Children's Home run by Lytham Care Limited in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 1 SC454035

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Lytham Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children and young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties. There has been no registered manager in the home since May 2017.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged as requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection on 11 June 2019, and to have declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 11 February 2020. Five requirements were set in relation to education, health and well-being, and leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

This urgent on-site inspection took place in response to concerns raised with Ofsted via a number of sources. This includes information from the police about safeguarding practice in the home and information sent to Ofsted by the provider. The information raised concerns in connection with the safeguarding and protection of children, inconsistent staffing and the lack of reporting of significant incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the current circumstances in regard to COVID-19 pandemic, some activities were completed prior to going on-site at the home. These included:

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This monitoring visit

 contact with the responsible individual to understand the strategies in place to keep children safe;  contact with the social workers of all children to ascertain their view of the placement;  gathering information from Merseyside police about the number of police calls out to the home, and their concerns about the lack of action taken by the provider to safeguard children; Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 2  contact with the child exploitation team and missing-from-care coordinator  scrutiny and evaluation of: – staff rosters to demonstrate that the home had sufficient staff; – copies of risk management plans and placement plans for the children. Based on the information collated off site, Ofsted remained concerned about the safety and well-being of the children living in the home, and the accuracy and integrity of the information provided by the manager of the home to Her Majesty’s

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This monitoring visit

On-site inspection activity found that managers and staff are failing to identify and effectively manage risk for children. For example, children are regularly going missing from the home and are known to be associating with people from whom they are at risk of harm. The risks that they are exposed to from these people are poorly assessed, and not fully understood or responded to by staff. No effective action has been taken to disrupt these relationships and safeguard the children.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments and risk management plans lacked significant information about known risk factors. For example, one child is known to have had suicidal thoughts. The risks associated with this have not been assessed and strategies for staff to manage this risk have not been recorded. In addition, both children are smoking in their bedrooms and staff have not followed internal plans that state that children should not have lighters in their bedrooms. This is a fire hazard and presents a risk to children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff lack an understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to the protection of children. Evidence was found that staff do not always follow children’s risk management plans. For example, one child’s risk management plan states that all her phone calls should be monitored to safeguard her. Staff reported that the child is still able to use her phone to contact people and have not taken sufficient action to prevent this. This lack of action fails to safeguard this child.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to notify HMCI of all significant events that have occurred in the home. This has not enabled the regulator to have a clear overview of the setting and ensure that child protection procedures are consistently followed.

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This monitoring visit

Children are making mixed progress with their education. One child does not attend school regularly. Although the provider recognises that the child’s attendance has declined, sufficient action has not been taken to address this. If not rectified quickly, this decline in school attendance will have a negative impact on the child’s educational attainment.

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This monitoring visit

Children told inspectors that they were not happy at the home. They said they were unhappy with the inconsistency of the staff team and felt that their wishes and views Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 3 were not responded to effectively. For example, when personal belongings became broken, their requests for replacement items were not acted upon.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors identified significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of this children’s home. There has been no manager registered with Ofsted since May 2017. This has resulted in a lack of stability and consistency for children and has significantly impacted on the quality of care. Furthermore, staff have had no clear direction and leadership, which has impacted on their ability to use a consistent team approach to caring for children.

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This monitoring visit

In the absence of a registered manager, the responsible individual is providing management cover while also covering some shifts at the home, alongside her own responsibilities of monitoring the other settings in the organisation. The responsible individual does not have the capacity to fulfil all of the additional roles and responsibilities that need to be undertaken in order to manage this children’s home effectively and there is no other management support in place.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to lead the home in a way that promotes the welfare of children. There have been significant changes within the staff team, which has had a negative impact on the children. Bank staff and staff from other homes in the organisation are being used to cover staff vacancies. This instability does not promote consistency of care or support children to form positive and trusting relationships.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing levels in the home are not always sufficient to ensure that children are cared for safely. There have been times when staff have been required to work alone. Despite the responsible individual identifying strategies for staff to follow if an incident occurs when they are lone working, staff have not followed this. This has compromised children’s safety when out in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not receiving regular supervision and therefore do not have the opportunity to routinely reflect on their practice and their learning and development needs. This does not equip staff with the support and skills that they require to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the monitoring visit, 12 requirements have been raised, of which two are subject to compliance action. Ofsted will continue to monitor the provider closely and will consider taking further action if the provider does not make the improvements that are needed to protect children from harm. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(ix)) 03/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 6 staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational 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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 7 where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 staff help each child to— 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 8 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

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; 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 9 help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)) 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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child 03/07/2020* Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 10 effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)) 03/07/2020*

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(ii)(c)) 03/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 11 ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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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(1)(a)(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 03/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff rosters. 03/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child— 03/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 12 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of Coronavirus by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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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: SC454035 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 400 Longmoor Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 9DB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pamela Constance

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, social care inspection manager Miss Sophie Thomson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC454035 14 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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