Children's home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Assurance visit report: SC037181 1 SC037181

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children aged between eight and 17 years on admission who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has obtained her level 5 qualification in leadership and management and has been registered with Ofsted since January 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 26 February 2020

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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:

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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

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC037181 2

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The care of children

This is currently a solo placement. The young person that lives here is making good progress. In addition, their risk-taking behaviours have reduced considerably. The young person receives care and support that is consistent. The young person responds well to this; they feel safe and secure living here.

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The care of children

Children and young people have received good care and support during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Overall, they are settled and make good progress. However, the experiences and progress of children and young people living here vary. For example, a recent placement ended suddenly. This was following several significant incidents over a short period of time.

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The care of children

Staff have good relationships with children and young people. They support children and young people to understand their thoughts and feelings. This helps children and young people to make good progress. One young person said how they really enjoy living here. They also spoke positively about their relationships with staff.

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The care of children

Children and young people receive good help and support to develop their independence skills. This is both practically and emotionally. Staff encourage children and young people to take a lead in their day-to-day routines and appointments. This helps children and young people to grow in confidence and identify their hopes and aspirations.

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The care of children

Staff encourage children and young people to see their family and friends. This is safe and in line with national COVID-19 guidance.

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The safety of children

The young person currently living at the home is settled and happy. Staff have a good understanding of their needs and risks. The young person also has good insight into their own needs and risks. Staff encourage a collaborative approach to managing these needs and risks. This enables the young person to take a lead in their care and support.

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The safety of children

Placement matching is good. However, the care planning of the children and young people moving into the home is inconsistent. Staff do not always consider and assess all the new information available to them. Subsequently, safeguarding plans are not clear enough. This impacts on children and young people’s outcomes.

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The safety of children

Support and help to manage children and young people’s behaviour are not consistent. Staff do not always use the identified strategies to help children and young people. As a result, incidents escalate to an unmanageable level. In addition, the recording of restraints is poor. For example, a physical intervention was not recorded as per regulations. Assurance visit report: SC037181 3 Staff encourage children and young people to live healthy lifestyles. Staff also support children and young people to access specialist help and support. One young person said that they feel the heathiest that they have ever felt since coming to live here. The management of medication is not robust enough. Staff do not always offer children and young people their prescribed medication.

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The safety of children

The number of children and young people who go missing from the home is low. When children or young people do go missing, staff are proactive. Staff ensure that they act swiftly to locate the child or young person and encourage them to come home.

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Leaders and managers

Managers support and empower staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff speak well of the manager and the support they receive. To enhance this further, the manager and staff could reflect on their practice more. This could be when something has gone well, or not so well.

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Leaders and managers

The statement of purpose does not reflect the current staff arrangements in the home. The registered manager recognises that this has been an oversight. They plan to make the necessary amendments.

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Leaders and managers

The staffing of the home needs attention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff, who are relatively new to the role, have been leading shifts. Often, staff are on their own with the young person for a number of days. Managers are accessible via the telephone. However, it is evident that the lack of management oversight has resulted in some shortfalls.

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Leaders and managers

The standard of recording varies. Some recording is to a good standard. However, there are areas that are poor. In these instances, records are inaccurate, unclear, ambiguous and unhelpful for the child or young person. This was raised as an area for improvement at the last inspection. A requirement on this has been made at this assurance visit.

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Leaders and managers

Professionals speak well of the home and of the progress that children and young people make. One social worker said, ‘Staff give clear and consistent messages to [name of young person] and offer incentive and praise for good choices and behaviour.’ They went on to say that ‘staff have always communicated any concerns in a timely manner’ and that they have sought advice when required.

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Leaders and managers

Management oversight and quality assurance are not yet consistent across all areas of practice. This has had an impact on the standards of practice. This was raised as a requirement at the last inspection. It has been raised again at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC037181 4 Managers have an insight into the shortfalls of this assurance visit. They understand that there are lessons to be learned and what they can do to improve practice.

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare.

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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

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

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC037181 5 The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home,

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Requirement Due date

a record is made which includes the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within five 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 (1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii) (c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC037181 6 maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Recommendations

 Homes are required to develop and keep under a review a statement of purpose and notify HMIC of any revisions (regulation 16 schedule 1). The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose indicates how the home provides individualised care to children in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Recommendations

 Staff should have a clear understanding of the expectations of the children’s behaviour. Staff should address poor behaviour in a consistent way. Agreed strategies should be in place and staff should apply these when managing challenging behaviours. In addition, staff should reflect on any incidents and use the learning to inform future practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and make sure that the plans in place to manage these risks are accurate and clear. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 Any registered manager placed in charge of a children’s home or staff member in a deputy or supervisory role such as ‘shift leader’ should have substantial relevant experience of working in a children’s home and have successfully completed their induction for the home in which they are employed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 54, paragraph 10.21)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Gemma Tidy Assurance visit report: SC037181 7

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Inspector

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC037181 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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