Children's Home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 1 SC062013 Registered provider: After Care NW Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three 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 1 April 2022.

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Inspection date: 30 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 30 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home now has a new manager who has been acting manager since the last inspection and registered with Ofsted on 1 April 2022. The manager has a good understanding of significant events in the children’s lives. She provides clear direction to the adults caring for the children to maximise their progress and keep them safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a focus on improving practice and management systems, which has resulted in previous inspection requirements being met. However, the manager has not completed a review of the quality of care. The absence of this review limits the opportunities for children and people who are important to them to provide feedback about the care provided. It also prevents the manager from creating a forward-thinking vision for children’s care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The adults caring for children are equipped with bespoke knowledge to support the children’s individual needs. Children’s care has now been individualised because of training and they are now thriving.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When a safeguarding concern arises, the manager and adults directly caring for children follow child-protection procedures. Multi-agency safety plans are put in place to keep children safe, and they are regularly reviewed. However, children are not provided with the opportunity to develop their knowledge about complex safeguarding issues. This shortfall limits children’s development of their own safety measures against risks in society.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children now have clear written plans in place. The plans bring children to life and have specific and measurable goals to help children achieve. As a result of this shift in practice, children have developed new life skills, they are achieving in education, and they have experienced new opportunities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. During this inspection, the manager and adults who directly cared for the child were reflective about this event. However, there has been no formal opportunity for everyone to reflect and learn. This reduces the opportunity for the team to improve its practice in caring for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/08/2018 Full Good 27/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 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, the 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children receive education about complex safeguarding risks. 30 April 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 quality of care provided for children;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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 intends to take as a result of the quality-of-care review ("the quality-of-care review report"). 30 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 5 The registered person must—

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality-of-care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC062013 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

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Inspector

Carly Quinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC062013 7 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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