Children's Home run by St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 1 SC063550

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St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who cannot live with their families. The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2012. Young people were spoken to as part of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 26 and 27 November 2019, the inspector found serious shortfalls in safeguarding practice and in the leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under section 22 of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to Regulation 12 and Regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

On 14 January 2020, a monitoring visit was undertaken by Catherine Fargin and Marina Tully, social care regulatory inspectors. The inspectors considered the action taken by the provider to meet the steps under compliance notice 12.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors found that the registered manager had made some progress in terms of ensuring that the children’s risk assessments are up to date, including strategies to help staff counteract the risks. There was also evidence of some good direct work with children that shows staff are helping children to understand how to keep safe.

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This monitoring visit

A training day has taken place with staff that gave focus to risk assessments and safeguarding scenarios. However, deficits were found by the inspectors in that staff are not taking all necessary steps to safeguard children, particularly around episodes of going missing and child sexual exploitation. The inspectors therefore lack confidence that the staff are fully aware and understand their roles and responsibilities in the protection of children. A further compliance notice under Regulation 12 has been issued. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 2 The inspectors considered the action taken by the registered manager to meet the steps under compliance notice 13.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors found that the registered manager has taken some steps to address the day-to-day management in the home. However, the inspectors found there are still gaps in terms of how she monitors and analyses practice in the home to understand the impact that the care is having on each child and their outcomes, for example the manager did not consider as part of any evaluation the impact on other children when one child was assaulted.

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This monitoring visit

A further compliance notice under Regulation 13 has been issued and will be monitored further through the inspection process.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/11/2019 Full Inadequate 11/07/2018 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 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

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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(b)) 20/03/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

that staff— 20/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 4 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 understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

that the homes day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(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

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(h)) * 20/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 20/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 5 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 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—

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)) The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

(a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b)) 20/03/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 20/03/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 6 there is any other serious incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(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

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children & Young People’s Services, Atlas House, 2 Corporation Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA9 1LD

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, social care inspector Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC063550 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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