Children's Home run by Apex Children‟s Services Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 1 Registered provider: Apex Children’s Services Limited Full inspection 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. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that it provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in November 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 10 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 3

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inadequate

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. Two children had moved in very recently. The children, who had not lived in the home for very long, already appear to have settled in well. One child told the inspector: ‘Everyone made me feel very welcome, and the other children helped me unpack my things.’

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inadequate

Not all outcomes for children have been positive. Children have moved out of the home in an unplanned way and, for some children, their placements have ended unexpectedly. This means that children’s overall progress and experiences have been adversely affected.

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inadequate

Since the last visit to the home, there have been temporary changes to the management and staff team, partly due to the registered manager being absent from work for a three-month period. Although staffing has now improved, children have not had the opportunity to develop trusting relationships with a consistent, supportive staff team. One member of staff told inspectors: ‘It was like starting again with the children; they no longer trusted anyone and had all regressed. Even their language and behaviour had changed.’

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inadequate

Inspectors found serious shortfalls in safeguarding practice, care planning and the management of risks to children’s safety, leading to an outcome which limits the overall experience and progress of children and young people. These weaknesses had a significant negative effect on children’s safety, welfare, experiences and progress.

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inadequate

The home environment is friendly and welcoming and maintained to a very high standard. The home is personalised with children’s photos, awards and belongings throughout. Children’s views, artwork and statements they have wanted to share are displayed on the wall in a communal area of their home. This supports children to feel important and valued.

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inadequate

Children make progress in their education. Staff have aspirations for each child and advocate for them. Staff make necessary challenges to ensure that children have the educational support they need. Inspectors saw evidence of a recent example of this following a child moving into the home. This led to the child receiving the individualised support they needed after being absent from education for a period of time. As a result, opportunities for children’s futures are enhanced.

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inadequate

Children engage in various activities and hobbies which are encouraged and promoted by the staff. Children have enjoyed fundraising for a local children’s hospital for which they received personal thanks and appreciation. This makes children feel proud and helps them to recognise the difference they have made. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 4 Children’s health and well-being are promoted by staff. Staff ensure that healthcare plans identify children’s individual health needs. Statutory health assessments have been completed and children are supported to attend required medical appointments.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

During the three months that the registered manager was absent from work, children were not adequately helped or protected because of the poor safeguarding arrangements in the home. Safeguarding practice at that time was inadequate and did not promote the safety and welfare of children. This was detrimental to all of the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff did not understand their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that children are safeguarded effectively and failed to report safeguarding concerns when incidents occurred. This led to limited action being taken to ensure that the safety and welfare of the children were promoted.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Allegations of abuse have not been managed in line with safeguarding procedures. When a child reported that she had been assaulted by a professional while in the community and had visible injuries, the acting manager and staff failed to recognise this as a significant incident. Neither the manager nor the staff reported the incident in line with safeguarding and organisational procedures. As a result, the allegation was not investigated.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

During an incident when a child was distressed and displaying self-harming behaviours, the acting manager’s record of the incident was stigmatising towards the child and indicates that neither he nor the staff responded to her immediate needs. Rather than staff taking immediate action to respond to the child’s needs, the police were called to manage her behaviour. No checks were carried out to ensure that the child was safe and felt supported.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Inspectors found that staff failed to follow safeguarding policies and procedures. A review of an incident indicated that staff did not take immediate action when a child came home under the influence of a substance. The child was also involved in a road traffic incident which was witnessed by the acting manager. He did not check whether the child was injured and did not seek medical attention or complete appropriate welfare checks during the night. As a result, this significantly compromised the safety and welfare of the child. The child had increased vulnerability due to a diagnosed medical condition. This does not demonstrate robust safeguarding or caring practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There is an insufficient number of staff employed at the home to safely care for the children. This means that children are increasingly vulnerable when incidents occur, as there are not enough staff to respond. When children go missing from home, staff cannot to go out looking for them, despite this being an action recorded in children’s plans. This means that opportunities to locate and return them safely are missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 5 The inspectors found that following the registered manager’s return to the home, children have been safeguarded appropriately. When incidents have occurred, appropriate action has been taken. All four children living at the home at the time of the inspection told the inspectors that they felt safe and well cared for. Their individual risk management plans are followed by all staff and strategies are effective in ensuring that children are safe. Appropriate safety and monitoring

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

measures are now in place to ensure that children are safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2019 when the home opened. She displays strong leadership. Staff and children told inspectors that, since her return to work, she is supportive and readily available. One child told the inspector: ‘The manager helps me when I worry and always makes things good again.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When the registered manager was absent from work, the management and oversight of the home were poor. This resulted in the quality of care and children’s safety being compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

During this time, a decision was made for a child to move into the home whose needs could not be met by the staff. This had a negative effect on all the children living at the home, including the child who moved in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not taken prompt action when incidents have occurred. The acting manager failed to identify safeguarding concerns and report them to external professionals. Inaccurate and limited information contained in safeguarding notifications did not support the regulator to monitor the home’s response to safeguarding incidents and concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following the registered manager’s return to work, all incidents and records were reviewed. The review of these records did not identify poor practice in relation to safeguarding incidents that had occurred in her absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff reported improvements in the management of the home following the registered manager’s return. Staff now have regular reflective supervision, feel that they are valued, have a voice in the running of the home and feel supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted is of the view that there are serious shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the management of risks to children’s safety. Two compliance notices have been served under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. These notices will be monitored. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 6

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)) 4 April 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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 4 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 7 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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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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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

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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 children;

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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)) 4 April 2022

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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.

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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)(b) (2)(a)) 4 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 8 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)) 4 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 4 April 2022

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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; 4 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 9 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 (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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

must include details of the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure that all allegations of abuse and serious incidents are reported and that the information provided is factually correct. 4 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 10

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Apex Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspectors

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Chris Scully, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2553536 12 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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