Children's Home run by Nugent Care 2019 in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 1 SC025395 Registered provider: Nugent Care 2019

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a charity. It provides care for up to 19 children in two separate houses. Children living at the home may experience challenges in one or more areas of social, emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered on 29 March 2021 and she has been absent from work since 10 September 2021.

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This monitoring visit

At an inspection on 6 and 7 October 2021, inspectors found serious and widespread weaknesses in the care and protection of children. The registered person was failing to provide effective care for the children currently living at the home. Should further children be admitted to the home, the risks to children’s welfare would be exacerbated. Consequently, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the children’s home with immediate effect on 8 October 2021.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation to regulation 11, the positive relationships standard; regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; regulation 14 the care planning standard; regulation 23, medicines; and regulation 32, fitness of workers.

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This monitoring visit

At a monitoring visit on 24 November 2021, inspectors found that steps had been taken to meet the compliance notices in relation to positive relationships, the protection of children, care planning and medicines. However, shortfalls remained in the leadership and management of the home and recruitment of staff. Therefore, Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation to regulation 13 and regulation 32. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 2 The focus of this visit was to monitor the registered person’s compliance with the notice restricting accommodation and review the actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices that were issued following the last monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the registered person has complied with the notice restricting accommodation. However, inspectors found concerns in relation to the safeguarding of children’s welfare and staffing arrangements. There is a continued failure to provide effective care for the children currently living at the home. Consequently, it is Ofsted’s view that should additional children come to live at the home, the risks to children’s welfare would increase. Therefore, a further notice restricting accommodation was issued on 30 December 2021.

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This monitoring visit

At this visit, inspectors found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice in the home. The steps taken to address poor risk management and safeguarding practice seen at the monitoring visit on 24 November 2021 have not been maintained and are not leading to sustained improvements .

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This monitoring visit

The home’s arrangements to protect children from harm are poor. Staff do not always respond effectively and follow the strategies in place to help keep children safe. For example, staff have not always followed the plans for supervising children at night. This has left children vulnerable and at risk of actual harm.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, the strategies in place to protect and support children who display self- injurious behaviours or return home under the influence of alcohol or drugs have not been followed consistently. The care provided to children is reactive and is not effective in managing and reducing the identified risks to children’s safety and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff have attended training to develop their skills and knowledge. This includes first aid, self-injurious behaviours and managing challenging behaviours. The does not demonstrate that all staff have the training to safely manage all children’s behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

There continue to be staff shortages due to vacancies and staff absences from work. The current restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have affected staffing levels negatively. On 5 December 2021, the staffing levels were not sufficient to allow for known risks to be managed in line with children’s plans. A significant event took place during the evening, which staff were not aware of until three days later. Therefore, children could not be safeguarded or supported in the aftermath of the event.

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This monitoring visit

Only one new childcare worker has started working at the home since the last monitoring visit. The employment of this person followed safer recruitment procedures, including additional checks and interviews to make sure that the person had the necessary skills and qualities to work at the home. Therefore, leaders and Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 3 managers have demonstrated that they have taken steps to meet the compliance notice under regulation 32, the fitness of workers.

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This monitoring visit

In Ofsted’s view, the shortfalls highlighted demonstrate ineffective leadership and management and safeguarding practice that has compromised the experiences and progress of all the children living in the home. Therefore, Ofsted has issued compliance notices in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s progress in meeting the other requirements made at the last inspection will be reviewed at the next full inspection . Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/10/2021 Full Inadequate 27/11/2019 Full Good 07/08/2018 Full Good 17/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 6 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(c)(i)(ii))

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x)(b)) 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 7 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 that are 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 understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c)) 16 January 2022

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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; 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 8 help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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

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ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)) 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 9 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 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 10 ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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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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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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a description of the measure and its duration;

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

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a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 11 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (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 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 ensuring that children’s records include up-to- date health assessments, personal education plans, and education, health and care plans. In addition, records should provide a clear picture of children’s journey at the home, including their views, experiences, progress and outcomes. Ensure that records are written in plain, appropriate and non-stigmatising language. 16 January 2022

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 16 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 12 In particular, a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home and a record of the actual hours worked should be kept.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person not informing Ofsted of serious concerns about the performance of the registered manager. 16 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC025395 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 99 Edge Lane, Edge Hill, Liverpool L7 2PE

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Inspectors

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC025395 14 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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