Children's Home run by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037657 1 SC037657

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Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three children. It looks after children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 23 December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

At a monitoring visit to the home in November 2019, inspectors found serious shortfalls in relation to the protection of children and leadership and management standards. Further monitoring visits took place in January 2020 and February 2020, and inspectors found that the necessary improvements had been made.

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This monitoring visit

This visit is in response to notifications that have raised concerns about the staff’s ability to protect children from harm and help them to manage their feelings safely. In addition, the most recent external monitoring report indicated that in January 2021 the manager was the only member of staff available to care for children when the home experienced staff shortages due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the visit, only one child was living at the home. The inspector did not find any concerns about the care and protection of the child.

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This monitoring visit

The child is living in a safe and comfortable home. She is able to express her wishes and feelings, and her views are taken seriously. She has a strong sense of belonging. She enjoys stable and trusting relationships with staff. She feels that staff give her the help she needs to be healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

Staff know the child extremely well and have the expertise to respond to her needs effectively. They are supporting the child’s personal growth and development. The Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037657 2 child has had a successful transition from school to college. She is confident using public transport by herself and is developing the skills and knowledge she will need as an adult.

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This monitoring visit

The child feels safe. Staff understand the child’s vulnerabilities, and they know how to manage risk and protect her from harm. Staff are vigilant and take effective action when they are worried about the child. They have the skills to help the child in ways that she understands to protect herself and to ask for help to stay safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff take reasonable precautions and make well-informed judgements based on the child’s individual needs. They help the child to take particular risks to promote her development. For example, staff enable the child to spend time with friends and her family in the community and use social media and technology safely.

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This monitoring visit

The child is helped to understand about safe, healthy and appropriate relationships. The staff understand the child’s emotional, social and communication needs. They help her understand and manage her own feelings and behaviour safely. Staff support the child to sort out problems and maintain relationships with the important people in her life.

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This monitoring visit

Staff know that the child may become quiet and withdrawn when she is feeling sad or worried. Staff know how best to help the child when she is struggling. However, this information is not included in the child’s behaviour management plan to make sure that staff respond consistently.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is very experienced. She has brought stability to the management of the home. The manager provides staff with the right support, advice, guidance and training to care for the child effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The manager places the needs and safety of the child at the centre of the management of the home. The manager responded appropriately when the child tested positive for COVID-19. She made sure that the child received the right level of care and support while she was self-isolating in line with the government guidance.

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This monitoring visit

The shortfalls identified at the last monitoring visit in the care planning standard have not been the focus of this visit. These will be reviewed through Ofsted’s routine inspection activities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/04/2019 Full Good 19/04/2018 Full Good 24/05/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037657 3

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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 care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1) (2)(a)) 30 April 2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s behaviour management plans include information about the signs indicating that each child may be feeling sad, upset, worried, or confused, so that staff can understand the child’s behaviour and know how to respond appropriately. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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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: SC037657 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Knowsley MBC, Children’s Services, Huyton Municipal Buildings, 6th Floor, Huyton, Knowsley, Merseyside L36 9YU

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037657 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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