Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 1 SC356929

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Quality Protects Children Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns the home. The setting provides care for up to three children. There are currently two children living in the home. The registered manager resigned in March 2021. An acting manager has been appointed. Her application to register with Ofsted is being processed.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We visited this setting on 21 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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This monitoring visit

On 8 and 9 June 2021, a full inspection took place due to escalating concerns about children’s safety. Inspectors found that managers and staff do not always act to protect children from harm and not all child protection concerns are appropriately reported and investigated. This lack of understanding of safeguarding roles and responsibilities serves to compromise children’s safety and welfare. One compliance notice was issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard).

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this visit was to monitor and review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notice issued under regulation 12 following the last inspection. On the day of the visit, one child was on holiday. Another child was in the home and they spoke to inspectors.

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This monitoring visit

The child said she liked living in the home. She said that staff had helped her to prepare for an interview she had attended earlier on in the day for a new job. The atmosphere in the home was relaxed and lots of support, encouragement and praise were observed being given to the child throughout the visit. The child was relaxed in Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 2 adults’ company and was laughing and telling jokes about her experiences and progress.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has worked hard to improve safeguarding practices in the home. Records have been reviewed and updated, and staff have been provided with time to read all documentation and ensure that they have a clear understanding of each child, their needs and the strategies in place to keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

Serious incidents have occurred in the home since the full inspection. The staff have managed incidents well. All safeguarding professionals, including placing social workers and the police, have been kept fully informed and updated. When it has been necessary, the manager has contacted the designated officer to raise appropriate concerns about staff practice that requires further enquiry.

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This monitoring visit

Documentation about missing from home episodes has improved and return home interviews have been requested. When local authorities have failed to arrange independent visits, the manager has escalated this and raised a concern that statuary guidance is not being adhered to.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments have been reviewed and updated. These provide detailed guidance to the staff. Staff demonstrated insight into the risks that children present and an understanding of what to do if a child should go missing from home or displays self- injurious behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has held a team meeting to discuss the outcome of the inspection and to identify learning points. During the meeting, and staff supervision sessions, the staff have refreshed their understanding of their roles and responsibilities for protecting children. Individual staff members and managers are clear about their role in protecting the children that they are responsible for.

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This monitoring visit

Physical intervention records are clear and include all required information. The manager was able to provide a clear rationale for the increase in interventions for one child. Strategies and appropriate support systems have been implemented, and in the last two weeks there had been no further incidents requiring intervention.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has arranged training courses to improve the manager’s and staff’s understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The training included safeguarding, reporting and recording, self-harm, exploitation and the roles and responsibilities of staff and managers. This ensures that all staff have the skills and ability to safely care for children.

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This monitoring visit

A full skills analysis of the staff team has been completed. This provides an opportunity to review the staff’s skills and knowledge and identify all areas for improvement. Consequently, additional training sessions have been identified and attended by individual team members. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 3 New systems have been introduced so that decision-making processes relating to the safeguarding of children are clearly recorded. Furthermore, the manager has updated records to include her evaluation following incidents. This ensures that the manager has clear oversight of care practices in the home and how well staff are protecting and supporting children.

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This monitoring visit

The previous requirements were not considered at this monitoring visit. The requirements will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/06/2021 Full Inadequate 15/01/2020 Full Good 08/01/2019 Full Good 11/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 5

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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, the 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; and

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that children have access to services that support their emotional and social needs, such as child and adolescent mental health services. 23 July 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(h)) 23 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 6 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that supervision is received by all staff in line with the company’s policy. 23 July 2021

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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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’).

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Requirement Due date

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) (2)(b) (3) (4)(a)) 23 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 7

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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: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Julia Toller, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC356929 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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