Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 1 SC432741

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Hopscotch Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

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 8 October 2019. The inspection found that there was a lack of effective action taken by the manager in response to safeguarding concerns. Furthermore, shortfalls were found in care planning and the overall monitoring undertaken by the managers.

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This monitoring visit

On 25 November 2019, Elaine Allison, social care regulatory inspector, conducted an unannounced monitoring visit. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the home regarding meeting the three compliance notices issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These relate to: regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. At this visit, the inspector found that the provider had taken steps to improve staff responses to safeguarding concerns. Furthermore, sufficient measures were in place to ensure that the ongoing care planning needs of the children and the overall monitoring by managers have improved.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, steps have been taken to improve the staff’s responses to safeguarding issues. For example, new systems have been introduced so that decision-making processes relating to safeguarding are clearly recorded. Furthermore, the managers have tested staff’s knowledge of safeguarding in individual supervision sessions and in team meetings. Because of these changes, children’s welfare is promoted more effectively, and staff are better equipped to Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 2 recognise and respond to concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessment documents have been reviewed and improved to ensure that children’s needs are clearly identified, and strategies are put in place to manage these in line with the local authority care plan. This further supports the health and safety of children as staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Care planning documentation has improved significantly. Placement plans now clearly identify strategies to reduce the risks and meet the needs of children identified in the local authority care plans. The home has not admitted any child since the last inspection. However, impact risk assessments have been improved to ensure that the service can meet the needs of any child before they come to live at the home.

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This monitoring visit

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 enabled the manager to identify weaknesses and to take remedial action. As a result, the quality of the records and practice has improved since the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s environment is now adequately maintained. This ensures that children live in a warm, nurturing environment, which helps to raise their self-esteem. By taking the initiative, staff can model good approaches to maintaining comfortable personal space.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2019 Full Inadequate 08/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/08/2017 Full Outstanding 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 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 education 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 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 staff 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iv)(viii)(ix)) 21/11/2019

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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 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and that staff are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(vii)(d)) 21/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in 21/11/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 5 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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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;

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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 arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority, and that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)) *

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments are thorough and undertaken prior to a child coming to live in the home. Ensure that all care planning documents and agreed local authority plans are adhered to by managers and staff. 21/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the 21/11/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 6 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 at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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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.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

and a description of any injury to the child or any other person and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 21/11/2019 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 7 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’) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

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Requirement Due date

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)) Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 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. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 9

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Inspector

Elaine Allison, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC432741 10 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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