Children's Home run by Apex Children‟s Services Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 1

p.1

Apex Childrens Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children. The home specialises in caring for children who may have been, or who are, experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in November 2019 when the home first opened.

p.1

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.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This is the first visit to the home since the home opened in November 2019. There are four children living at the home. Since the home opened, two other children have lived at the home for a period of time. Transition planning for children is not consistent and impact assessments lack sufficient information about how staff will safely manage and support individual children. The registered manager recognises that improvements are needed in this area.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that there has been an increase in children displaying aggressive and challenging behaviours. Staff have attempted to manage the behaviours but have resorted to requesting police assistance. This increases the risk of children being criminalised and does not demonstrate that the staff team has sufficient skills to safely diffuse incidents. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 2 Following a review of the serious incidents, the organisation plans to review the current behaviour management policies and consider how staff can safely manage incidents in the home without the use of police intervention. Managers at the home told inspectors that they are happy that the policy is being reviewed as they recognise the difficulties that have been encountered in an organisation that operates a ‘non-physical intervention’ home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Not all risk management plans contain sufficient information to enable staff to understand all risks that children may face. Some records lack clarity and do not consistently provide effective risk management strategies. This is an area that needs to be strengthened.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff should understand the organisation’s policies on record-keeping. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact and opinion. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home’s behaviour management policy is not consistently implemented. The responses to challenging behaviour do not always provide a reliable and positive message to children. Consequences can sometimes be disproportionate, confusing and punitive. There is not always a clear management overview of why a decision is agreed, whether it is appropriate and how this supports children to learn to manage their behaviours in a positive way.

p.2

This monitoring visit

There are shortfalls in the registered manager’s monitoring and evaluation of documentation in the home. Not all records have been completed in full, including accident and incident forms, and documents are not always signed and dated by the author. Training records have not been updated to demonstrate that all staff have had sufficient training to meet the needs of the children. The registered manager understands the importance of the improvements required to improve her oversight and development of the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home is welcoming, comfortable and well presented. It has been personalised for the children with photographs and paintings on the walls of various activities and paintings which the children have had the opportunity to be involved in. However, some of the downstairs rooms have key locks and can prevent children from accessing all areas of their home. This was raised at the registration visit and the provider agreed to action this. However, this action remains outstanding.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Despite the shortfalls identified during the visit, a key strength of the home is the passion and commitment from the registered manager and staff team. All of the children spoke extremely positively about the registered manager and the staff team and were positive about their experience of living in the home. Children said the staff are ‘kind’, ‘caring’ and ‘10 out of 10’. One child said, ‘They read me bedtime stories and run me a bath.’ Observations during the visit and discussions with all parties demonstrate that the management and staff team are passionate, care about Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 3 the children and have high aspirations for their futures. Feedback from external professionals on the leadership of the home is also very positive.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff have safely managed a COVID-19 outbreak in the home. Actions have been taken to protect all involved, and strict cleaning and monitoring systems have been imposed. Children have responded well to the actions put in place to keep them safe and are proactive in using personal protection equipment and washing their hands.

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 4

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.4

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)(ii)(b)) 28 March 2021

p.4

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—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.4

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)(c)(h)) 28 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 5 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

p.4

Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 28 March 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

p.5

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 28 March 2021

p.5

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the progress made by the children’s home since it was registered.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Apex Childrens Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Cheshire CH41 1BP

p.6

Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspector Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2553536 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.

p.6

Inspectors

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 . 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.7

Inspectors

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

p.7

Inspectors

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

p.7