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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 1 SC022438

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PIC Children’s Services Limited

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.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for one child with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is currently vacant.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor the actions taken by the provider in response to the compliance notice served on 23 January 2023. The notice was served under regulation 12, the protection of children standard.

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This monitoring visit

The previous manager has left the organisation and the registered manager’s post is currently vacant. There is an interim manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding practices in the home have improved. The interim manager and staff have complete safeguarding training as well as training around reporting and recording and substance misuse.

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This monitoring visit

The manager took swift action to address shortfalls in staff not following the procedure in place on one occasion when a child was missing from the home. Since the last inspection, there have been two incidents of children going missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight in the home has improved, and meetings have taken place with staff to support them in their role to ensure that they understand strategies to manage and reduce risk. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 2 The staff have been proactive in supporting the child to develop their understanding of making safer choices. Direct work has been completed to educate the child on the dangers of substance misuse and the impact that this may have on their health.

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This monitoring visit

Risk plans had been reviewed and staff are able to talk about the action that they would take to keep the child safe. However, plans did not provide clear guidance for staff to follow if the child came home under the influence of alcohol, despite this being a known risk for the child. The manager took immediate action to address this during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

It was identified during the visit that staff are not yet receiving regular supervision. As a result, staff are not receiving the level of support that they should receive. A requirement has been given in regard to this.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice under regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised at the previous inspection were not considered at this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/01/2023 Full Inadequate 20/04/2021 Full Good 17/07/2019 Full Good 17/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 3

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff members receive supervision and appraisals in line with the organisation’s policy. In addition, the manager must have a system in place to ensure that supervision records are detailed and reflect discussions that have taken place. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; 5 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 4 provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(vii)(c)(ii))

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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

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

This relates specifically to the manager ensuring that records are accurately reviewed with robust oversight to identify shortfalls, evidence progression and highlight potential risk. The manager must also ensure that all staff have the 5 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 5 necessary training to meet the needs of children and to support them effectively. No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that punitive measures are not imposed, such as children’s finances being withheld. 5 March 2023

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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; 5 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 6 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates directly to leaders and managers ensuring that they record restrictive practice on the relevant records to enable a review of safe practice.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that rotas contain the full names of staff members working at the home. 5 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(c) (3)) 5 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 7 This relates specifically to the manager ensuring that the views of children, parents and carers, and professionals are sought, and that objectives identified for improvement are specific, measurable and improve the quality of care delivered to children.

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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: SC022438 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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