Children's home run by Nugent Care 2019 in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 1 SC371267

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Nugent Care 2019

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service is operated by a voluntary organisation and is registered for up to 36 children and young people, between the ages of seven and 19, who have a range of special educational needs and who require either a residential-only provision or residential and specialist-school provision. The service is operated out of eight separate houses.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager at the home, as the registered manager resigned from her post in June 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Following an escalation in safeguarding notifications, an urgent monitoring visit was undertaken on 8 July 2020. A number of safeguarding concerns were identified. Consequently, four compliance notices were issued, under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard; Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; Regulation 27, the appointment of a manager; and Regulation 35, the behaviour management standard. In addition, a notice restricting accommodation was issued, preventing the provider from accepting any new admissions.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 26 August 2020 to consider the action the provider had taken to meet the steps in the compliance notices issued. The provider was unable to demonstrate that sufficient action had been taken to meet the steps contained within the notice. The four compliance notices were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 30 September 2020 to consider the action the provider had taken to meet the compliance notices issued, and to ensure that the provider had complied with the restriction notice. The provider had complied with the restriction order and there are 19 children living in the homes. The provider had served notice on three further children, having identified that it was unable to meet the children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 2 During this visit, inspectors identified further shortfalls in relation to safeguarding, risk management and care planning, and concerns about the ability of leaders and managers to safeguard and promote children’s well-being. The provider was unable to demonstrate that the action it had taken was sufficient to safeguard some of the children living in the homes. Therefore, compliance notices are issued to address the

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This monitoring visit

breaches in regulations as well as an urgent variation on the conditions of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff have demonstrated a lack of understanding in relation to their roles and responsibilities in protecting children, and have not always taken effective action when there is a concern about children’s welfare. Examples include an occasion when a child had accessed the school roof, and a significant police presence, including trained police negotiators, was required to manage the incident and ensure the safety of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff fail to recognise, minimise or prevent the risks to children’s safety and well-being. The home’s arrangements for protecting children from harm are not effective. Not all risk assessments have been updated and they do not always include all of the known information about children’s risk-taking behaviours, or effective strategies and guidance on how staff will manage these risks. The lack of attention to detail leaves staff unclear about how to address concerns. Furthermore, strategies identified to manage risks to children are not reviewed and evaluated by the person identified as the manager of the settings. As a result, the provider did not have a good enough understanding of the quality of care being provided.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans lack detail and they do not give staff sufficient guidance to be able to manage the individual children or the dynamics between children to keep them safe. Staff have called the police to the home on occasions because staff have been unable to manage children’s behaviour. As a result, children are at risk of being criminalised. Calling the police to manage behaviour is part of some children’s behaviour management plans. This indicates that staff do not have the skills to safely manage the behaviours of some of the children placed.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing arrangements across the homes are not clear. It is recognised that the current COVID-19 pandemic adds complication to this situation. However, there is an over-reliance on agency staff, who are not provided with opportunities to understand the needs of the children before starting to care for them. In addition, rotas provided by managers do not correspond to rotas in individual homes. Management oversight has not identified that staff recorded as dealing with incidents in the home, missing- from-care incidents and physical interventions were not identified as the staff on the rota for that house. Managers have failed to ensure that rosters accurately reflect which members of staff are working in the home. There is no clear record of who has worked in the home. This is not safe and accountable practice for staff or children. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 3

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff are sufficiently trained in key areas, such as physical intervention and self-harm. This is despite staff identifying to managers that they did not have the skills to deal with all serious incidents. Staff are not able to manage children’s challenging and complex behaviour. The sufficiency of appropriately trained and skilled staff in the home is of significant concern.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors also found that behaviour management is ineffective. Behaviour management plans do not include robust strategies to assist and guide staff in the management of significant challenging and aggressive behaviours. This means that inappropriate and unacceptable behaviours are left unchecked. Therefore, not all children are provided with the tools to regulate their behaviours and make positive change.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the use of restrictive physical intervention for children is not conducted safely. For example, staff have used restraint methods that are not part of an agreed hold. This is a safety concern for all involved. Records continue to lack sufficient detail. For example, concerns identified by staff as part of a debrief have not been acted upon. As a result, safeguarding has not been prioritised. In addition, management oversight of some physical intervention records is poor. Records do not demonstrate that managers have consistently analysed and recorded their assessments as to the effectiveness of the measures used.

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This monitoring visit

Significant events involving children living at the home have not been reported to Ofsted. A failure to share information with all of the relevant people compromises the safety and welfare of children. Furthermore, Ofsted is unable to carry out its monitoring function to ensure that appropriate action is taken by the provider to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not consistently reviewed the home’s records, or evaluated incidents that have occurred, in order to identify shortfalls in staff practice and highlight patterns and trends. Consequently, managers do not have a good enough overview of care practices in the homes. Areas for development are not clearly highlighted and there is no meaningful development plan to address areas of concern. This means that leaders and managers are not acting to improve the experiences, care and safety of children. As a result, children’s progress, welfare and safety are compromised.

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This monitoring visit

This visit demonstrated that the compliance notices have not been met. Requirements from previous inspections have not been met and are repeated as a result of this visit. In addition, Ofsted is also of the view that an urgent variation of the conditions of the home, to reduce the number of children living in the setting, is necessary in order to protect children from harm. Ofsted views this as a proportionate step in the circumstances. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/01/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/08/2019 Full Good 04/12/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/08/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 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

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and 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— ensure that staff 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; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 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

(Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 21/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual trust and respect; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 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 that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 21/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 6 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) *12: The protection of children standard *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; that the home’s 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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 21/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

*13: The leadership and management standard *The leadership and management standard is that the 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— 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 21/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 7 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on

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Requirement Due date

the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 14: The care planning standard The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

*35: Behaviour management policies and records *The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’) and any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered

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Requirement Due date

person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure, and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(c)) 21/10/2020 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 8 40: Notification of a serious event 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 serious 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)) 21/10/2020

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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: SC371267 9

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 99 Edge Lane, Edge Hill, Liverpool L7 2PE

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Inspectors

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Catherine Fargin, social care inspector Suzanne Birchall, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC371267 10 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

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