Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 1 SC022442 Registered provider: PIC 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 children’s home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in February 2022.

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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/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 3

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inadequate

There is one child living at this home. The child’s progress and experiences are compromised by poor care planning and safeguarding practice. Staff do not have sufficient skills and experience to maintain a safe environment for the child. Therefore, the child’s progress and safety have been compromised.

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inadequate

The child has developed some positive relationships with staff. However, he is spending most of his time away from the home and staff do not always know where the child is or who he is spending time with. Therefore, staff are not providing the child with a safe and nurturing environment. This prevents the child from making progress.

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inadequate

Staff do not have the opportunity to spend time with the child to talk to him about the risks in the community and to help the child understand how to keep safe. For example, staff do not speak to the child about known risks in relation to substance misuse, criminal exploitation and inappropriate relationships. This does not ensure that the child is helped to understand these risks.

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inadequate

Care planning is not robust. There are documents missing from the child’s file that include key information about the child’s needs. Therefore, staff are not provided with clear plans to meet the child’s overall needs. Furthermore, the child’s plans are not updated with relevant information. For example, there are inconsistencies in relation to plans for the child to spend time with his family. This does not provide staff with accurate information for them to follow to safely support the child when he is spending time with his family.

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inadequate

Staff are helping the child attend education and he has started a college placement. This is positive progress for the child.

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

Inspectors found that the arrangements for safeguarding the child are poor and that risk management is ineffective. The child spends most of his time away from the home and staff do not always know his whereabouts. Staff do not have clear plans in place to monitor this to ensure that the child is safe.

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

Staff have taken the child to areas where there are known risks in relation to criminal exploitation. Managers and staff do not identify and robustly assess these risks and there is no professional curiosity about where the child is going and who he is with. This means that the child is left in potentially unsafe situations.

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

Risk assessments do not contain up-to-date information regarding safeguarding incidents. The risk assessments do not include clear guidance and strategies for staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 4 to follow to keep the child safe. For example, risk assessments in relation to substance misuse, and mobile phone and internet use do not include clear information and guidance for staff to follow in practice. Additionally, the child’s missing-from-care plans are complicated and confusing for staff.

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

Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping the child safe. Staff spoken to were not clear what action to take when the child is missing from home.

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

The manager’s monitoring of the home environment is ineffective. There are hazards in the home environment and damage to some areas of the home. Furthermore, hazardous substances are not safely stored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a registered manager in post. She has failed to demonstrate that she is leading and managing the home in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in the statement of purpose. The manager’s practice fails to demonstrate that the care being delivered meets the child’s individual needs or promotes his safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager’s oversight of care planning is poor. She does not robustly assess and review planning in respect of the child. Managers and staff have not challenged the child’s placing authority effectively to ensure that all essential paperwork is in place. For example, the child does not have an up-to-date local authority care plan or pathway plan on file. This means staff do not have all the child’s relevant plans to meet his needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External monitoring is poor. An independent visitor visits the home and consults with the child and professionals. However, the visitor has not identified the safeguarding concerns and risks found at this inspection. Ineffective monitoring does not help the manager and staff improve the quality of care provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that all staff have the experience and training to meet the needs of children living in the home. This includes training on county lines, substance misuse and incidents of going missing from home. This means that staff do not understand the risks and vulnerabilities of children who are exploited, and do not know how to respond appropriately to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are not providing all staff with supervision in line with the company policy. Inspectors found that some records are duplicated. Supervision records do not demonstrate that staff talk about incidents to reflect on their practice. The lack of reflection and professional challenge mean that staff do not learn from any incidents to continually improve the quality of care they provide for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 11 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 6 This specifically relates to the limited time the child spends in the home and the impact this may have on relationships. It also directly relates to the manager ensuring work is carried out with the child regarding safe and appropriate relationships.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

and 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 designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(viii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that there are clear strategies in the child’s risk assessment for staff to follow in practice. 20 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 7 *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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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

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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)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to overall management oversight and staff training. 20 November

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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;

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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 arrangements are in place to— 20 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 8 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates directly to the home not having the child’s local authority documentation, and conflicting information in relation to family time.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that supervision records are not duplicated and there is evidence of professional challenge and reflection. 20 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 20 November

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 9

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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: SC022442 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 0TW

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Inspectors

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC022442 11 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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