Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 1 SC405448

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Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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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 that provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Safeguarding practice is reactive rather than proactive.  There is no registered manager in post and the current management arrangements are ineffective.  Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting the child.  Leaders and managers do not demonstrate any learning from safeguarding incidents. Therefore, the child is at risk of further harm.

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The care of children

Since the last full inspection in April 2022, one child continues to live at the home. The child’s care has been compromised by poor safeguarding practice and ineffective leadership and management. Therefore, the child’s overall progress and experiences have been adversely affected.

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The care of children

Since the last inspection, several staff have left the home and there have been changes to the management and staff team. Therefore, the child has not had the opportunity to develop trusting relationships with a consistent, supportive staff team.

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The care of children

Staff could not demonstrate how they are meeting the child’s overall emotional and health needs. For example, staff spoken to say that the child refuses to take their medication. However, staff do not have any clear strategies in place to help the child take their medication. Therefore, the child’s health needs are not met.

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The care of children

The child’s day-to-day experiences are poor. On the day of the visit, the child spent the day in their bedroom after they were missing from home the previous night. When staff tried to engage them, the child refused to leave the bedroom. This does not demonstrate that staff have the skills and experience to help the child get involved in any activities.

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The safety of children

There has been an escalation in safeguarding notifications. Records demonstrate that risk management is reactive rather than proactive. This is specifically in relation to substance misuse and incidents of the child going missing from home.

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The safety of children

Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping the child safe. For example, records demonstrate that the child has been missing from home on several Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 3 occasions. The child is frequently missing in different cities. Staff are not sufficiently responsive in their approach. As a result, the child has suffered harm.

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The safety of children

There has been an increase in the child misusing substances. Records do not demonstrate that staff are being proactive in managing this risk, and incidents continue. Staff do not demonstrate any professional curiosity about finding out where the child gets these substances from.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments are not updated to include safeguarding incidents. Furthermore, risk assessments do not include relevant risk management strategies. Therefore, staff do not have clear actions to follow in practice to reduce the risk of harm to the child.

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The safety of children

There have been incidents of physical intervention. Leaders and managers do not evaluate these incidents in line with regulation. Furthermore, incidents have not been evaluated for effectiveness and any lessons learned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The provider has not ensured that there is a registered manager in post since April 2021. The acting manager has not submitted a full application to register with Ofsted. The acting manager is also covering shifts in the home. This has had an impact on her ability to maintain and establish good monitoring systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Several staff have left since the previous inspection and there is a newly formed team in place. This has resulted in a lack of consistency for the child. Therefore, the child is not cared for by a consistent and stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not demonstrate any learning from incidents. There is no reflection with staff or evaluation of safeguarding incidents to improve the situation for the child and the practice of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff spoken to describe low morale and poor leadership. This has had an impact on the quality of care that staff provide for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff do not have supervision sessions in line with the home’s policies. Therefore, staff do not have the opportunity to reflect on incidents and develop their practice. This means that leaders and managers cannot help staff progress in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Ofsted has not been notified in a timely way about all serious safeguarding incidents. This means the regulator is unable to monitor and review the safeguarding of the child to ensure that they are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have not responded effectively to the requirements made at the home’s last inspection. This does not demonstrate that they have made improvements at the home to keep the child safe and improve the quality of care that the child receives. Leaders and managers fail to ensure that the child is cared for safely. Therefore, requirements are repeated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 4 The serious and widespread shortfalls identified at this visit led to immediate enforcement action and Ofsted issued a suspension notice.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Inadequate 26/11/2019 Full Outstanding 26/09/2018 Full Outstanding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 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 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;

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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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers need to ensure that the child has an updated risk assessment with clear strategies for staff to follow to reduce the risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers need to ensure that all staff have the relevant skills and understand how to keep the child safe. 31 October 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 31 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 6 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers need to ensure that the care provided is in line with the home’s statement of purpose and that staff have the relevant experience and skills to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, leaders and managers need to implement monitoring and review systems so they can consistently evaluate the care that staff provide for children and make improvements.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership; 31 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 7 does not satisfy regulation 28; or

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1) (4)(b)) 31 October 2022

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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 restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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 31 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 8 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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(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

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. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspector

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 10 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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