Children's home run by PIC Children’s Services in St. Helens

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022444 1 SC022444

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PIC Children’s Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for one child with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since June 2019.

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This monitoring visit

During a monitoring visit on 2 February 2021, Ofsted identified significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and leadership and management at the home and within the organisation. Three compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 26 (fitness of registered provider).

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to monitor compliance with these notices. At this visit, Ofsted found that the provider has not taken sufficient action to demonstrate that they have met these notices.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans continue to fail to provide the staff team with appropriate strategies to manage the child’s behaviour or manage the risk factors effectively. In addition, risk management plans have not been updated to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping the child safe and this was observed on the visit when the child went missing from care.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding incidents in respect of this child have increased since the previous visit. Staff do not demonstrate that they have the skills to act on signs that the child is at risk of harm. For example, the child told staff that somebody threatened to pour petrol over him, and it is not clear what staff did to manage this risk.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers cannot demonstrate that they have implemented effective monitoring systems to improve the situation for the child and the child continues to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022444 2 be at risk of serious harm. The registered manager accepts that he cannot keep the child safe although he has not sufficiently addressed this with the placing authority to improve the child’s situation.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual continues to live in another country. She has not visited the home since the previous monitoring visit. The inspector found it difficult to contact the responsible individual at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager could not demonstrate that the responsible individual is supervising the home or developing the leadership and the management of the setting. This means that the responsible individual cannot complete the role appropriately and supervise and manage the home effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the serious and widespread failings in safeguarding practice and leadership and management at the home, Ofsted made the decision to issue an emergency suspension notice on 25 March 2021. This was necessary to ensure the child’s immediate safety.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, it is Ofsted’s view that the provider has not met the compliance notices. Therefore, compliance notices will be issued under regulations 12, 13 and 26.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/06/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022444 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need for risk management plans to contain clear guidance for staff to follow to manage risks. Also, staff must understand their roles in keeping the child safe, particularly with regards to risks of exploitation and substance misuse. 17 May 2021

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and 17 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022444 4 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that safeguarding concerns and risks in relation to the child’s welfare are acted on effectively. Concerns in relation to safety and risk of the child should be escalated effectively as required. Ensure that the staff working with the child have the relevant training and skills to identify and act on signs that the child is at risk of harm, particularly in relation to criminal exploitation.

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Requirement Due date

* An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need for the home to have a responsible individual who has capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, in line with the regulation. 17 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that they send HMCI an updated version of the statement of purpose when there are changes to the staff members working in the home. 17 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022444 5 Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that rotas include the full names of all staff who work in the home and the actual hours worked. 17 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022444 6 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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