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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 1

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Inspire Children’s Services

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children. The home specialises in caring for children who may have been, or who are, experiencing 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 July 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Routine inspection activity is currently suspended because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This monitoring visit was carried out in line with Ofsted’s procedures for monitoring services during such periods of suspended routine inspection activity, due to concerns about the safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, inspectors identified shortfalls in safeguarding practices and procedures in the home. The registered manager and staff do not appropriately respond to incidents that occur, nor do they implement effective strategies to safeguard and protect the children living in the home. In addition, Ofsted has not been notified in a timely way about all serious events. This means the regulator is unable to monitor and review the safeguarding of children and ensure that it responds to any regulatory shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Children reported that the home has changed in the last few months. Children identified individual staff members who they felt could keep them safe. However, children said that they did not feel that all the staff ‘listened to them’ or were ‘kind to them’ or showed them that they ‘cared’. Children told inspectors that they had seen some staff verbally berating other children and some staff instigating incidents of intervention and making inappropriate ‘hand gestures’ and ‘laughing at other children’. Children said that this made them feel ‘sad’ and ‘unsettled’. This is of Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 2 significant importance as some children have lived at the home for a long period of time.

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This monitoring visit

From October 2020, there has been a significant increase in physical interventions used in the home. During a number of these incidents of physical intervention, children have raised concerns that they had sustained an injury or had been manhandled by some staff. It is clear that limited action was taken following the incidents, and that all appropriate professionals were not notified. This fails to safeguard all involved.

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This monitoring visit

During the debrief sessions held with children following some incidents of physical intervention, they had reiterated their concerns to staff about the injuries they had sustained. However, some staff reprimanded children for making accusations and informed them that injuries can be caused by interventions. The registered manager failed to examine the records and consider whether effective action had been taken. She did not refer allegations to the designated officer, suitably consider the complaints raised by children or take appropriate action to protect children. This is a breach of the company’s own policies and procedures and does not ensure that the safety and well-being of children is paramount.

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This monitoring visit

Impact assessments do not demonstrate that the registered manager has carefully considered the needs of children moving into the home and their risks and if staff have the skills and training to be able to safely support children. Consequently, children are not supported by a staff team that clearly understands their needs. Records in the home, including team minutes and staff supervision records, demonstrate that staff are not consistent in their approach to children, which contributes towards children feeling unsettled and presenting with self-injurious behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Children raised concerns that staff have undertaken room searches without their knowledge. Staff confirmed that searches were conducted to ensure that children were safe. However, room search documentation was not completed and staff had not followed the home’s own policies and procedures by completing all required documentation. This was discussed with the registered manager, who had also not had a clear overview of all incidents and had not taken opportunities to reflect on practices within the home and if any further safe strategies needed to be considered. Children do not always benefit from clear and consistent boundaries in the staff’s approach to managing their behaviour. The inconsistency in staff practice is creating uncertainty and anxiety for children, because they have become unsure of the rules and expectations of the home. Furthermore, behaviour management records also demonstrate inconsistencies in staff practice. For example, some records did not

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This monitoring visit

evaluate the effectiveness of the measure used or consider the punitive approach used to manage children’s behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

The environment is not well maintained and does not provide a homely environment for children. A requirement in relation to this was raised at the previous inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 3 The registered manager failed to demonstrate that care practice is safe. The registered manager is not consistently reviewing records to support effective oversight and challenge of practice. The inspectors found that risk assessments, complaints, physical intervention records and medication records omitted vital information or provided conflicting information without challenge. This reduces accountability and fails to safeguard all involved. The registered manager reported that she was not aware of the extent of the safeguarding concerns identified at the visit but accepted that she had not closely monitored or addressed staff practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, significant concerns about safeguarding practices in the home were discussed with the responsible individual and service manager. Immediate action was taken to undertake a full investigation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/11/2019 Full Good 19/06/2018 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good 01/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. —

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 22 March 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 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 22 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 5 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 22 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 6 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;

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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)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 22 March 2021

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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. (Regulation 23 (1)) 22 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 22 March 2021

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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

The registered person must ensure that— 22 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 7 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—

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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;

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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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; 22 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 8 are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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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)) 22 March 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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspire Children’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3 Craig Court, Standish Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1GJ

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240801 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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