Children's Home run by CFS Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 1 Registered provider: CFS Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned and is registered to care for up to four children who may have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2022. The registered manager has submitted a voluntary cancellation form. She was due to leave on 5 November 2022.

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This monitoring visit

During a full inspection on 14 and 15 September 2022, inspectors identified significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and leadership and management. As a result, two compliance notices were issued, under section 22A of the Care Standards Act. These related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted also issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. This notice had immediate effect, from 16 September 2022 to 8 December 2022.

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this visit was to monitor and review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices and comply with the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

There are detailed risk management plans in place for children. Staff have taken effective action in response to significant incidents because these plans provide them with clear strategies to follow to reduce risks for children. These plans are regularly reviewed and shared with staff to ensure that they have the most current information in relation to children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 2 Safeguarding practice in the home has improved. Staff have benefited from training to improve their skills and knowledge. Leaders and managers have taken steps to improve the safeguarding culture in the home. Key policies have been reviewed, alongside a revised format for team meetings and supervision. Staff are encouraged to reflect on safeguarding incidents and are provided with learning opportunities to further develop their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed numerous training courses since the last visit. These include training in neurodiversity and autism spectrum disorder awareness. Leaders and managers ensure that training is effective by evaluating the impact on staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

There is regular and effective communication with all partner agencies, including safeguarding agencies. Any concerns are reported in a timely way, which ensures a multi-disciplinary approach to managing children’s risks and vulnerabilities.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has been absent from the home since the last inspection. An external consultant has helped the responsible individual and deputy manager to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. Management oversight has significantly improved. Leaders and managers have taken appropriate action to address the shortfalls and new systems have been implemented to prevent these shortfalls from reoccurring.

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This monitoring visit

There is now a consistent staff team in place. There are sufficient staff to care for the two children who live at the home. However, there are due to be future changes to the staff team, including the registered manager and some senior staff leaving. These changes will have an impact on the provider’s ability to continue to provide safe care if other children move into the home.

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This monitoring visit

In Ofsted’s view, the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. The provider has also complied with the conditions of the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

The notice restricting accommodation should remain in place. This is due to changes in the staffing and management arrangements in the home and the impact on any children moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements were not considered at this visit but will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/09/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 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, 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about— 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 5 how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)(i)(iii)(d)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children complain about treatment by a third party or professional agency, ensure that the child is listened to and has access to support to address that complaint.

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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. 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)) 2 December 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

The registered person must ensure that— 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 6 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.

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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 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)(i)(ii)(c))

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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; 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 7 are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b) (4)(b)(c)) 2 December 2022

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that notifications are factually accurate, and any actions identified to reduce risk of harm are followed. 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 8

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Europa House, Suite 9, Europa House Business Lodge Bury, Barcroft Street, Bury BL9 5BT

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Inspector

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2678405 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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Inspector

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