Fletcher House

Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 1 Fletcher House 1 Rose Lane, Liverpool L18 8ES Monitoring visit

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is registered to accommodate up to three families at any one time. The residential family centre is privately owned. Families access the centre at the direction of the family court and/or the local authority for the purposes of assessment. The residential family centre and the manager were registered with Ofsted in October 2019.

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Information about this residential family centre

Date of previous inspection: no previous inspections

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This monitoring visit

The residential family centre has not been inspected previously. The monitoring visit was undertaken in response to concerns notified to Ofsted about insufficient staffing at the centre.

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This monitoring visit

The residential family centre is not led and managed in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in the statement of purpose. This fails to demonstrate that the care being delivered meets the individual needs of parents and children or promotes their safety and welfare effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Three families have been placed at the centre since it opened. Two of these placements have ended within a short period due to the non-engagement of one family and the substance misuse of another. One parent and child were residing at the centre at the time of the monitoring visit. The current family should be supported on a one-to-one basis to ensure that the child is appropriately safeguarded. However, there are not sufficient staff to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. Closed-circuit television surveillance is not monitored by the staff on shift, as required by the placing authority’s care plan. The local authority plan to prevent harm to the child indicates that staff must support and observe the parent at bath time, personal care and mealtimes. However, the parent reported to the inspector that she has had to seek support from staff throughout the day and Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 2

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This monitoring visit

night when these activities take place. The registered manager confirmed that this is unacceptable safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff rotas demonstrate that staffing levels at the centre are insufficient and inconsistent. There should be at least two members of staff working at the centre at all times. However, the rotas viewed demonstrated that there is often only one member of staff on duty. The registered manager and staff stated that this is due to not having enough staff available to work at the centre. Consequently, the quality of care and safeguarding practice are compromised.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to during the monitoring visit expressed their concern about how the provider manages the centre. Staff do not feel supported by the responsible individual and one member of staff stated that the provider ‘cuts corners’ and this places children at risk. Staff have not been consulted or kept well-informed of changes and this has impacted on staff morale.

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This monitoring visit

Since the centre opened, a significant number of staff have left or been dismissed. As a result, most of the staff working at the centre are not suitably qualified or experienced, and do not have the skills required for their role. The provider has relied on the use of bank staff, agency staff and staff from the company’s leaving- care service. The registered manager, deputy manager and social worker have been requested to cover shifts of up to 15 hours and overnight, despite them usually working from 9am to 5pm. There are no recruitment files available for the majority of staff to demonstrate that they have been recruited safely in line with regulation. Furthermore, the registered manager does not know if all the staff working at the centre have the required qualifications, experience and skills for their role.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and the centre’s social worker have recently resigned from their posts. Additionally, the deputy manager resigned from her post the day after the monitoring visit. Therefore, there will only be one full-time member of staff employed at the centre. The loss of these significant members of the staff team is likely to have a further detrimental impact on the leadership and management, quality of care and safeguarding practice at the centre.

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This monitoring visit

On one occasion, an agency member of staff worked at the centre for 24 hours. She worked alone throughout the night, as there were no other staff available to work at the centre with her. Furthermore, members of waking night staff have fallen asleep during the night on at least four occasions. The provider has not managed these incidents consistently. Two members of staff were dismissed with immediate effect, with no investigation being undertaken. However, a third member of staff who had fallen asleep on two occasions was allowed to continue working at the centre. Managers did not effectively address this, and the member of staff has not been formally supervised since the centre opened. Furthermore, none of these incidents were reported to the designated officer for the local authority or Ofsted, in line with safeguarding procedures and regulations. Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 3

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This monitoring visit

Since the centre was registered, very few supervisions have taken place. There is little evidence in the few supervision records available that discussions about the needs of parents and their children, or reflective practice, have taken place. Furthermore, the registered manager has not received supervision from a person who is suitably qualified to undertake this role.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff working at the centre have not undertaken the company’s mandatory training, including safeguarding training, paediatric first aid and fire safety. Recent training sessions have been cancelled with no clear explanation as to why. This demonstrates that some staff are not suitably trained to fulfil their role safely.

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This monitoring visit

Some records requested during the monitoring visit, such as placement plans, risk assessments and referral information, could not be provided due to the centre’s electronic system not being accessible. Furthermore, the provider has not updated its statement of purpose to demonstrate the changes to the staff team. The lack of records leaves parents, children and staff vulnerable. Additionally, this hindered the monitoring visit as the inspector was unable to make comparisons between the information shared during the inspection and the records held by the centre.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the serious concerns identified, Ofsted has issued an emergency suspension notice. Ofsted will monitor compliance with the notice and review the suspension regularly. Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 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, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as ‘the statement of purpose’) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall provide a copy of the statement of purpose to the [Chief Inspector]. (‘Residential family centres regulations 2002’, regulation 4(1)(2)) 20/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as ‘the statement of purpose’) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall provide a copy of the statement of purpose to the [Chief Inspector]. (‘Residential family centres regulations 2002’, regulation 4(1)(2)) 20/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

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Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated, of any allegations of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the residential family centre; 20/04/2020 Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 5 written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given in each case to the measures which may be necessary to protect children in the residential family centre following an allegation of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

a requirement for persons working at the residential family centre to report any concerns about the welfare or safety of any child accommodated in the residential family centre to one of the following—

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Requirement Due date

(i) the registered person; (ii) a police officer; (iii) an officer of the [Chief Inspector]; (iv) an officer of the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated; or (v) an officer of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. (‘ Residential family centres regulations 2002’, regulation 12(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that there is, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose of the residential family centre, its size and the numbers and needs of its residents; and

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents,

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Requirement Due date

a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Residential family centre regulations 2002 regulation 15(a)(b)) 20/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

employ a person to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre; or

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Requirement Due date

allow a person to whom paragraph (2) applies, to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre. 20/04/2020 Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 6 For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

he is of integrity and good character; he has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for the work he is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

he is physically and mentally fit for the work he is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2. (Residential family centre regulations 2002’, regulation 16(1)(3))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (‘Residential family centres regulations 2002’, regulation 17(5)(a)) 20/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Requirement Due date

includes the information, documents and other records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the members of the family;

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Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (‘Residential family centres regulations 2002’, regulation 19(1)(a)(b)) 20/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (‘Residential family centres regulations 2002’, regulation 26(1)) 20/04/2020

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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 residential family centre 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 residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 7

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Safehands Liverpool Ltd

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 1 Rose Lane, Liverpool L18 8ES

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Residential family centre details

Responsible individual: Antonia Kinsella

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy: social care inspector Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Fletcher House 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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