Children's home run by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in Sefton

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 1 SC036298 Registered provider: Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides a short-breaks service for up to five children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and complex health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2004.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 9 and 10 November 2021. Further to the inspection, three compliance notices were issued: under regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, inspectors considered the action taken by the provider to meet the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has updated the statement of purpose and requested a variation to the current conditions of registration. This will enable children to remain at the home on a long-term basis. One child remains living at the home. There are plans in place to support the child to move to another long-term placement. He has made progress since living at the home and is happy and settled with the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans and risk assessments have been updated to ensure that they are individualised and identify each child’s needs. Risk assessments include information about what actions staff should take if children are at risk. File audits have been conducted, and staff reported that they have found these helpful in identifying information that had been missed or was incorrect. This has improved the quality of records. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 2 The inspector spoke to staff who demonstrated a good understanding of children’s risks and what action to take if children are at risk of harm. They were highly complementary about the support provided by the management team. They spoke with pride about the work of the staff team, placing significant focus on promoting children’s experiences.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, staff have all had supervision. This has provided an opportunity to discuss children’s plans, the outcome of the inspection, and policies and procedures, including safeguarding. This ensures that all staff are aware of the findings of the inspection, the improvements required and their responsibilities on how to respond when risks occur. However, the registered manager has not been provided with formal supervision since January 2020. This is a missed opportunity to support the registered manager and provide an opportunity to consistently develop her leadership skills.

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This monitoring visit

All staff now have access to the local authority’s computerised system. This supports staff to access information quickly and ensure that the person-centred plans they develop are based on the local authority’s children in need and looked after care plans.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have strengthened the monitoring systems to improve the oversight and review of the home. This includes the monitoring of all incidents, accidents and physical interventions with children. Training is planned with all staff to review the new documentation in place to improve care practices.

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This monitoring visit

Rotas demonstrate that staffing in the home is sufficient to meet the needs of the children. When staff have not been available to work, alternative arrangements have been made. This has ensured that the home remains fully staffed to support the needs of children accessing the service, alongside the child who is currently living in the home. No other children have accessed the service since 23 December 2021.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices. The additional requirements will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/11/2021 Full Inadequate 01/07/2019 Full Good 11/09/2018 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 2 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the routine locking of doors in the home. 2 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 2 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 5 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

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 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii))

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

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to all staff having access to children’s statutory plans and assessments. The home’s plans should reflect the statutory plans and be reviewed, updated, clearly signed and dated. 2 January 2022

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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 2 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 6 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))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to improving the content of the quality of care review report and ensuring that it reflects children’s experiences and views of the home. A copy of the report must be sent to Ofsted within the required time frame.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager undertaking a thorough and meaningful assessment of the home’s location. 2 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: SC036298 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Oriel Road, BOOTLE, Merseyside L20 7AE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Greenhalgh

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspector Mrs Rose Maddocks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC036298 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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