Children's Home run by Apex Children’s Services Ltd in Wirral

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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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: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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. 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: 2592035 2 We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:

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Findings from the visit

 Risk assessments do not address all known risks in relation to children.  Risk assessments do not include effective strategies to help staff manage children’s presenting risks.  Children’s day-to-day care is not consistently delivered to keep children safe from any harm.  There are significant shortfalls in the manager’s monitoring and review systems. This means that she cannot make continuous improvements in the quality of care that children receive.  The manager did not notify Ofsted about a serious incident.  Children do not receive effectively planned care. Matching assessments are poor and do not include all known issues in respect of children.

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The care of children

Two children currently live at this home. One child told the inspector that he likes living at the home and he was positive about some staff members, although he said that if he had a problem he wouldn’t speak to the staff because ‘I don’t speak to anyone’.

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The care of children

Staff understand that children’s contact with their families and friends is important to them. Therefore, the staff support children to keep in touch with family and friends. However, staff do not always know who one child is spending time with because he often refuses to tell staff where he is going.

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The care of children

Staff listen to what children have to say. They try to talk to children about what they would like to do for their education and activities. However, this is not always effective because children often refuse to attend education or engage in any activities. Furthermore, children do not consistently follow daytime routines. For example, children are not expected to get up at a regular time and they do not have set meal times. One child told the inspector that he is ‘never there’.

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The care of children

The manager and staff know that children may require external support to help them, for example smoking cessation. However, this is not effective because one child does not engage with smoking cessation and he continues to smoke cigarettes.

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The safety of children

The registered manager did not follow safeguarding procedures when a child made an allegation against a member of staff or notify all relevant safeguarding professionals. The failure to present a strong and effective management response, Assurance visit report: 2592035 3 with suitable guidance for staff, is a barrier in managing and reducing significant risks.

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The safety of children

Managers and staff do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Consequently, children are not appropriately safeguarded by the adults who are caring for them. For example, staff confirmed that when children are missing from home they are inconsistent in their approach and do not consistently follow the missing from home action plan.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments are ineffective because they do not include all known risk factors for children. The manager does not effectively assess the risk of harm for each child and does not make the necessary arrangements to reduce the risks to children. For example, the manager had failed to identify effective strategies to support staff in reducing the risk from children smoking cigarettes in their bedroom. This continues to place the child, other children living at the home, and staff at risk of harm.

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The safety of children

The manager had failed to take account of significant safeguarding information in relation to one child having unsupervised contact with family members. This continues to place the child at risk of harm.

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Leaders and managers

Throughout the visit, the management team was unable to demonstrate that it inspires and leads a culture that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential. The registered manager was unable to demonstrate that she has played a key role in shaping the ethos of the home and developing a culture of high aspirations through the care, resources and opportunities offered to children

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager was unable to demonstrate that she was acting in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. For example, the statement of purpose outlines that: ‘the staff team and I will strive for the very best outcome for each child and young person that receives care from [name of home] by the provision of warm and supportive carer relationships, encouraging fun and enjoyment, establishing routine and safe choices, providing safety and security, promoting emotional well-being.’ The registered manager has not ensured that the staff team has established appropriate routines for children and did not demonstrate that the care being delivered effectively meets the individual needs of the child or promotes their safety and welfare.

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Leaders and managers

There are gaps in the home’s monitoring and review systems, which reduces the true analysis and evaluation of the care provided to children and how this impacts on outcomes for children. For example, the manager’s oversight of risk management is poor. Risk assessments are not up to date and do not include all known risks to children. Therefore, staff do not have access to effective risk management strategies to follow in practice.

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Leaders and managers

The shortfalls highlighted demonstrate poor leadership and management practice that has compromised the experiences and progress of the children living in this Assurance visit report: 2592035 4 home. This impacts on the ability for children to reach their full potential and be protected from harm.

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)x)) This is particularly in relation to ensuring that children engage in structured education either formally or informally. 24/January/2021

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 24/January/2021 Assurance visit report: 2592035 5 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(v)(vi)) This is particularly in relation to helping children use appropriate language with each other and staff.

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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. 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 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; (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b)) This relates to staff understanding and implementing each individual child’s risk assessment, and their role in keeping children safe, particularly with regards to children missing

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Requirement Due date

from home and spending long periods of time away from home. 24/January/2021

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 24/January/2021 Assurance visit report: 2592035 6 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to the registered manager’s oversight, evaluation and review of children’s plans and incidents. The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (e)) This is particularly in relation to notifying Ofsted when a child makes an allegation against a member of staff. 24/January/2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Apex Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Apex Children’s Services, 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Cheshire CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2592035 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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