Children's Home run by Mercia Children Services Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2587763 1

p.1

Mercia Children Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to care for up to four children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since July 2020.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The visit took place due to escalating concerns about children’s safety arising from safeguarding notifications and independent monitoring reports received by Ofsted. The visit was a combination of on-site and off-site activities.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Records show that the staff are following procedures to ensure that children return to the home safely when they go missing from care. They proactively work with external safeguarding agencies, such as children’s social care and the police, as well as providers such as taxi companies, to reduce risks to children. The staff receive appropriate training, and access clinical guidance to support and develop their practice in meeting the children’s individual needs.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Children’s views are considered as part of reviewing the ongoing suitability of placements. The manager has revised and improved pre-admission planning processes to document more fully the information used to make decisions about admissions, and how any risks will be mitigated.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Social workers say that the staff are proactive and that communication is good. They confirm that any incidents are reported promptly and that some risks for children have reduced over time. However, the registered manager has not consistently notified Ofsted when serious safeguarding incidents have occurred. This means that the regulator does not have sufficient information to evaluate how the home Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2587763 2 safeguards children at the time of the incident, or what action is taken to reduce the risk of further incidents.

p.1

This monitoring visit

In general, recording is clear and follows regulations. Children are spoken to after any incident or physical intervention, to help them to understand why measures are taken and how to keep themselves safer. However, some incident records use slang words which imply value judgements about children. Some documents do not always record details such as how frequently a child is monitored during the night, when this is necessary for their well-being. This is not helpful for children to understand their experiences if they read their records at a later date.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The staff receive regular supervision, in line with the provider’s policy. However, formal records are not always made and, consequently, copies of the records are not available to the staff member. This makes it difficult for the staff to monitor their own performance and professional development needs.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Appropriate monitoring systems are in place that the manager uses to improve practice. External monitoring identifies arising issues and concerns. However, the independent person does not always recommend that the registered manager should notify Ofsted regarding safeguarding concerns.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has failed to complete and send the report of the review of care within timescales to Ofsted, in line with the regulation.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2587763 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.3

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.3

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.3

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.3

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.3

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.3

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)) 12 March 2020

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

p.3

Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 12 March 2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2587763 4 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a))

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home and makes appropriate recommendations to improve practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff to evidence it is delivered in line with regulation 33 (4)(b), which is available to the staff member. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraphs 13.3 and 13.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff keep careful, detailed records that clearly identify action taken and avoid use of slang that implies value judgements about children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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: Mercia Children Services Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sapphire Accounting Limited, Suite 1, Deanway Technology Centre 2, Deanway Trading Estate, Wilmslow Road, Handforth, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 3HW

p.4

Inspector

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2587763 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