Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC022442 1 SC022442

p.1

PIC Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and manages this children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for one child with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2019.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Following safeguarding concerns in a notification received by Ofsted, a monitoring visit took place to ensure that children are being kept safe.

p.1

This monitoring visit

One of the risks for a child is that of fire-setting. The risk management plan is unclear about the child’s smoking and use of lighters and how staff should manage this. Clear strategies and guidance are not in place and, as a result, this does not ensure that the child and others are kept safe from this risk.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Despite this shortfall, the risk for the child is reducing and staff have been proactive in seeking specialist support from agencies such as the fire brigade and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), which has informed direct work undertaken with the child. This has helped the child to understand risks and to help keep themselves safe.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The child living at the home told the inspector they are happy, feel safe and are ‘extremely grateful’ for the care they receive.

p.1

This monitoring visit

During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the child has been supported by the staff to maintain contact with family and friends. The child’s parent told the inspector that communication from the staff and the manager at the home has been excellent and that their child has made progress while living at the home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC022442 2 The headteacher at the child’s education placement said that regular meetings have taken place to ensure good communication and consistency in approaches for the child. This has resulted in good educational attendance and engagement.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Specialist support has been sought to support the child’s emotional health needs. Staff have been creative in ensuring that appointments have continued to take place during national restrictions. However, the staff have not received training in nutrition and healthy eating or gender identity awareness, which would ensure they have the knowledge and skills to meet the child’s individual needs. Furthermore, the majority of the staff team have not yet achieved the required qualification to ensure they have the skills and knowledge for their role.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff have amended their approach to medication administration to ensure that the child consistently takes their medication even when spending time away from the home. However, the manager has not robustly addressed minor errors in medication records and ensured that their oversight includes what steps have been taken to prevent any future occurrence.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff reported that they feel supported by the manager and have regular supervision. Team meetings have continued to take place using different forms of technology, such as video conferencing. Staff told the inspector this has helped to maintain consistency and share information and ideas.

p.2

This monitoring visit

External monitoring is effective in identifying shortfalls and the manager has responded to areas for improvement through action plans. The registered manager is supervised and supported by an operations manager. However, the responsible individual has not maintained oversight of the home, due to living out of the country and restrictions preventing visits. As a result, they are not maintaining oversight of the management of the home and have not visited the premises for several months.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last visit have been met.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/12/2019 Full Good 19/03/2019 Interim Not judged 06/12/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC022442 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

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.3

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 8 April 2021

p.3

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.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, training in gender identity awareness and nutrition and healthy eating. 8 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC022442 4 A responsible individual must—

p.3

Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (7)(b)) 8 April 2021

p.4

Recommendation

 Discrepancies in the administration of medication should be subject to management oversight to rectify any recording error and evidence the actions to prevent future occurrences, in line with policy and procedure. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

p.4

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.

p.4

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

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

p.4

Inspector

Jessica Forshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC022442 5 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.4

Inspector

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.5

Inspector

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

p.5

Inspector

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

p.5