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

Assurance visit report: SC063550 1 SC063550

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who may not be able to live with their families.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Children were spoken to as part of this visit.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 26 November 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Inadequate

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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:

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Information about this visit

 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

Assurance visit report: SC063550 2 We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

There are two children currently living at the home. Both children were spoken to at this visit. The children told inspectors that they like the staff and that they felt safe.

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The care of children

The staff support children to keep in touch with their families and people who are important to them. Staff ensure that children have been able to see their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff arrange for children’s families to spend time with them in the garden while adhering to the government restrictions in respect of COVID-19.

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The care of children

Staff understand children’s educational needs and arrange for children to attend education. Staff communicate with school to share relevant information in relation to children. This helps to ensure that children receive consistent care.

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The care of children

Staff know the children well. The inspector observed warm and nurturing relationships between children and staff. Staff ask the children to choose activities to keep them occupied. Children choose a trip to Blackpool and a drink at a local café.

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The care of children

One child celebrated her birthday during the COVID-19 restrictions. Staff were limited in what they could plan due to the restrictions in place. Staff were creative and organised a hot tub for the children to enjoy in the garden. The child told the inspector that she really enjoyed this.

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The care of children

Staff support children to remain involved with those agencies identified to support them. For example, they hold virtual meetings with the child and adolescent mental health team.

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The safety of children

Safeguarding practice in the home has improved. The staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. However, children’s risk assessments and risk management plans do not always clearly document this information.

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The safety of children

Staff identify triggers that could lead to potential safeguarding incidents. This means that staff can act upon triggers to help reduce or prevent incidents. For example, staff identified that a child’s emotional well-being is affected at particular times in the month. On some occasions, the child has consumed alcohol. Staff put plans in place to reduce the risk of this happening again.

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The safety of children

Staff educate the children about the risks associated with COVID-19. On some occasions, the children have not adhered to the government guidance. Staff use incentives to encourage children to engage. This has been effective because children are starting to adhere to the current restrictions in their local area. Assurance visit report: SC063550 3

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager is currently off work. The deputy manager is acting as the manager. She is child focused and committed to making the necessary changes in the home.

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Leaders and managers

The acting manager is supportive of the staff team. Staff are positive about her leadership and the changes that she has made. Staff say that she is approachable and that she is making improvements in the home.

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Leaders and managers

The acting manager has introduced new systems to help her effectively monitor and review practice in the home. These systems are not fully embedded because shortfalls remain. For example, the acting manager has not reviewed all children’s risk assessments. Therefore, monitoring and review systems need to be strengthened so she can improve the quality of care provided in the home.

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Leaders and managers

The managers fail to demonstrate that they carefully plan children’s admissions into the home. Compatibility assessments do not robustly assess all known risk factors in respect of children. This means that the home’s ability to meet new children’s individual needs are not suitably assessed.

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Leaders and managers

Managers have not sent the most recent statement of purpose to Ofsted as stipulated in regulation.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has addressed some of the requirements from the last inspection, although some shortfalls remain. The provider has been made aware of the areas for improvement.

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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, the 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 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 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC063550 4 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.

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Requirement Due date

(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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(h)) 31/12/2020

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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 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC063550 5 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;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

(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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)) 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC063550 6

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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 Peoples Services, Atlas House, 2 Corporation Street, St Helens Merseyside WA9 1LD

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Inspector

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC063550 7 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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Inspector

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