Children's Home run by Trax MX Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 1 Registered provider: Trax MX Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to six children. Accommodation is provided in individual, staffed lodges on a large site which also includes a school operated by the same provider. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, six children were living in the lodges. They spoke with inspectors about their experiences of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 2 February 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Three compliance notices were issued following the full inspection on 2 and 3 February 2022. They related to regulation 12, protection of children, regulation 13, leadership and management, and regulation 24, monitoring and surveillance. The Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 2 monitoring visit carried out on 17 March 2022 confirmed that the provider had taken action to meet two of the compliance notices. A further compliance notice was issued following the monitoring visit in March 2022. This was in relation to regulation 24, monitoring and surveillance. This notice was monitored as part of this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the provider has implemented changes to improve the quality of care. Four children have moved into the home, four children have moved out and there have been changes to the management and staff teams. In response to the compliance notice, CCTV has been removed from children’s accommodation. Some CCTV remains in use on other areas of the site for security purposes, but the provider is clear that this is not used for surveillance of children.

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improvement to be good

Children say they like living in their individual lodges and enjoy the combination of both solo and group living opportunities. They are supported to develop mutually respectful relationships with staff who care about them. When asked their views about living here, one child told the inspectors: ‘I like it, it has helped me a lot. I’m not sure where I would be if not here. I enjoy my own space in my lodge. I don’t have to get involved with the others if I don’t want to, but I can when I want to. That makes a difference.’

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improvement to be good

Children feel listened to but do not always feel consulted about wider group-living decisions. For example, they were not spoken to about changes to visiting other lodges before these were implemented. Children have the opportunity to share their thoughts through discussions with staff and managers. However, language used to record discussions is not always appropriate and there is a lack of oversight from managers.

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improvement to be good

Children’s social workers are positive about the care children receive. From their individual starting points, children make progress in most areas of their lives. Staff have been proactive in improving children’s understanding of behaviour that may increase risks; as a result, these have reduced. Children are supported to develop skills to regulate their own emotions. However, there are currently no formal means of recording and measuring children’s overall progress, so it is difficult for managers to demonstrate children’s progress in line with their plans.

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improvement to be good

Children have moved into the home in a planned way. However, records do not consistently reflect how the needs of children moving into the home can be met alongside the needs of children already living in the home. Changes to improve admission processes had been identified by the management team before this inspection but had not been implemented.

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improvement to be good

Children’s education is supported. Children are encouraged to access a combination of academic and activity-based lessons at the on-site school. The close proximity between the school and home means that, at times, children return to their lodge during school hours. Staff communicate effectively with their colleagues in education but plans to address non-attendance are not evidenced. The monitoring of educational engagement in areas that children find difficult is not robust. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 5 Children have opportunities to learn employment-based skills, such as mechanics. Managers currently rely on education colleagues to oversee these on-site opportunities. The input and oversight of managers are limited and records do not clearly reflect the progress that children make.

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improvement to be good

There have been improvements in how the team supports children to access specialist and routine health services. However, information recorded about their health is not always accurate and some children have not had their annual health assessment. This limits opportunities to ensure children’s health needs are being met.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they feel safe. They experience a reduction in complex safeguarding behaviours. One social worker said, ‘Since living in the home [name of child] has been supported to feel safe, listened to and built self-confidence to open up emotionally with staff.’

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children going missing from the lodges or engaging in self-harming behaviours are reducing significantly. However, staff have not completed the relevant training in using ligature cutters, despite this being a known behaviour of one child before he moved to the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff are vigilant to risks children may face in the home and community. Incidents are responded to appropriately, but they are not consistently recorded and there is limited oversight from managers. One serious incident had not been reported to Ofsted as required by regulation.

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improvement to be good

There are safeguards in place to monitor children’s online activity via the home’s Wi- Fi, but this does not extend to children’s personal mobile phones. This means there is a lack of oversight around who some children are communicating with online. This can leave children vulnerable to exploitation and safeguarding risks, and limits opportunities for staff and managers to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are not sufficiently robust. Plans are not always updated in a timely manner and do not include clear strategies for staff to use to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff and children have regular access to a therapeutic service that provides consultations, one-to-one therapy, clinical supervision and training as required. However, feedback from therapists is not routinely shared in writing with the staff team or reflected in children’s plans. This limits opportunities for staff and managers to work consistently to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 6 Children benefit from high staffing levels. Sleeping arrangements for staff have not always been fully considered, and in one lodge staff sleep in the lounge. This is not appropriate and limits a child’s access to communal areas of their home at night.

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improvement to be good

It was identified during the inspection that sanctions being used do not always provide opportunities for children to reflect and learn from their behaviours. They are not being recorded consistently and there is limited oversight from managers.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of staff holding children to keep them safe are infrequent. When incidents of restraint do occur, some records do not clearly identify the type of hold used and debriefs lack detail. This limits the manager’s oversight and reduces opportunities for reflection and learning. Staff have completed additional training to improve practice around interventions, but changes are not yet fully implemented.

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improvement to be good

The manager was not aware of an on-site event planned by the provider until this was raised during the inspection. The provider is taking action to improve communication to ensure that managers are able to develop clear plans prior to events taking place.

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good

The inspection identified a number of shortfalls in management oversight. The manager holds the relevant qualification and is supported by a deputy manager. The responsible individual post is currently vacant.

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good

Staff like working in the home. They recognise that there have been improvements since the last inspection. They feel supported and benefit from regular supervision. Each lodge has a core staff team and this provides consistency for children. Although staff sometimes work in other lodges, they often function as separate teams, meaning practice is not always consistent.

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good

Changes to the recording system from an online to paper-based system has not been without its challenges. A number of recording discrepancies were identified during the inspection. This limits managers’ abilities to review incidents and reflect on practice in the home. Planned changes to internal monitoring systems have not been embedded and managers are not currently evaluating the overall effectiveness of the service.

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good

Gaps in staff training mean that staff have not received training to meet the individual needs of some children they care for. For example, only a few staff have completed training around internet safety, self-harming behaviours, substance misuse and medication.

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good

One recommendation and one requirement made at the previous inspection have been met. Two of the requirements have not been met and have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 7 A review was held following this inspection, which considered that the compliance noticed issued in relation to regulation 24 has been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 8

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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

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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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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 9 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff are able to identify, monitor and manage risks around internet safety; that staff are appropriately trained to meet the needs of children, in particular that they have completed internet safety and ligature release training, and that the registered person continually reviews the impact of on-site events on children placed in the home.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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. 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 10 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s plans are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect their current needs and include information and strategies provided by the therapist for staff to follow. In addition, that there are clear plans in place to support children in preparation for their independence. 30 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

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.

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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 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 11 well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children have access to annual health assessments and that health plans reflect current diagnosed health needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restrain which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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;

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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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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 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)) 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 12 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 June 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that placements for children are only accepted when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where it has fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that the design of the home provides staff who sleep overnight in the home with appropriate accommodation and facilities to do so without impinging on children’s living arrangements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)  The registered person should ensure that recordings are individualised, and that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the

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Recommendations

importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, clearly recorded and maximise the opportunity for children to reflect and learn. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that records reflect the input given to children to support their access to education and attainment in the core curriculum. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13) Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 13

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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: 2635351 14

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Inspectors

Caroline Bertram, Social Care Inspector Pauline Yates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2635351 15 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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