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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 1 SC022464 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

This privately-owned home provides care and accommodation for one young person who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2019 and is also registered to manage another single occupancy home in the local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2018 Full Good 13/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/06/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 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 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 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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments include the actions that staff need to take if an incident was to occur. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that an impact risk assessment is completed for each new referral to the home and that the young person‟s impact risk assessment considers the safer area report, to ensure that the area is safe for them. Further to this, a transition plan should show how the young person will be admitted to the home. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) 30/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 4 for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

Include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to having a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child‟s placing authority, and of the placement plan.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home‟s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Further to this, that case records are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make the best use of information through internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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improvement to be good

The young person has lived at this home for three months and he is happy and settled. While discussions were held with the placing authority prior to the placement, the manager did not make a formal assessment of the young person‟s needs to show how the home could care for him. There are no written plans in place regarding the aims of the placement and because of the lack of information, the manager was unable to use the safer area report to ensure that the local area was safe for the young person. Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 5 The young person is well supported in maintaining his cultural identity and faith. Staff listen to his views, wishes and feelings. For example, he told staff that his ambition is to be a police officer, they have helped him to find a college course in the local area that will help him pursue this and he has a place on a public sector course in September 2019.

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improvement to be good

The young person maintains a healthy lifestyle and makes daily use of his gym membership. He attends regular health check-ups and is in very good health. All staff receive regular training on administering medication and in first aid. This means that the young person can receive any medication in line with his prescription and that small accidents can be assessed and treated.

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improvement to be good

The young person‟s independence plan includes his targets and the progress that the young person is making. He routinely practices life skills such as shopping, budgeting and cooking.

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improvement to be good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated to a good standard. The young person helps to keep the home clean and tidy. He has personalised his bedroom to his personal taste.

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

The young person enjoys warm and trusting relationships with members of staff. He said that he could approach any member of staff and that they would listen, do what they could or pass on a concern to the appropriate person. He knew a range of external people whom he could contact, if necessary. This means that he could speak to someone independent if he had a concern about the home.

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

The young person is safe and well protected in the home. There have been no episodes of the him going missing from the home, no use of physical intervention and no presenting safeguarding concerns. Staff receive regular training in these areas and can demonstrate their knowledge and what action they would take if an incident were to occur.

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

Safeguarding practice at the home is good and promotes the welfare and safety of young people in placement. The staff are trained in safeguarding and understanding child sexual exploitation, e-safety and radicalisation. This means that they have the skills and knowledge to observe and identify any potential concerns.

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

The young person‟s risk assessments and behaviour management plans identify known risks to the young person‟s safety and welfare. However, these assessments do not provide staff with information on what actions to take if an incident were to occur. Currently, the young person‟s behaviour is very positive and, therefore, this shortfall is not impacting on the care that he receives, but it has the potential to do so.

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

The company follows the safer recruitment guidance. All checks are completed and verified to ensure that members of staff are suitable to work with young people. Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 6 The young person lives in a physically safe environment where good health and safety procedures protect him. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks around the home and the young person and staff regularly practise how to leave the home safely in case of a fire. All visitors must show identification and sign in and out of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a new registered manager who was approved by Ofsted in June 2019. She has previous experience of caring for young people and is currently completing her management qualification. The manager also manages another single occupancy home in the local area. The post holder manages her time effectively between the homes, maintaining good oversight and is supported in her role by an experienced deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home‟s statement of purpose reflects the aims, objectives and ethos of the home. The ethos is based on having positive regard for others. This is evident in the young person‟s and social worker‟s comments. For example, the young person said, „I have been made welcome and I am doing well.‟ The social worker said, „Given we have little information about him, the staff have listened to him and he is doing very well. He is making social networks that will help him in the future.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has recently been an overview of staffing within the company due to a recent successful recruitment drive. Therefore, the staff team was restructured to balance the experience and skills. There is sufficient staff to provide good support to the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

In general, the staff receive regular supervision, but one member of staff who has moved from another home has not received supervision since being here. Further to this, the manager does not have a workforce plan that identifies: the staffing structure; the experience and qualifications of staff currently working at the home and any further training they require; the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and core training; the process for managing poor performance; and the process and timescales for supervision. Therefore, it is unclear what the expectations are in these areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

All staff hold a suitable childcare qualification. Team meetings are regular, and staff can discuss the plans for the young person and their practice. They explore recent legislation changes, social trends or new research, such as county lines and the guidance on Working Together to Safeguard Young People. This means that staff are aware of any changes and can adapt their practice accordingly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Members of staff complete all mandatory training as part of their induction, and this is refreshed regularly. The training provides members of staff with the skills and knowledge to look after young people well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Some of the young person‟s documents are unsigned or are not dated by the author or Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 7 social worker. This does not ensure that all parties are aware of, and agree with, the plans. In addition, some recording errors have been scribbled out which makes records unclear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

External monitoring of the home has improved. A new independent visitor started visiting the home in April 2019. The visitor regularly consults with the young person and professionals to gain their views about the quality of care in the home. Constructive actions are highlighted in the reports so that the registered manager can improve and develop the home. In contrast to this, the manager‟s internal monitoring report lacks evaluation of the records and it does not identify any actions to develop the service. Therefore, there is not a critical, reflective view to help the home drive forward with improvements.

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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 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: SC022464 8

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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

Pam Nuckley, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC022464 9 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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