Children's Home run by Trax MX Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 1

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Trax MX Ltd

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in September 2021 to provide care and accommodation for up to six children.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. There is a manager in place who registered with Ofsted in September 2021

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out following three complaints received by Ofsted as well as concerns to indicate that there may be a breach of regulations, including concerns that the home has operated outside of their registration conditions.

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This monitoring visit

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children. During this visit, it was confirmed that a seventh child had moved into the home. A significant safeguarding event took place within a few days of the child being placed, and they moved out of the home soon after this. The manager and responsible individual have, therefore, operated outside of the home’s conditions of registration, which is an offence under section 24 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

Despite instruction given during the registration process regarding the presence of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the home, the provider has reinstated the monitoring and surveillance devices. Although there is a policy in place regarding the use of CCTV, risk assessments fail to identify how this high level of surveillance meets the individual needs of children to promote children’s safety. Risk assessments also fail to meet statutory guidance. This does not promote children’s welfare or show regard to their need for privacy.

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This monitoring visit

Some children require additional support through the night to keep them safe. The arrangements for monitoring children in the night are not clear, and actions taken by Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 2 staff are inconsistent. The manager has not reviewed these arrangements, and children were at continued risk due to these shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Reflection of significant events has been inconsistent and ineffective in some cases. This means that opportunities to safeguard children and prevent reoccurrence of events have been missed. For example, one child was able to leave their home, on more than one occasion, at night and without staff knowledge. Despite this, there was no review of staffing arrangements or practical steps taken to monitor the means by which they left the home. Furthermore, not all significant events have been notified to Ofsted. This does not support effective monitoring and, therefore, compromises children’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Rotas in the home are not an accurate reflection of staffing arrangements. On some occasions, there have been insufficient numbers of staff to meet the needs of children. For example, some children require extra support to keep them safe, and this has not always been available to them.

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This monitoring visit

An anonymous complaint was made to the provider which resulted in an internal investigation and referral to the designated officer. The designated officer decided that no further action was necessary. However, the internal investigation into the complaint was not thorough. Children and staff were not spoken to in relation to this complaint, which means that the extent of any safeguarding concerns was not established. Failure to investigate such concerns thoroughly leaves children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There are six children currently living in the home. Children are being supported to engage in various activities, which provides opportunities to develop their interests. Activity plans are individualised, and for some children, they are providing positive diversion and supporting risk reduction.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 3

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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 —

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(b)) 25 January 2022

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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 to aspire to their full potential; and

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(h)) 25 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 4 The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring and surveillance of children if —

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring and surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d)) 25 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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 25 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 registration.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Inspectors

Julia Toller, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 5 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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