Children's Home run by Frances House Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403462 1 SC403462

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Frances House Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to five children with emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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This monitoring visit

Some serious shortfalls were found in safeguarding practice and in leadership and management during a full inspection undertaken on 10 to 11 December 2019. As a result, the home was judged as inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

On 17 December 2019, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. The notices were in relation to: regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the action taken by the provider to comply with these notices.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s individual risk assessments now accurately reflect their needs and vulnerabilities. Additionally, the risk assessments provide the staff with clear strategies to help them to manage risk and safeguard the children. For example, the staff are now undertaking regular checks on the children’s mobile phones.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, the staff understand each child’s risk assessments and their consistent practice is increasing the children’s safety. For example, the staff now undertake regular welfare checks on the children when they are socialising with their friends in the community.

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This monitoring visit

The children are being supported to develop a greater understanding of potential risks and learn how to keep themselves safe. Regular direct work with the children on safer internet use is helping them to understand the potential dangers of social media. Additionally, children who misuse substances have been linked in with Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403462 2 specialist services to ensure that they are receiving the expert support and guidance that they need.

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This monitoring visit

A home improvement plan is progressing well. This has included replacing all fire doors on the first floor and fitting safety restrictors on the children’s bedroom windows. These measures have removed potential hazards in the home and enhanced the children’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

Improved monitoring systems have increased the registered manager’s understanding of the quality of care provided in the home. For example, improved monitoring of the children’s direct work sessions, health and safety checks and serious incidents is enhancing the children’s welfare and safety.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken steps to increase the number of suitably qualified staff working in the home. Two staff are on target to obtain the relevant qualification by the end of March 2020. Furthermore, the manager intends to enrol the newly appointed staff onto the relevant course prior to them completing their probation period.

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This monitoring visit

Additionally, the registered manager has provided the staff with further safeguarding training to ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to recognise signs of danger and keep the children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, the provider has taken sufficient action to satisfactorily address the two compliance notices. No further enforcement action is planned. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these improvements have been embedded and sustained.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2019 Full Inadequate 17/04/2018 Full Good 20/09/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403462 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

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

In particular, challenge the local authority when they fail to arrange return home interviews. 26/01/2020

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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 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)) 26/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children—

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Requirement Due date

if the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24(1)(b)) 26/01/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403462 4 environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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: 73 Albert Road, Colne, Lancashire BB8 0BP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pamela Forrester

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Inspector

Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC403462 5 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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