Children's Home run by New Foundations Care Homes Limited in St Helens

Assurance visit report: SC406636 1 SC406636

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of several operated by a private company. It is registered to accommodate up to five children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who has been registered since August 2018

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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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).

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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.

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Information about this visit

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

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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.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: SC406636 2  Serious safeguarding concerns are not consistently reported to Ofsted, and sufficient action has not been taken to protect children.  Staff do not take sufficient action to protect children when they have been at risk of child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation.  Ineffective management oversight and monitoring mean that managers cannot be assured that each child’s individual needs, risks and vulnerabilities are being considered and addressed. Children’s welfare, safety and well- being are therefore potentially compromised.  Children’s risks and the strategies for managing these risks are generic and lack clear strategies and guidance for staff to follow. This fails to ensure that staff have the right information to enable them to manage children’s risks

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Findings from the visit

safely.  Staff and managers fail to follow policies and procedures in relation to incidents of bullying. Consequently, children have not been sufficiently protected when incidents of bullying have occurred.  The requirements from the last inspection have not been met.

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The care of children

The manager and staff members spoke warmly and positively about children. However, one child expressed his frustration that sometimes staff do not listen to him or take his worries seriously or take enough action to support him when he has raised a concern. Although children reported that they are happy at the home, the identified safeguarding shortfalls mean that care to children is compromised.

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The care of children

The emotional health needs of children are not consistently prioritised. Staff do not fully understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the support options that are available, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. Consequently, there has been a delay in children receiving sufficient support to address their mental health needs.

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The care of children

Children engage in education, with regular attendance at their placements. One education provider reported that the staff at the home have continued to promote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are good communication systems in place.

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The care of children

The home is suitably decorated and provides enough room for children to have their own space, and a garden to play in. This has meant that during the COVID-19 pandemic children have been able to take part in home-based activities such as cooking, playing football and board games.

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The safety of children

There have been significant safeguarding incidents in the home requiring police involvement, resulting in the breakdown of placements for children in times of crisis. Assurance visit report: SC406636 3 During one incident, records include reference to episodes when children were out of staff control and taking risks such as consuming alcohol unchecked. On one occasion, they took the company vehicle under the influence of alcohol and later crashed the car. This placed the children and members of the public at risk of significant harm.

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The safety of children

In a further incident, an unknown group of adults attended the home and threatened to cause physical harm to a child living in the home. Throughout the incident they displayed aggressive and threatening behaviour towards the staff. Insufficient action was taken during and after this incident to protect all involved.

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The safety of children

Staff have not taken sufficient action to protect children when they have been at risk of child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation. Furthermore, risk assessments do not contain all known risks to children, and the strategies to manage risk are generic and not updated after serious incidents in the home. Therefore, risk management plans do not provide staff with clear actions and guidance to follow to minimise all known risks.

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The safety of children

Strategies for the management of self-harm are limited. Plans are not clear about how staff are to respond to incidents of self-harm or threats to commit suicide. Staff members were unable to give consistent or sufficient responses to how to manage self-harming behaviour.

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The safety of children

Bullying and incidents of bullying behaviour have not been recognised by staff and managers. Staff and managers have failed to manage relationships appropriately. Following incidents of bullying between children, managers and staff have not followed internal policies and procedure. Managers and staff lack insight into covert bullying and therefore cannot intervene to minimise the impact of bulling incidents on victims. Records show that one child, who has been a victim of bullying, paid his pocket money to the perpetrator of bullying for drugs. This was facilitated by managers at the home.

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The safety of children

As a result of these shortfalls, children have been at risk and subject to significant harm. Previous requirements in this area have not been met and, as a result, compliance notices have been issued under regulations 12 and 13.

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Leaders and managers

Leadership and management arrangements in the home fail to ensure that procedures are followed when children are at risk. The internal and external monitoring systems in place do not identify all shortfalls in practice, which means that action is not taken to improve the quality of care.

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Leaders and managers

The registered provider’s oversight of care planning and risk management is not robust. Some records relating to the care and safety of the children are insufficiently detailed. Documents lack signatures of staff to evidence that they have read and understood them. Furthermore, the manager has failed to ensure that records are Assurance visit report: SC406636 4 adequately updated with significant incidents and help staff to understand what actions to take to protect children.

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Leaders and managers

The provider does not consistently notify Ofsted of all serious incidents in the home. Leaders and managers lack understanding and insight into this regulation, despite this being a requirement at the last inspection. The regulator has been unable to monitor and evaluate responses to serious incidents and, as a result, the safety and well-being of children remain unchecked, and there is a lack of regulatory compliance.

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Leaders and managers

Reports completed by an independent visitor to the home identify significant safeguarding concerns for children. However, the lack of robust analysis and evaluation of these issues by the visitor mean that this external monitoring does not adequately assess whether children’s welfare is promoted or children are being kept safe.

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Leaders and managers

The poor leadership and management practice compromises the experiences and progress of children accommodated in this home. This has an impact on the ability of children to reach their full potential.

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Leaders and managers

Requirements made at the last inspection have not been met. These areas are now subject to compliance notices. Assurance visit report: SC406636 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 health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 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; and understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)) 18/10/20

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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— that staff— 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. 18/10/20 Assurance visit report: SC406636 6 (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) * The leadership and management standard is that the

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Requirement Due date

registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 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— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 18/10/20

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Requirement Due date

* The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay 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 incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 18/10/20

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1)(2)(4)(a)(b)(5) 18/10/20

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance visit report: SC406636 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mill Farm, Bull Bridge Lane, Liverpool L10 6LZ

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Inspectors

Jessica Forshaw, Social Care Inspector Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC406636 8 to achieve excellence in the care of children and children, 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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Inspectors

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