Children's Home run by A-Triangle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 1 Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since the home registered in 2020. The home is owned by a private provider. The home provides accommodation for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties who are not able to live at home.

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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 inspection of social care providers on 17 March 2020

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the home’s first inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 3

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improvement to be good

Since the child came to live in the home, her emotional health has significantly improved. Staff are proactive in seeking support in times of crisis. This was confirmed by an external professional.

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improvement to be good

However, the child’s progress is mixed. She is doing well in some areas but not progressing so well in others. Equally, her day-to-day experiences are varied. The child has forged positive relationships with staff. However, she said that she misses female support. The current staff team members are mostly male, which has, at times, had a negative impact on her emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff have helped the child to overcome barriers to education. As a result, the child has made significant progress in her education, resulting in her undertaking GCSEs. As a reward for her efforts, she has a new pet rabbit. The child was observed in the home cuddling and caring for the pet. She said that she loves her rabbit.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the child has access to community healthcare services and provide support and guidance to the child about healthy lifestyles. Staff help the child to eat healthily and encourage her to prepare and cook nutritious meals, which enhances her independence skills. However, some aspects of care planning do not support the child to develop independence skills in other areas.

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improvement to be good

The child can share her views on the care and daily routines of the home. Positive relationships with staff enable the child to raise any concerns at any time. The child knows how to make a complaint and who to talk to if she has a concern.

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improvement to be good

Risk management is not consistent in the home. This means that the child is not always effectively safeguarded.

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improvement to be good

The staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of risks to the child and the protective strategies in place. However, the quality of written risk assessments is variable, and at times information is inconsistent. This is a recording issue that reflects weaknesses in the manager’s monitoring of the paperwork.

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improvement to be good

It is positive that there has been no use of physical restraint. In addition, there have been no episodes of the child going missing from the home. This evidences that the child has secured and trusting relationships with staff. Meaningful direct work is undertaken to help the child learn from her experiences. Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 4 Clear and consistent boundaries are implemented by staff, which help the child to feel secure. However, the child’s opportunities to take age-appropriate risks are limited, due to high levels of supervision. This does not allow the child to learn from her experiences or develop confidence. Furthermore, the manager was not able to provide evidence that the high levels of supervision are proportionate or lawful.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager have undertaken a range of training in safeguarding matters. This ensures that they have some basic knowledge of safeguarding practice. However, staff have not received training in relation to some specific risks to the young person. This potentially increases the risk of harm to the child.

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improvement to be good

Shortfalls in recruitment practice were identified. For example, a full employment history and verification of reasons for leaving previous employment were not provided for a member of staff who had worked in the home on several occasions. This means that the young person’s safety and well-being could be compromised, as she is not fully protected from unsuitable adults.

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good

The registered manager is experienced in his role and evidences a good understanding of the child’s needs. He has a good relationship with the child.

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good

There have been a number of staffing changes, which have had an impact on the ratio of the team. The team is predominantly male, which was highlighted to the manager during the inspection. The manager states that he has taken steps to address this. Furthermore, a referral for a female advocate has now been made to support the child.

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good

Staff said that they feel supported in their roles. However, team meetings have not taken place, which prevents the team from being able to share ideas and come together.

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good

Although staff receive regular supervision, there is a lack of reflection or discussion. This limits learning from this process as well as the manager’s ability to track staff’s progress.

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good

Monitoring requires improvement. Shortfalls were identified in the child’s records. The manager said that he was updating the child’s files himself, which has had an impact on his ability to regularly monitor.

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good

Professional feedback is positive. The manager is described as child centred and committed to improving outcomes for children. For example, the manager has not admitted any other children into the home. The manager said that he wants to ensure that the right match takes place with the child who currently lives in the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 5 Staff are either qualified to the appropriate level or are currently undertaking the relevant course. This means that the child receives support from suitably qualified staff.

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good

Staff work effectively with a number of agencies, including social workers, mental health teams, education providers and police. The manager ensures that external professionals receive regular updates on the child’s progress. Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 6

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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— that staff— 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)) 28 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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 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)(b)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 28 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 28 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 7 The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2) (a)(b) (3)(a)(d))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children who wish to keep and take their own medication should be supported to, if they are able to do so safely. Staff should be mindful that children holding their own prescribed medication must only use it for themselves in accordance with the prescription. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.16)  The registered person should ensure, whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s statement of purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)  The registered person should ensure that they have a workforce plan which can

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Recommendations

fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) This specifically relates to staff being able to engage in reflective supervision with the manager. Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Crescent East, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, FY5 3LJ

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Inspector

Rachel Springford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2557064 10 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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