Children's home run by Autism Initiatives (UK) in Sefton

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC055780 1 SC055780

p.1

Autism Initiatives (UK)

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a registered charity. It provides care for up to eight disabled children.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 27 October 2010.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home was judged as inadequate at the full inspection on 27 and 28 April 2021. During the inspection, evidence was found of breaches of regulations relating to safeguarding, care planning, the leadership of the home and privacy and access. Four compliance notices were issued, in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, regulation 14, the care planning standard, and regulation 21, privacy and access.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this monitoring visit to consider the action the provider had taken to meet the steps in the four compliance notices. There were four children living at the home at the time of the visit. Two children who visit the home for short stays were not present during the visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The management team has made improvements to the physical environment of the home and efforts have been made to make the living areas homelier and more comfortable. New bedroom furniture has been purchased to replace the items of broken furniture that were in some children’s bedrooms. Further refurbishment work to the property is required and this is being planned in a way that will minimise disruption to children living at the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The registered manager has taken steps to reduce the risks arising from one child not having sufficient night-time supervision. An additional member of staff is on duty each evening and one member of staff is now based in the same part of the building Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC055780 2 as this child. This means that the child has access to immediate help and support should they require it during the night.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments have been reviewed and are aligned to the child’s needs and any known risks the child may be vulnerable to.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home’s fire risk assessment has been reviewed and the manager has taken swift action to address and resolve the risks identified in the risk assessment. The manager has also conducted an additional risk assessment of the safety of the sleeping arrangements of one child. As a result, additional measures are now in place to support the safe evacuation of this child in the event of a fire.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home’s fire evacuation procedures have been updated to reflect the practice in the home. Staff spoken with during the monitoring visit demonstrated a good understanding of these procedures and the actions they would take to safeguard children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager has taken steps to ensure that where there are restrictions of liberty for children, these restrictions are kept under review. The staff team is being provided with additional training regarding restrictive practices and the law. This has helped to increase their understanding in this area.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that there are sufficient staff available to meet the assessed needs of all the children living at the home. Agency staff are being used to cover gaps in the staff roster. However, the manager has taken action to recruit more staff. In the interim, she has taken steps to try and ensure that only agency staff who are familiar to the children are used. This provides children with more continuity of care.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered provider has not yet taken sufficient action to review the range of needs and compatibility of children living at the home or to resolve the issues arising from their incompatibility. For example, children are not well matched and one child can become distressed by noises made by other children who live in the home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

In addition, the compliance notice issued in relation to regulation 14 required the registered provider to develop effective impact risk assessments to support their decision-making in relation to admitting new children to the home. The registered provider has not completed this action within the required timeframe. Therefore, a compliance notice in relation to regulation 14 is issued again because the registered provider has not yet fully completed all the steps outlined in the original compliance notice.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The compliance notices issued under regulations 12, 13 and 21 have been met. Additional requirements made at the full inspection were not considered during the monitoring visit, so are repeated for consideration at the next routine inspection.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Ofsted will continue to monitor the provider closely to ensure that improvements are sustained. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC055780 3

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/04/2021 Full Inadequate 05/09/2019 Full Good 21/11/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC055780 4

p.3

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.4

Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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)(a) (2)(a)) 1 August 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.4

Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)) 6 June 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

p.4

Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire;

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as is reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in the case of a fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(b)(d)) 6 June 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC055780 5 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

p.4

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.5

Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b)) 6 June 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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.

p.5

Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Autism Initiatives (UK)

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sefton House, Bridle Road, Bootle, Merseyside L30 4XR

p.5

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Katharine Silver

p.5

Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC055780 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.

p.5

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.6

Inspector

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

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6