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

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022437 1 SC022437

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PIC Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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

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This monitoring visit

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. During an assurance visit on 28 October 2020, the home and registered manager were found to be in serious breach of the same regulations, and two compliance notices were issued.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor whether the second set of compliance notices had been met.

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This monitoring visit

The young person who was living at the home in October has now moved from the children’s home into semi-independence accommodation in his home town. The children’s home is currently empty, with no children accommodated.

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This monitoring visit

Following the last inspection, the young person completed a Prince’s Trust course and gained two qualifications in team-working and financial management. He enjoyed a well-planned transition into his new home and was delighted to receive a specially engraved watch at his leaving party.

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This monitoring visit

However, overall the registered manager did not address the steps in the compliance notices and as a result the compliance notices have not been met. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022437 2 Staff did not follow the home’s risk assessments by making telephone and visual welfare checks when the young person was away from the home for long periods of the day. As a result, his whereabouts and his actions were unknown.

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This monitoring visit

Room searches continued daily and on two occasions items were found relating to the use of cannabis. Despite their findings, staff did not have a discussion with the young person in relation to their concerns about the items that they had found. This was a missed opportunity to use the discussion to educate the young person regarding the use of illegal substances.

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This monitoring visit

On one occasion, the young person had some money transferred to his bank account. Staff reported that they ‘presumed’ that the money was from his mum, even though she had not done this previously. No one in the home verified where the money had come from or had a discussion with the young person about why he had received the amount in his bank account. This lack of professional curiosity demonstrates a lack of skill and knowledge regarding potential criminal exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

Two staff had completed online training on gangs and criminal exploitation. However, the remaining two staff had not completed any further training since the compliance notices were served. A staff meeting held during the compliance notice period did not explore the shortfalls identified during the assurance visit. In addition, it did not address the improvements that the team would need to make in order for the young person to be safe.

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This monitoring visit

No meaningful opportunities were offered to the young person. The home’s logbook recorded a number of occasions where staff had offered the young person a movie night in the lounge, but the young person had declined to take part. A range of leisure opportunities were not considered or offered to the young person despite the area being in a less restricted tier of COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual currently lives in Spain and the independent visitor for the home lives in Ireland. As a result of travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face monitoring is not possible, and oversight is being undertaken virtually. Although an operations manager is supporting the registered manager in the home, this does not allow for an in-depth analysis of practice and scrutiny of action being taken to address shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Following a case discussion, the organisation agreed to temporarily close the home on a voluntary basis to consolidate learning and improve the skill set of the registered manager and the staff in the home. The registered manager must give Ofsted three months’ notice prior to reopening the home. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022437 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/03/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/09/2019 Full Good 01/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022437 4

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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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.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 7 (2)(ii)(iii)) 15 February 2021

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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 15 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022437 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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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—

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 15 February 2021

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Recommendations

 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)

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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: SC022437 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Elaine Clare, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC022437 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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