Children's Home run by Helpful Investments Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 1 Registered provider: Helpful Investments Limited

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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. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 31 August and 1 September 2022. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued three compliance notices, under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000,in respect of regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted also issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. This notice had immediate effect from 1 September 2022 until 24 November 2022.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was carried out on 10 October 2022 and it was determined that the compliance notices had not been met. Three further notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000, in respect of regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 14, the care planning standard. Inspectors also identified significant concerns regarding children’s health needs. Therefore, Ofsted issued a compliance notice in respect of regulation 10, the health and well-being standard. The restriction notice remained in place. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 2 During this monitoring visit, the inspector found that the registered provider has complied with the conditions of the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of the child’s risk assessment has improved. This risk assessment clearly identifies individual risks for the child and the strategies that staff should follow to reduce these risks. Staff understand the child’s risks and have been proactive in their approach to reducing risk. This has resulted in a reduction of safeguarding incidents in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Direct work has taken place to help the child understand risks and keep themselves safe. This is completed in a timely manner and there is relevant, reactive and proactive work being undertaken to reduce risks to the child.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s health needs are being met. Staff support the child to attend appointments as needed. There has been good support for the child around their physical and emotional health and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have now received training in relevant subjects, such as alcohol and substance misuse. There have been numerous opportunities for staff to reflect on the training that they have received. Leaders and the manager recognise the barriers to staff completing training and they have arranged for the staff to have designated training time. Improved management oversight of training is supporting staff to develop their skills and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision processes have improved. Staff are receiving practice-based supervision with the manager and a consultant psychotherapist. Supervisions provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on the quality of the child’s care, which is supporting the development of good practice.

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This monitoring visit

No children have moved into the home since the last inspection. To support learning and improvements in the admission process, the responsible individual, manager and staff team have completed theoretical impact risk assessments. Managers and staff have reflected on previous shortfalls and implemented an improved system for assessing the suitability of future placements.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has made improvements in the quality of their monitoring systems. The manager has greater oversight of significant events, including the actions taken following these.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations made at the full inspection were not considered as part of this visit, therefore these remain.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held following this visit. It was the decision of the case review that the compliance notices had been met. The notice restricting accommodation at the home was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2022 Full Inadequate 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(Iv)(v)(vii)(viii)) 20 November 2022

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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 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 5 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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing— 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 6 injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that there are no restrictions on children being able to leave the home, unless this is directed for safeguarding reasons and the appropriate authority is in place.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children’s records detail the correct medication and the correct dosage.

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Requirement Due date

Children must only administer their own medication if this is in accordance with the local authority plans for the child’s care and is thoroughly risk-assessed. 20 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to the use of external door alarms. 20 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 7 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

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 effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all incidents of restraint are recorded, including the occasions when staff use ‘guiding’ techniques.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 8 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

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (7)) 20 November 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. This relates to the use of words such as ‘resident’, ‘curfew’ and ‘absconding’. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 9

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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: 2645858 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Helpful Investments Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Bridge Street, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 1QB

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Inspector

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2645858 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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