Children's Home run by New Foundations Care Homes Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 1 SC406636

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Building Bridges Care Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It provides care for five children.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for children, irrespective of gender, who need a resettlement plan of care, whose behaviour is unmanageable, who have suffered abuse and significant neglect and who have behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

We last visited this setting on 11 and 12 August 2021 when a full inspection took place. The inspectors identified a number of significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and procedures in the home, and poor leadership and management. Two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management 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 two compliance notices that were issued following the last inspection. There were three children living in the home at the time of the monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The director has made the decision to manage the home and is planning on applying to be the registered manager. She has spent time reviewing all documentation in the home, alongside the deputy manager. The changes in the management of the home have ensured that there are mechanisms in place for consistently monitoring staff practice. The director has now implemented appropriate monitoring and review systems to make sure that there are continuous improvements in the quality of care provided for children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 2 Managers have taken action to improve communication systems for the staff team. Team meetings and individual supervision sessions now take place to discuss staff practice and reinforce roles and responsibilities for all team members, including their responsibilities in communicating all relevant information.

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This monitoring visit

Communication and consistency across the team have improved. There are now detailed handover systems in place and staff are aware of all the relevant information for each child when they come on shift. All staff spoken to talked about the significant changes made in the home and how these have improved staff morale. One staff member said, ‘We are working together better as a team, sharing information, and the home is a much better place to work.’

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices also required the provider to ensure that managers and staff receive training to be able to safely care for children. The director has taken some steps to address this and has undertaken a detailed audit of staff training. She has identified and arranged training across the team, including around safeguarding, exploitation, recording and reporting. This will ensure that the staff responsible for children have the skills and experience to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The protection of children compliance notice required the provider to ensure that children’s individual risk assessments identify all known risks. Managers have ensured that individual risk assessments are in place, which identify children’s known risks.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have had training in risk assessments and now review assessments monthly as a team. Consequently, staff spoken to during this monitoring visit understood children’s known risks and the actions that they are expected to take to reduce these risks. Because of this, staff are taking more effective action to reduce the risk of harm to children. Since the last inspection, safeguarding incidents have been managed appropriately by staff.

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This monitoring visit

Locks on internal doors, including in the kitchen, toilets and upstairs corridors, were visible during the visit. Restrictions cannot be placed on children’s liberties without a court-directed order. None of the children living in the home had an order in place to support this practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have spent individual time with each child when safeguarding concerns have been identified. These have included concerns around going missing from home and misusing substances. Records are detailed and indicate that discussions have taken place with children about risks to their health and potential criminalisation. Children confirmed that staff spend time with them and said that staff help them to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has demonstrated at this visit that it has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the compliance notices issued under regulations 12 and 13 are met. Ofsted does not plan to take any further enforcement action. A further unannounced Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 3 inspection will take place to continue to monitor the quality of care provided. The requirements will also be considered at this next visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/08/2021 Full Inadequate 11/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/04/2018 Full Good 25/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 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, 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;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options available in relation to the child’s health and well- being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 1 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 1 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 6 This is particularly in relation to impact risk assessments to ensure that children are well matched.

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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)) 1 October 2021

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to both administering and recording children’s medication. 1 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 1 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 7 the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and 1 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 8 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers need to ensure that they record the actual hours worked on the staff rosters. 1 October 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 quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 1 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 9 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mill Farm, Bull Bridge Lane, Liverpool L10 6LZ

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC406636 11 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

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