Children's Home run by Eastfield Group in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 1 SC064663

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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 up to seven children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at a full inspection on 26 and 27 October 2021. The inspector identified serious and widespread poor practice at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to assess the progress made by the provider regarding compliance notices issued under section 22a of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The managers have reviewed and updated the children’s risk management plans. The staff have had additional training and now understand and demonstrate the actions they need to take to keep children safe. There are better systems in place to monitor the staff team’s knowledge and response.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken steps to improve staff responses to all safeguarding concerns. Team meetings have taken place, overseen by the responsible individual. At the meetings, staff’s roles and responsibilities with regards to safeguarding practices were re-enforced. Senior managers had also scheduled one-to-one supervision sessions with all staff members to ensure that the information provided at the meeting was embedded in their day-to-day practice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 2 Senior managers have developed assurance systems to ensure that the staff develop plans that reflect children’s individual needs and track their progress. Senior team members provide support and guidance to the whole staff team. This means that there is greater consistency in how the team works to support children in line with the statement of purpose. Staff report feeling more positive and confident in their

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This monitoring visit

There are several review systems now in place with clear lines of accountability. Specific meetings are held regularly with key members from across the organisation to review children’s plans. This ensures that children’s plans are updated promptly to provide practice guidance for the staff and to track children’s progress and experiences more effectively.

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This monitoring visit

New documentation is in place to ensure that all children’s needs are assessed prior to them coming to live at the home. The new pre-admission planning processes now incorporate an assessment of the skills and experience of the staff team to ensure they can meet the needs of the child. No new children have moved to the home to test its effectiveness. However, the responsible individual will have oversight of all future referrals.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has demonstrated adequate progress to meet the steps of the compliance notices. No further enforcement action is planned in respect of these specific standards. However, a further inspection will take place to review how these improvements are being embedded into staff’s practice. A number of requirements were not explored as part of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed as part of the home’s next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/10/2021 Full Inadequate 09/04/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good 31/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 4

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s educational needs and targets being contained in their plans. It also relates to staff having a good understanding of these needs and goals to help children to achieve their full potential. 21 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 21 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 5 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s plans being individualised.This also relates to staff being able to meet children’s individual needs, before they move into the home.

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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—

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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; 21 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 6 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to recording of physical interventions. De-escalation strategies must be implemented and recorded. Debriefs must take place with staff and children who are involved in physical interventions by somebody who was not involved in the intervention.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to there being a clear and accurate account of who is caring for the children in their home and day-to-day accountability. 21 January 2022

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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: SC064663 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Eastfield Group, 6d Ryeground House, 6b Ryeground Lane, Formby, Merseyside L37 7EQ

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Inspector

Elaine Allison , Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064663 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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