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

Assurance visit report: SC022437 1 SC022437

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for one young person who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2019 and is also registered to manage another single-occupancy home in the local area.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the home’s last inspection, it had declined in effectiveness, and enforcement action was taken against the registered manager. A virtual monitoring visit on 8 April 2020 found that the registered manager had taken sufficient steps to meet the compliance notices.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Declined in effectiveness

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:

p.1

Information about this visit

 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: SC022437 2

p.1

Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious and/or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:  The child has been missing from the home without staff knowledge.  The child has been convicted for carrying a knife.  Threats in relation to knives continue and a knife was recently found in his room.  Money to attend education is used to purchase drugs; items are sold from the house and money stolen from staff.  Despite enforcement action being taken in March 2020, any progress made at the monitoring visit has not been able to be sustained.

p.2

The care of children

During the lockdown, staff have failed to support the child sufficiently and, as a result, there has been limited progress since the last inspection.

p.2

The care of children

At the start of the lockdown period the child had settled and was investing in the home. Staff provide him with good quality and individualised care to meet his needs. The child attend college and had excellent attendance. In the summer he was awarded a Level 1 qualification.

p.2

The care of children

However, following a conviction for a knife crime, the registered manager explained that the college refused to allow him to enrol for a second year due to safety concerns. As a result, his progress halted. In October an opportunity to attend a work assess course was offered and the child started to attend alongside a course with the Princes Trust which has given him the opportunity for him to consider options upon completion of this.

p.2

The care of children

In line with government policy the child is entitled to receive a payment for engagement in further education. This money is used to purchase cannabis. The social worker and manager feel it is not realistic to restrict the monetary allowances due to there being an imminent plan for the child to progress to living more independently.

p.2

The care of children

The child does not wish to engage with family and contact with them is minimal. The child feels that he has no relationship with them, having been removed from their care at primary age. When he has visited, he has stolen items including a mobile phone and a designer jacket. The child’s view is that being in care has denied him owning such expensive possessions, so he takes them. The child explained, and the registered manager confirmed, that the child has an allocated budget of £40 a month for clothing. This is insufficient to meet the clothing needs of a child. Assurance visit report: SC022437 3 The child explained he has limited experiences outside the home. He says he has had the opportunity to go to the cinema or bowling but little else. He explained that he went on holiday once for a weekend in 2018 in a caravan and was saddened that his care staff had not taken him away on holiday more frequently. The registered

p.2

The care of children

manager explained that there were financial restrictions within the company that make it very difficult to offer children a holiday experience. The manager did confirm however the child has enjoyed climbing Scarfell Pike and a day driving supercars.

p.3

The care of children

Staff do not ensure that children attend health and youth offending appointments. The child has a mentor, an ex-convict, who supports the child to express his feelings and talk through any issues. This has not been particularly effective in reducing the child’s anxiety about carrying knives and reducing his drug habit. Assurance visit report: SC022437 4

p.3

The safety of children

During the lockdown period, there has been a deterioration in the management of this home and in keeping the child safe. The risk-taking behaviours remain a concern. An increased number of missing episodes have occurred, many without the staff knowledge, as the child’s movements are captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV), leaving and returning to the home during the night, while staff sleep. On one occasion, a girl was found in the child’s room, when staff went to wake him in the morning.

p.4

The safety of children

The child reported to the inspector that he is being exposed to high levels of risk during these missing episodes, and staff agree with this. This includes risks associated with criminality and concerns that the child may be being criminally exploited. Despite the agreement of staff that the child is at risk when missing from the home, staff have installed a door alarm, but this has failed to act to minimise the episodes of missing.

p.4

The safety of children

In June 2020, the child was convicted of carrying a knife, which had been concealed on his person. In October, there were allegations that the child had threatened another child from a care home with a knife, and threatened to ‘stab him up’. Following these reports, a room search was undertaken, and a knife was found in his room.

p.4

The safety of children

Risk management plans outline the steps to mitigate the risk of the child being in possession of a knife. This is to search the child’s room and undertake awareness sessions with him. Entries are recorded daily in a room search book when this is completed. Despite this, the child continues to be able to access knives.

p.4

The safety of children

Management, staff and the child spoke openly about the child’s extensive use of cannabis. He has previously engaged with drug services and is well informed about the negative impact that using cannabis has. Despite this the child uses money he receives for attending education to buy the drugs. There have also been reports that he has sold the home’s game console and stolen money from staff.

p.4

The safety of children

Risk management plans contain information that advises staff on how to manage incidents of violence, and how to keep children safe both in the home and when in the community. However, despite plans being in place, the child continues to place himself at great risk.

p.4

Leaders and managers

Despite enforcement action taken on 5 March 2020, the assurance visits to the home found that the registered manager continues to fail to keep the child safe and protect him from harm. Despite the compliance notices being issued, the registered manager has failed to sustain the progress seen at the monitoring visit in April 2020, and the child therefore continues to place himself at risk. Assurance visit report: SC022437 5 Management oversight in the home has declined. The registered manager of the home also manages another children’s home within the company. This, coupled with two deputy managers resigning from their posts, means that the overall management oversight has not been as robust and has not improved since the last inspection.

p.4

Leaders and managers

Senior management oversight is also weak. There is no evidence to support that responsible individual has reviewed or reflected on risk-taking incidents, the poor boundaries in place for children or the independent visitor reports. This has not enabled the home to find alternative ways of managing risk and has not assisted the home in keeping children safe.

p.5

Leaders and managers

In April 2020, the independent visitor was damning about the registered manager and has commented that the child has made limited progress because of the failures in management. The registered manager and the responsible individual signed the report without comment. However in the most recent report the independent visitor reports there has been an improvement in the leadership and management.

p.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 13/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC022437 6 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) 13/12/2020 *

p.6

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

p.6

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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

Recommendations

Assurance visit report: SC022437 7  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. In particular consider providing children with an enriching residential experience or holiday. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helen’s, Merseyside WA11 0TW

p.7

Inspector

Elaine Clare, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC022437 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.

p.7

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.8

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 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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8