Children's Home run by North West Youth Services in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 1

p.1

North West Youth Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child or young person, who may have emotional or behavioural needs or a learning disability.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in place who registered with Ofsted in December 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This was the first visit to the setting since it was registered in December 2020.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit was conducted in response to information received, which indicated potential breaches of regulation. The visit was carried out on site with some remote work taking place to review documents.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A child moved into the home shortly after the home began operating in December 2020. The child’s transition into the home was well supported. The manager and staff have implemented a clear plan of care for the child and are working well with external agencies to ensure that his needs are met.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The child’s social worker expressed satisfaction with the care that the child is receiving. The social worker said that staff have developed positive relationships with the child and are supporting his needs well.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Suitable education arrangements have been made for the child and staff provide the necessary support to enable him to attend school. In addition, much care is taken to ensure that the child has regular opportunities to engage in fun and fulfilling activities. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 2 The manager has worked closely with community healthcare providers and arranged appropriate specialist care for the child. A review of the child’s medication is also being carried out to ensure that he is receiving the best possible benefit from his medication regimen.

p.1

This monitoring visit

There is written guidance in place to help staff manage identified risks to the child’s safety and well-being. However, in some examples this guidance lacks clarity and requires more detail. This must be addressed to ensure that staff are working in a consistently safe manner.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Safeguarding practice requires improvement. The response to an allegation made by the child in January 2021 was inadequate. The manager did not ensure that the allegation was properly recorded and did not report the matter to the appropriate authorities. Failure to follow safeguarding procedures means that children are not sufficiently protected from harm.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager and staff are working with a therapist to develop their understanding of the child’s complex behaviours. They are being supported to develop strategies and approaches which will help to ensure that the child receives consistently positive behaviour support. Positively, incidents where the child has presented complex behaviours have reduced in recent weeks.

p.2

This monitoring visit

At times, staff are required to physically intervene with the child to safeguard him. Most records of these incidents fall short of the required standard. The level of information provided is insufficient and does not provide a clear account of the incident. In addition, there is no evidence to demonstrate that debriefs for the child and staff, following an incident of physical intervention, are taking place in line with regulation.

p.2

This monitoring visit

It was identified during the inspection that the security of some personal staff information had been compromised. The initial response to the matter was not sufficiently robust or well managed.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager is not yet making best use of internal monitoring systems. For example, monitoring of some records and the general standard of accommodation has failed to identify some areas in need of improvement. Failure to monitor standards effectively means that opportunities to make improvements may be lost.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vii))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that risk management plans contain clear guidance for staff about the measures that they must take to keep children safe from harm, and that staff have a full understanding of this guidance. This also relates to the need to ensure that all safeguarding concerns and allegations of abuse are managed in accordance with the home’s safeguarding procedures. 9 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 promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

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; 9 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 4 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.3

Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that monitoring is effective so that poor or unsafe practice is identified and addressed.

p.4

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—

p.4

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.4

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.4

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.4

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.4

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;

p.4

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”)—

p.4

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 5 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

p.4

Requirement Due date

Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained to a standard that provides good-quality and comfortable accommodation for children. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should monitor consequences used to address poor behaviour and ensure that these are restorative in nature, appropriate and proportionate. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the

p.5

Recommendations

quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.5

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.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: North West Youth Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Peine House, Hind Hill Street, Heywood OL10 1JZ

p.6

Inspectors

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Rachel Springford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2621193 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