Children's home run by Nugent Care 2019 in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 1 SC371267

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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

The home is operated by a voluntary organisation and is registered for up to 36 children and young people, between the ages of seven and 19, who have a range of special educational needs and who require either a residential-only provision or residential and specialist-school provision.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager at the home, as the registered manager resigned from her post in June 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 22 January 2020. Inspectors found that there were serious shortfalls in safeguarding practice, leadership and management, and behaviour management at the home. Following the inspection, three compliance notices were issued under: Regulation 12, The protection of children; Regulation 13, Leadership and management; and Regulation 35, Behaviour management policies and procedures of Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken on 10 March 2020 to monitor the progress made on the three compliance notices issued. The inspectors found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to improve safeguarding practice, leadership and management, and behaviour management at the home. Therefore, the three compliance notices were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor the actions that the provider has taken in response to the shortfalls identified at the interim inspection and the compliance notices not being met at the last monitoring visit. This monitoring visit was an off-site visit due to COVID-19 restrictions. The provider shared a comprehensive action plan and relevant documents with Ofsted prior to the off-site Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 2 visit, and discussions took place with the responsible individual and a member of staff as part of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The managers and staff now demonstrate a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. Risk plans for children who smoke have been updated and include strategies for managing the risks, including the fire-related risks. Room-search records demonstrate that regular room checks are completed, and no lighters have been found in children’s bedrooms. Consequently, the action taken by the provider demonstrates that the risk relating to fire-setting at the home has reduced.

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This monitoring visit

Risk plans for all children have been revised, and now accurately identify their individual and changing risks. Furthermore, risk assessments provide staff with practical strategies to help them to keep children safe. This ensures that risks to children are managed consistently, and demonstrates that appropriate support is in place to promote the safety of children. However, risk plans could be strengthened further by including more detail about the dates and frequency of incidents.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have completed a survey to enable the provider to gain an understanding of the workforce’s safeguarding and risk management knowledge and skills. The results of the survey demonstrate that the majority of the staff have excellent or sufficient knowledge. However, the survey also demonstrates that 13% of the staff team need to improve their knowledge in some areas’. The provider has ensured that appropriate support is in place for the staff who did not demonstrate sufficient safeguarding and risk management knowledge. The support includes these staff undertaking additional and/or refresher safeguarding training, reading safeguarding policies and procedures, and being mentored by a colleague. This demonstrates that the provider has acted to ensure that the staff have the knowledge and skills to safeguard children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

Missing-from-home incidents for children have significantly reduced since the last monitoring visit and no missing incidents have occurred for over four weeks. Missing-from-home records demonstrate that the provider has taken effective action to manage missing incidents and reduce risks to children. Records include detailed information about the action taken when children are missing, including information about when other relevant people have been notified and the attempts to locate children and ensure that they return home safely. Furthermore, records demonstrate that missing-from-home plans are followed and robust management oversight is evident.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is unable to demonstrate that it has followed safeguarding policies and procedures in relation to allegations. There have not been any allegations made since the last monitoring visit. However, the provider has reviewed and updated its safeguarding policy in relation to allegations. The policy now includes an easy-read guide and flow chart for staff to follow if an allegation is made. The easy-read guide and flow chart make it clear that allegations are reported to the designated officer in Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 3 the local authority within one working day, and that the provider does not conduct its own investigation. This demonstrates that the provider follows its own and external policies and procedures.

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This monitoring visit

Behaviour management practice and recording have improved. Records of restrictive physical interventions for children demonstrate that these have been necessary and proportionate, and debriefs with children and staff involved in the incident have taken place in line with regulation. A small number of records still do not clearly demonstrate if children have sustained injuries, or if first aid or medical treatment was offered to them. However, plans are in place for this information to be included on the electronic record.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring and review systems at the home have been strengthened. Managers share information at daily briefings, provide weekly reports and regularly update online monitoring systems and information on staff support and performance information regularly. The improved monitoring systems enable leaders and managers to identify themes, trends and shortfalls in staff practice and records. The provider is then able to take action to ensure that children’s safety and well-being are prioritised, and outcomes are improved for them.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken sufficient action to meet the three compliance notices. No further enforcement action is planned. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these improvements are being embedded into the home’s practice, and to ensure that the home’s ongoing development is sustained.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/01/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/08/2019 Full Good 04/12/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/08/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; and regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; ensure that each child—

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and is given appropriate advocacy support; 10/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 5 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document; ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival— and ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(e)) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped

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Requirement Due date

to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual trust and respect; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of

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Requirement Due date

bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11(1)(2)(I)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(xii)(xiii)) 10/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 10/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 6 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14(1)(2)(c)) Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing— injury to any person (including the child); serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home. Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(a)(b)(2)) 10/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(1)(2)) 10/04/2020

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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— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’) and any other person present when the measure was used; Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 7 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered

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Requirement Due date

person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— has spoken to the user about the measure; has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use 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)) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (a quality of care review) at least every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— The quality of care provided to children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (the quality care review report). The registered person must supply HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review was completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated at the home. The systems referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)) 10/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 8 The registered person must notify HMCI without delay—

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Requirement Due date

if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other serious incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)) 10/04/2020

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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 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: SC371267 9

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 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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