— 27/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 6 has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(1)(3)(b)) The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(b)(c)) 27/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)((c)) 27/06/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure records are kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home and actions taken by staff. In particular, support provided to young people on their return home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.31)

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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: 1247212 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malthouse Business Centre, 48 Southport Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 1QR

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1247212 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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