Children's home run by PIC Children’s Services in St. Helens

Assurance visit report: SC022444 1 SC022444

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is one of several owned by a private company. The home provides care and support for one child or young person. The home provides care and support for children and young people who can no longer live at home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Children were spoken to as part of this visit.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 3 September 2019

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

p.1

Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

p.1

Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: SC022444 2

p.1

Findings from the visit

We identified no serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

p.2

The care of children

One child lives at this children’s home. He recently moved into the home and he is building relationships with staff. Staff understand the child’s plans. However, they do not always follow these plans. For example, the child’s health plan includes an action for staff to complete a referral for smoking cessation. This referral has not been actioned. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

p.2

The care of children

The child told the inspector that he likes the staff. He said that the staff had taken him and his girlfriend on a trip to Blackpool. He showed the inspector the photographs from the visit. However, the staff need to continue to offer and encourage the child to engage in a variety of recreational experiences. A recommendation has been made to address this.

p.2

The care of children

Staff support the child to keep in touch with his parents and friends. The child’s parents visit the child at the home. Staff also support the child to have contact with his girlfriend. Staff invite his girlfriend for tea. This ensures that the child maintains relationships with his family and people who are important to him.

p.2

The care of children

The child has lived at the home for a short time, and the staff are getting to know his wishes and feelings. Staff encourage the child to talk to them and have completed direct work on positive relationships with the child. The child engaged with the session, and staff helped him to understand his relationships with important people in his life.

p.2

The care of children

Staff understand the child’s emotional and mental health needs. Staff ensure that specialist support is available for the child. For example, the child currently engages with a drug and alcohol worker. The worker is positive about the staff’s communication with him. He described staff as proactive and said that they share relevant information with him.

p.2

The care of children

The child attends school. This is currently part time. The manager identified a member of staff to take responsibility for the child’s education plan. This means that this member of staff is regularly communicating with the child’s school. This ensures consistency for the child.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff understand the risks to the child. Risk assessments identify the child’s risks and include all known risks and strategies for staff to follow to manage risk. However, some information is missing from the risk assessment. This is specifically in relation to smoking. The risk assessment does not include a recent incident when smoking Assurance visit report: SC022444 3 paraphernalia was found in the child’s bedroom. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

p.2

The safety of children

Missing from home incidents have decreased. There is a clear plan for staff to follow if the child does go missing from the home. Staff follow these plans. This ensures that the child is safe and that there is a consistent response from staff.

p.3

The safety of children

The staff help the child to understand how to keep safe. The staff talk to the child about the risks associated with going missing from home and the effects of substance misuse.

p.3

The safety of children

Sanctions do not always demonstrate that the child is helped to understand his behaviour and how he can be supported to make appropriate changes. The manager reviews sanctions but he does not always evaluate the effectiveness of measures used. A recommendation has been made to improve this area.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager is experienced and suitably qualified. He manages another single- occupancy home within the organisation.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager reviews the child’s plans. However, the manager’s monitoring and review systems need to be strengthened so that he can identify and respond to shortfalls in relation to staff practice and in the quality of care provided in the home. A requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager and staff have maintained positive relationships with external agencies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, a worker from the young people’s drug and alcohol team has remained involved with the child. This benefits the child because the worker focuses the sessions on current and individual issues for the child.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff said that the manager is supportive and that they receive frequent supervision. Staff said that supervision is helpful and covers a variety of issues including their own development. Staff said that they have completed online training throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. They said that this has supported them in their roles.

p.3

Leaders and managers

On some occasions, staff from other children’s homes within the organisation work at the home. Some staff are concerned that this could have an impact on the child’s progress. In July and August 2020, five different members of staff worked at the home. Therefore, the child does not always receive care from a consistent staff team. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager has addressed some of the requirements from the last inspection, although some shortfalls remain. The manager knows the gaps and identified areas for improvement. Assurance visit report: SC022444 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 27/11/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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)(e)(f)) 27/11/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 27/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC022444 5 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(c))

p.4

Recommendations

 Children’s homes staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home’s plan for their care. Each child’s talents and interests should be understood and nurtured, with children selecting activities based on their personal preferences and abilities, so far as is reasonable. Staff should also support children to try activities that are ‘new’ for them, where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)  Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanction used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour

p.5

Recommendations

and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 3.8)

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 0TW

p.5

Inspector

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC022444 6 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6