Children's home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited in Fylde

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 1 SC476868

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Cherish Children’s Care

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to care for up to four children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to consider the action taken by the provider in relation to the two compliance notices issued on the 17 November 2020. The monitoring visit involved both on-site and off-site inspection activity.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found some difficulty in accessing information in relation to the recruitment files of staff, staff risk assessments and key-performance indicators. Staff recruitment files and the staff risk assessment were sent to the inspector on day two of the inspection. But this was only after the registered manager was reminded to do so. This hindered the progress of the visit.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors did not receive the information pertaining to the key-performance indicators and therefore that information could not be considered as part of the visit. Staff files were considered but it was difficult to ascertain what had changed since the last visit. The risk assessment for the volunteer was inspected and found that it had not been reviewed within the timescales stated on the document. This is indicative of the lack of rigour in management oversight and monitoring of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Records of physical intervention are poor. Although the registered manager now has oversight of these, identifying shortfalls in the quality of recording and the action needed to improve them, the records themselves are not updated to reflect the correct information. This poor recording does not allow the registered manager to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 2 satisfy herself that children are safe when physical intervention is required and also hinders staff’s learning and development.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, there was inadequate oversight of physical intervention during the registered manager’s recent absence. On the 21 November 2020, an incident took place whereby two male staff members entered a bathroom while a female child was showering. Although the registered manager stated that this was because of concerns about the welfare of the child, records and reports did not support this level of concern. Reports were unclear about decision-making but also failed to detail any discussions or reflection after the event between the registered manager, staff and the child.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, the inspectors found that children were not effectively safeguarded because of ineffective risk management. Risk assessments do not clearly outline the risks to young people or the action to take to reduce risks. Risk assessments are over-complex documents that focus more on the therapeutic input than risk reduction. This means that staff may not take swift action to support young people who may be in crisis.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessment are not individualised to reflect the needs of children. Despite bullying having been identified as an issue between the children, this has been addressed within a risk assessment for all children. However, the group risk assessment only explores the group’s dynamics between the children but does not provide any strategies to support young people who are being bullied or detail steps for staff to follow to reduce incidents of bullying at the home. This is a failure to protect young people from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors discovered a significant lack of management oversight and rigour regarding the monitoring and review of practice in the home, which does not help to drive improvement or support positive outcomes for children.

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This monitoring visit

At the previous full inspection of the home on 20 November 2019, a requirement was set under regulation 13 (2)(h). This stipulated that managers and leaders must ensure that monitoring processes are used effectively when reviewing the records maintained in the home in order to identify shortfalls and effect change where necessary. This was also identified as a shortfall at the monitoring visit on 21 November 2020, where a compliance notice was issued. Despite this, the inspectors found continued weaknesses in this area at this monitoring visit on 17 December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Staff displayed a better understanding of their roles in reporting safeguarding concerns and who to report these to. Staff indicated that if they felt that they were not taken seriously then they would escalate their concerns to Ofsted and the local designated officer.

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This monitoring visit

Although new monitoring systems have been created, they are not currently implemented well. During the registered manager’s absence, other managers failed Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 3 to evaluate the physical interventions and incidents within the home. In addition, copies of the manager’s overview of the home were not available for inspection due to them being stored at the head office. This is not effective in securing improvements at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found shortfalls in the quality of the décor and maintenance of the home. Remedial work to the porch has not been completed and the beading around the window has not been replaced. Wallpaper has been removed from walls and not replaced. The registered manager said that the kitchen had been painted twice that week as they could not clean the walls effectively. This would indicate that the materials used are not fit for purpose. When children cause damage in the home it is not repaired in a timely fashion. A requirement has been raised at this visit as a result.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership and management of the home continues to be disorganised during this monitoring visit as it was at the visit in November. It took managers an extended period of time to produce or forward documents to inspectors, such as the staff files. When these were produced, it was difficult to ascertain what changes had been made. However, it was clear that weaknesses remain evident, as some files remain in the process of being updated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/11/2019 Full Good 24/04/2018 Full Good 09/08/2017 Full Good 27/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 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

*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—

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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 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)) 11/12/2020

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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

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; 11/12/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 11/12/2020

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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, a record is made which includes— 11/12/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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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

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure there is an accurate duty roster, including the full names of staff and the hours they have worked. 11/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 11/12/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 8 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 29/01/2021

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8a, Skyways Commercial Campus, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 3RS Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 9 Responsible individual: Wendy Watson

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Inspectors

Chris Scully, Social Care Inspector Julia Toller, Social Care Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC476868 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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