Marydale Lodge

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022448 1 SC022448

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Nugent Care

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This secure children’s home is operated by a voluntary organisation and is approved by the Secretary of State to restrict children’s liberty. The children’s home can accommodate up to 12 children who are aged between 10 and 17. The home provides for children accommodated under section 25 of the Children Act 1989, who are placed by local authorities. Admission of any child who is under 13 years of age requires the approval of the Secretary of State, under section 25 of the Children Act 1989. The commissioning of health services in this home is the statutory responsibility of NHS England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Education is provided on- site in dedicated facilities. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2007.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted inspected this home on 9 and 10 July 2019 and judged the service to be inadequate. Because of this inspection, Ofsted served three compliance notices on 16 July 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to review the progress made against these compliance notices relating to the protection of children, leadership and management and behaviour management records.

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This monitoring visit

Children are much safer than previously reported. A deputy manager now has delegated responsibility to ensure that information within referral documents is clarified and incorporated into children’s care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These documents are frequently discussed, reviewed and updated at handovers, briefings and weekly case management meetings. This Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022448 2 approach ensures that staff have accurate and up-to-date information that is used to meet each child’s individual needs and manage effectively their known and emerging behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities.

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This monitoring visit

Improved records mean that children’s specific needs are considered when using physical restraint. As a result, children are much safer because staff are using techniques that take account of factors such as specific health issues.

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This monitoring visit

New monitoring systems have been introduced and are being implemented effectively by all levels of management. These systems have brought about improved accountability for managers who are much clearer about their roles and responsibilities. The effectiveness of these systems is evident through improved management of admission information and significantly improved behaviour management records and practice.

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This monitoring visit

There is an improved approach to identifying and providing needs-led training. For example, in addition to autism spectrum disorder training, staff have completed training specific to the needs of children admitted since the last inspection, such as managing diabetes, epilepsy and foetal alcohol syndrome. This has enabled staff to understand and respond more effectively to each child’s needs, behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the short period of time since the full inspection, it is difficult to assess the long-term impact of these changes. However, the steps taken so far provide a strong platform upon which to improve.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2019 Full Inadequate 05/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022448 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

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, managers should ensure that the information contained within referral documents and other information presented by the placing authority is unambiguous and represented in a sensitive and factual manner. 16/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21 (a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, improve the facilities for carrying out personal searches to ensure that they strike an acceptable balance between security and the child’s right to privacy. 16/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 16/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. 16/08/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022448 4 The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Review education quality-assurance and quality-improvement processes urgently so that leaders and managers rectify weaknesses rapidly to ensure that children receive a consistently high quality of education.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that it is at least good across the whole provision, and that all lessons are well planned, engaging, and meet the needs, abilities and interests of all children, particularly the most able.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Further improve the quality of information that teaching staff have on the educational starting points of children so that they set appropriate and challenging targets for children that help them to achieve their full potential.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Improve staff development activities so that staff receive appropriate training to improve their teaching practices and behaviour management strategies.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Further develop the curriculum offer to ensure that learning programmes help children to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours that improve their life chances and help them to progress successfully to their next stages of Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022448 5 education, employment or training.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Ensure that all education and care staff have the highest expectations of what children can achieve.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

Continue to improve attendance and limit even further the amount of time that children spend away from learning.

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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 address: 99 Edge Lane, Edge Hill, Liverpool L7 2PE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Gary Thistlewood

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Inspectors

Paul Scott, social care inspector Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022448 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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